New Pattern: Cheyenne Lake Socks
Just in time for weekend knitting, I'm so pleased to introduce you to a new pattern I released this morning!
Soft, warm, and utterly luxurious, the Cheyenne Lake socks are worked in a heavy sport or light DK-weight yarn, making them quick to knit and gloriously indulgent to wear. These are more “house socks” or “boot socks” than under-your-ordinary-shoe socks, but that gives you even more opportunities to show them off! A hint of stitch-patterning on the cuff adds a bit of visual interest, while simple stockinette worked over the gusset and foot makes for a relaxing take-along project. The Cheyenne Lake Socks would make for a great first sock project for a newer sock knitter, or a soothing, simple project for an old pro. I designed these in Anzula’s squishy, opulent “Cricket,” a merino-cashmere-nylon blend (because really, why shouldn’t hand-knit socks be a special treat for yourself?), but the pattern works equally well in a wool or wool-nylon blend yarn with resiliency and good stitch definition. If you're new to sock knitting, or, like many of us, intimidated by the idea of sock knitting, a DK weight sock like this is a great place to start, because they knit up much more quickly, and the "sock mechanics" are done at a scale that's easier to see, work, and reiterate on if need be. And trust me—I say this as someone who is not normally much of a sock knitter (I'm more on the "love and admire" speed than the "always have a pair in my purse" kind of vibe).
A little personal story about these: I knit the original sample for these what feels like ages ago, when I was at a work retreat in beautiful Colorado Springs. It was not the brightest time in my knitting life, as I was recovering from surgery on my wrist. I sat looking at the lake and the mountains, wanting to feel beautiful yarn flowing through my hands and to work on a project that was meditative and satisfying. Three days later, I was on a plane home, wearing these socks. They were a treat to make and have been a joy to wear, and I very much hope that in the right moment, they'll speak to your knitting needs.
Construction note: Socks are knit top down, using a “conventional” gusset and turned heel. The sock is worked in the round to the heel flap, and then half the stitches are put on hold while the heel flap is worked across the other half of the stitches. The heel turn is shaped with short rows, and then stitches are picked up along the sides of the heel flap to work the gusset in the round. The gusset is worked by decreasing in the round, and then the remainder of the foot is worked even in the round to the toe. The toe is shaped with decreases and then grafted together using the Kitchener stitch.
Sizes: Adult S (M, L); 7.25 (8.5, 9.75)” / 19 (22, 25) cm circumference at cuff, 9 (10.25, 11.5)” / 23 (26, 29) cm foot length (adjustable), 9.5 (10.5, 11.5)” / 24 (27, 29) cm cuff-to-bottom of heel (adjustable).
Yarn: Anzula Cricket (80% superwash Merino, 10% Cashmere, 10% Nylon, 250 yards / 225 meters per 100 grams), or approximately 200 yards / 180 meters of heavy sport- or light DK-weight yarn. (Note on yarn substitution: I know they’re somewhat ephemeral, but the idea here is to use something luxurious, warm, and really special for these socks. They’ll work with any heavy sport or light-DK wool or wool-blend yarn, but why not treat yourself a little? Just this once… A special note for hand-dyed yarn: I’d aim for something with a modest degree of variegation, at most. The stitch patterning at the top may be obscured by a very bold self-striping yarn.)
Gauge: 26 sts and 32 rnds per 4” / 10 cm in stockinette stitch, after blocking.
Needles: One long (32” / 80 cm or longer) circular needle (for magic loop) or five double-pointed needles in size US 4 / 3.5 mm, or size needed to obtain gauge.
Notions: Stitch markers; tapestry needle.
Skills Required: decreasing; picking up stitches; knitting in the round; short rows (wrap and turn); small-circumference circular knitting using double-pointed needles or magic loop; grafting using Kitchener stitch.
