Pattern 5 – Dimpled Diamonds

Here is pattern 5 for Sock Madness 3. It’s from Mt. Mom who is familiar to us all for her past involvement in Sock Madness. The first year she was a player and last year she provided one of my favorite SM2 patterns – the Godmother Socks. 

This is one of those patterns that will work with many different yarns.  I chose to use a slightly variegated yarn but it ought to look fabulous with a brightly colored yarn or a stripe.  the possibilities are endless!

The picture was taken when I was not quite finished with sock 2.  My daughter cleverly posed to hide the incomplete cuff.  They’re done now and they’re great but please note that there was very little left from either skein of the Plymouth Happy Feet. 

And now, a word from our Round 5 designer:

Greetings, knitters!  Mt. Mom here. 
I’ve been participating in Sock Madness in various capacities since year one when my cousin Angeluna persuaded me and several others (including our dear Jo) to enter.  In 2007, I was eliminated in Round 3; last year I submitted the Godmother’s Socks pattern; this year it’s Dimpled Diamonds. 

The design idea started with a swatch.   When I get a knitting book through Interlibrary Loan, and see something interesting, I often swatch it before I have to send the book back.  Some books generate *multiple* swatches — I had a field day with Nickie Epstein’s Knitting Beyond the Edge !  I modified her version of Dimple Stitch a bit, replacing some purl rounds with knits, and it just screamed “Sock Madness”.  Too much texture to fit inside a shoe, so it became a cuff and the search for a compatible foot pattern began.  In Barbara G. Walker’s first Treasury of Knitting Patterns I found just the thing:  another (but flatter) scallop pattern on the same scale:  Quilted Lattice.  Little did I know that another designer was considering the same stitch at about the same time: MintyFresh came up with the Leyburn sock (which I have not read, only seen photos after my own sock was complete), while I went this other direction.  Not surprising it’s being used by 2 (or more) designers, since the slip-stitch pattern works so well with variegated and handpainted yarns.
I found the pattern enjoyable to knit:  enough detail and variety to keep me going, but quickly memorized; workable by sight, without constantly referring back to the written directions.  I hope you all have some fun with it too!
-Deborah