Snazzy Argyles

Designed by Linda Daniels

Christmas stockings and argyle socks are both epitomes of tradition. With this two-color design you carry both colors as you work around the stocking — no bobbins to worry about! Once you’ve made one or two, you’ll want to try other color combinations, as well.

Finished Measurements

• 6³⁄₄" wide x 20" long

Yarn

Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride, 85% wool/15% mohair, worsted weight, 4 oz (113 g)/190 yd (173 m) skeins

• MC: Blue Flannel (M-82), 2 skeins
• CC: Red Baron (M-81), 1 skein

Needles

• One US 6 (4 mm) circular needle, 16" long, or size you need to obtain correct gauge
• One set of US 6 (4 mm) 10" double-pointed needles or size you need to obtain correct gauge

Gauge

• 22 stitches = 4" on US 6 (4 mm) needles in stockinette stitch

Other Supplies

• Stitch markers, crochet hook, yarn needle

Abbreviations

CC: contrasting color

K: knit

K2tog: knit 2 stitches together

M1: make 1 stitch

MC: main color

P: purl

P2tog: purl 2 stitches together

ssk: slip, slip, knit the 2 slipped stitches together

Knitting the Cuff

Setup: With circular needle and MC, cast on 62 stitches. Join into a round, being careful not to twist the stitches. (See Getting Around, for information about knitting in the round.) Place a stitch marker to mark the beginning of the round.

Rounds 1–7: Knit to the end of each round.

Round 8: P1, *M1, P6; repeat from * nine more times; P1. (See pages 15 and 16 for how to M1.) When the project is completed, you will turn the hem under at the top of the stocking along this round of purl stitching.

You now have 72 stitches.

Round 9: Purl to the end of the round.

Using MC and CC, work Argyle chart (page 92), starting with line 1 at the bottom of the chart and working from right to left. The pattern repeats three times around the stocking. Work lines 1–24 twice, and then work lines 1–12 once. The leg should measure about 11".

Making the Heel Flap

Setup: Cut the CC yarn. Using MC and a double-pointed needle, K36 for the heel flap. Leave remaining 36 stitches on the circular needle to work later for the foot. In this section, you will be working back and forth in rows, turning at the end of each row.

Row 1 (wrong side): Slip 1, purl to the end of the row.

Row 2 (right side): *Slip 1, K1; repeat from * to the end of the row.

Next Rows: Repeat rows 1 and 2 until heel flap measures 3", ending with a purl row.

Turning the Heel

Row 1: K22, K2tog, K1, turn.

Row 2: Slip 1, P9, P2tog, P1, turn.

Row 3: Slip 1, K10, K2tog, K1, turn.

Row 4: Slip 1, P11, P2tog, P1, turn.

Row 5: Slip 1, K12, K2tog, K1, turn.

Row 6: Slip 1, P13, P2tog, P1, turn.

Row 7: Slip 1, K14, K2tog, K1, turn.

Row 8: Slip 1, P15, P2tog, P1, turn.

Row 9: Slip 1, K16, K2tog, K1, turn.

Row 10: Slip 1, P17, P2tog, P1, turn.

Row 11: Slip 1, K18, K2tog, K1, turn.

Row 12: Slip 1, P19, P2tog, P1, turn.

Row 13: Slip 1, K20, K2tog, K1, turn.

Row 14: Slip 1, P20, P2tog, turn.

You now have 22 stitches.

Knitting the Gusset

Note: For information about how to pick up along the heel, see Picking Up Stitches.

Setup: Using MC, CC, and the circular needle, K22 across heel flap, again working the argyle pattern. Start with stitch 8 on Argyle chart, line 13, work to stitch 24, then work stitches 1–5.

Pick up and knit 13 stitches along the left-hand side of the heel flap, working the first 7 stitches as stitches 6–12 of the Argyle chart, then work the last 6 stitches in MC. Place a stitch marker.

