Patchwork sock

I loved this pattern as soon as I saw it. I really love to use color - the more the better and I prefer saturated colors (pastels don't make my list at all).

However, I found the instructions a bit difficult to understand - since the English instructions are a translation, the syntax is a bit mixed up plus the English instructions are given after the German instructions, making it harder to follow along. So when I finally figured it all out (including researching 'jojo heels' and their construction!), I decided to write the whole thing out in a more understandable form for others who might like to make this design. I found it fascinating to construct. The pattern is only for the leg pattern - you will use your own heel & foot pattern. I chose a short row heel because it just seemed to fit well and my usual standard wedge toe.

Patchwork socks

This is an English translation of the pattern found at
http://alpenfee.wordpress.com/anleitungen/patchworksocken-alpenfees-interpretation/

Materials: I used 100 gms sock weight yarn & US size 1.5 needles, (5 needle set required)

Cast on 60 stitches.
Divide the stitches on 4 working needles, 15 stitches per needle.
Knit in k1 p1 ribbing for 3 cm (1.2”) - I found this to be 12 rounds.

You will now start working the triangles and mitered squares of the pattern. Each triangle is worked individually on one needle before moving to the next needle. Needles 1 & 3 will begin & end with a knit stitch. Needles 2 & 4 will begin with a purl stitch. Continue to knit the ribbing on each needle as presented (knit the knit stitches, purl the purl stitches) EXCEPT that the last stitch of each needle must be knitted as you work the triangle patterns. This way your ribbing will continue down each triangle. The 1st stitch is always slipped purlwise, to create an edge stitch, making it easier to pick up stitches for the next row.

Triangles:
Row 1: Knit across the needle in ribbing, being sure to always knit the last stitch.
Row 2: Slip the 1st stitch purlwise, knit across in rib stitch, again alway knitting the last stitch.
Row 3: Slip the 1st stitch purlwise, knit the next 2 stitches together (see note below), knit across in rib stitch to the last 3 stitches. Knit the next 2 stitches together, then knit the last stitch.
Repeat Rows 2 & 3 until there are 3 stitches left. On the next right side row, s1, k2tog, psso.
Note: On Row 3, if the 1st stitch after the edge stitch is a purl stitch, k2tog. If the 1st stitch is a knit stitch, sl1, k1, psso.
(my note: I think this is also meant to apply to the left edge as well as the right edge. The translation is not clear.)

You have 1 stitch on your needle. Pick up 8 stitches along the left edge of the triangle, bringing you back down to the next needle. 9 stitches on your right needle.

Using your empty needle, repeat the triangle instructions on the next 3 needles. 4 triangles created.

Mitered squares (note that you will now be working in stockinette stitch, not ribbing):
For the next round, pick up 1 stitch between the triangle just completed & the next triangle, then pick up 9 more stitches along the edge of the first triangle. 17 stitches on your working needle.
Row 1: purl back across, knit the last stitch.
Row 2: slip 1st stitch, k7, (sl 1, k2 tog, psso), k to end of row
Row 3: slip 1st stitch, purl across to last stitch, k1
Row 4: slip 1st stitch, k6, (sl 1, k2 tog, psso), k to end of row
Row 5 & all odd rows: repeat Row 3
Row 6 and all even rows: Repeat Row 4, knitting 1 less stitch each time
Continue until your last wrong side row is 3 stitches.
Last right side row: sl1, k2tog, psso
Pick up 9 stitches down the edge of the completed square.

Repeat for 3 more mitered squares.

The last mitered square will leave you at the beginning of the next round. When you pick up the 9 stitches down the side, you’ll immediately pick up the center stitch & 9 more stitches up the side of the next square.

The pattern calls for 4 rounds of mitered squares. Projects shown on Ravelry.com show some projects with as little as 2 rounds, for shorter socks, and others with more than 4 rounds. 4 rounds, plus the final bridging triangles, gave me a sock that measured 6” from the cast on edge.

For the next round, you need to create half-squares. Triangles, yes, but they must also be mitered, just like the previous rounds. To do this, you need to increase while you are decreasing at the center. The way this is accomplished is to double one stitch on each row - literally. What the pattern wants you to do is to slip a stitch (purlwise) while holding the yarn in front of the work, then bring the working yarn to the back of your needle. Now when you pull firmly on the working yarn, the stitch you just slipped should slip down behind the needle & the stitch from the row below should slide up over your needle - both legs of it. Thus, you now have two stitches here. I found that this worked fine on the wrong side rows, but not on the front side rows. However, I also realized that it didn’t have to, actually. On my front side rows, I just let the working yarn stay on the right hand needle as a yarn over. It still doubled my stitch count for that stitch and that was the important point.

Pick up the stitches for the next section just as you have been - 19 stitches on the working needle. Purl back across all stitches.
Row 1: Following the notes above, slip the 1st stitch purlwise, and bring the working yarn to the back of your needle, over the needle. Tug on the yarn. If both legs of the stitch below come up, fine. If not, just leave the working yarn over the needle as a yarn over. This still leaves you with 2 stitches across your needle, which is what you want. Knit across the row, doing the usual decrease on the center 3 stitches. On repeats of this row, do not knit any doubled stitches.
Row 2: Following the notes above, slip the 1st stitch purlwise, and bring the working yarn to the back of your needle, over the needle. Tug on the yarn. I found that this worked every time for me, with the stitch below coming up across my needle, creating the 2 stitches I needed. You’ll need to bring the yarn back to the front of the work, between the needles, to purl across the rest of the stitches except stop when you get to the doubled stitch. Turn your work without knitting the doubled stitch(es).
Repeat Rows 1 & 2, always turning your work without knitting any doubled stitches, until you are left with only the 3 center stitches for Row 1. Do the decrease on these stitches, then knit across the rest of the row to the end of the needle, knitting each stitch individually. Turn the work and purl all the way back across each stitch. You should now have 17 stitches on the working needle. Turn the work and knit back across, doing the normal decrease on the center 3 stitches. 15 stitches left on working needle.

If, for some reason, you find you have more than 15 stitches left on your needle, just wait until you have completed all 4 triangles. When you knit the 3 or so rows of plain stockinette stitch, you can knit 2 together as required to get the correct number of stitches on each needle. It won’t even show - trust me.

Repeat 3 times. 60 stitches on needles.

Knit a few rows of plain stockinette stitch, then knit your favorite heel. I chose a short row heel, but I used my usual wrap and turn short row heel. Knit the foot of the sock the required length for the type of toe you prefer and finish sock. I used a standard wedge toe.

Now do the whole thing again so you have a sock for each foot.