Fiber Fool

Spread Spectrum is the quickest and simplest (at least in the actual knitting, though some may argue about the construction) of my three patterns in Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarns.

What was the inspiration behind this design? All those skeins of handpaint yarn I have scattered around the house that are just too pretty as they are to actually be knit. Come on, fess up! I know you have them. Spread Spectrum is a pattern that really lets the yarn take center stage and show off the artistry from all the talented independent dyers.

Have you ever noticed how different handpaint looks when it is in a hank where you can see how the dye was applied to the skein? Remember how drastically different it looks after you’ve wound it into a ball and all the colors have mixed? That was what spurred me to knit the leg of this pattern in intarsia strips of varying widths. Changing the stitch count by as little as 2 stitches can make a huge difference in how the different colors lie and interact with each other.

This pattern will work best with yarns that have long-ish sections of color that will pool or diagonally stripe when knit traditionally. The fewer the colors and higher the contrast between those colors the more the construction of the sock will stand out. The Blarney Stone colorway of Socks That Rock used for the book was dyed in a palindrome (A-B-C-C-B-A color sequence) fashion. If the yarn you are using is dyed linearly (A-B-C-A-B-C), alternate the direction of your yarn butterflies for each intarsia strip and you’ll have a higher energy look to the leg of your socks. You could even dig out all those self-patterning yarns that you’ve grown tired of and put them into this pattern for a completely different look.

Because of the non-traditional construction of this sock it is important to pay attention to the note on sizing. Gauge is critical here because stockinette stitch is not nearly as stretchy vertically as it is horizontally. That means for the best fit you need to match your foot circumference as closely as possible to the sock’s circumference and this is done by your row gauge. That makes row gauge of more importance that in most sock patterns. For a snug fit you’ll want to knit the foot 10-15% shorter than your actual foot length. The foot length of the sock is determined mostly by your stitch gauge (the heel and toe are knit normally so row gauge makes a difference in how much those contribute to the length of the foot).

See more of my design work on Ravelry or in my Fiber Arts Store. Don’t forget, today (Thursday, Devember 18th) is the last day to get Guided By Love! After that, the pattern is officially retired!