K36 from circular needle, following Argyle chart line 13, stitches 13–24, then stitches 1–24. Place a stitch marker.

Pick up and knit 13 stitches along the right-hand side of the heel flap in this manner: work the first 6 stitches in MC, place a stitch marker for the beginning round. Start new round here with the first stitch of Argyle chart line 14 and continue in pattern.

You now have 84 stitches.

From here on, follow the Argyle chart, except for the two MC blocks at the sides of the foot. You will make the decreases in these MC stitches.

Round 1: Knit in pattern to the last 3 stitches before the first marker, K2tog, K1, slip marker, knit to next marker, slip marker, K1, ssk, knit to end of round.

You now have 82 stitches.

Round 2: Knit even to the end of the round.

Rounds 3–12: Repeat rounds 1 and 2, keeping the stitches in the decrease areas before the first marker and after the second marker in MC.

After row 12, you now have 72 stitches, and the chart pattern fits evenly all around (three complete repeats). Remove markers.

Knitting the Foot

Continue following Argyle chart until foot measures about 7" from the heel flap, ending with chart line 1.

Shaping the Toe

Setup: Cut the yarn and slip the stitches to double-pointed needles as follows:

• Slip 11 stitches to an empty needle.
• Slip 18 stitches to another empty needle.
• Slip 36 stitches to another empty needle.
• Slip 7 stitches to the needle that holds the first 11 stitches.

The stitches are arranged as follows:

• Needle 1: 18 stitches
• Needle 2: 36 stitches
• Needle 3: 18 stitches

Round 1: Using MC and beginning with Needle 1, knit to the end of the round.

Round 2:

• Needle 1: Knit to the last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1.
• Needle 2: K1, ssk, knit to the last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1.
• Needle 3: K1, ssk, knit to the end of the round.

You now have 68 stitches arranged as follows:

• Needle 1: 17 stitches
• Needle 2: 34 stitches
• Needle 3: 17 stitches

Rounds 3–14: Repeat round 2 until you have 20 stitches arranged as follows:

• Needle 1: 5 stitches
• Needle 2: 10 stitches
• Needle 3: 5 stitches

Knit the stitches from Needle 1 onto Needle 3.

Graft the front and back together using Kitchener stitch. (For instructions, see Kitchener Stitch.)

Finishing

Cut the yarn and weave in all loose ends.

Fold hem along the purl row, and sew it to inside of stocking with an overcast stitch. Block the stocking (see Stocking Blocking). Make a Twisted Bundle hanger (see below).

Twisted Bundles

Take 12 strands of yarn 12" long and tie them together at one end with an overhand knot. (Use six strands of each color.) Have someone hold the knot or anchor it to a stationary object. Take six strands in each hand (use six of the same color or three of each, for different effects), and twist each group very tightly in the same direction. Bring the two groups together and tie another overhand knot at the opposite end, allowing the two groups to twist around each other, forming a twisted cord. Fold the cord again, and sew each end to the inside of the hem at the back of the stocking. (See photo on page 77.)

KEY

Argyle

Picking Up Stitches

To pick up stitches, slide a crochet hook through the space just below the bound-off edge. Pull the yarn through and place a newly created stitch on the left-hand needle.

Kitchener Stitch

1. 1. Hold two fabric layers together with wrong sides facing each other. Thread the yarn through a yarn needle, and insert the needle through the first stitch of front needle as if to knit. Drawing the yarn through the stitch, slip the stitch off the needle.
   

   Step 1

2. 2. Insert the yarn needle through the second stitch of the front needle as if to purl; draw yarn through, but leave the stitch on the needle.
   

   Step 2

3. 3. Insert the yarn needle through the first stitch of the back needle as if to purl; draw the yarn through and slip the stitch off.
   

   Step 3

4. 4. Insert the yarn needle through the second stitch of the back needle as if to knit; draw the yarn through, but leave the stitch on the needle.
   

   Step 4

Repeat steps 1–4 until you have worked all stitches and none remain on needles.