Beachcombing Striped Socks

I love wandering along the beach picking up pieces of driftwood or bits of sea glass. It is so relaxing to walk on the beach in any weather. I feel a sense of calm when I sit and look out at the waves lapping on the shore and feeling the warmth of the sun on my face. On the day we were photographing these socks there wasn’t much sunshine. We didn’t have any shelter during the heavy showers and then we’d have a quick dry spell to try and take a few photos.

We brought a bag of sea glass with us to Crawfordsburn beach. I’ve seldom found blue or aqua coloured sea glass at this beach as there is mainly clear, green or brown scattered on the sand. Our sea glass comes from a tidal beach near to the old city landfill. There is nothing quite like the beauty of sea glass gleaming like jewels on the beach. It is gleaming all the more in these photos because of the showers.

I’m particularly fond of the ones that are soft and curved like glass pebbles. They were the inspiration for the the polka dot stripes in the Beachcombing Striped Socks.

I knit two pairs of socks using 100g ball of Opal Beachcombing 8732 Glass Stones and a 100g skein of John Arbon Exmoor Sock Yarn in Midnight. The Beachcombing Striped Socks in this post and the Fair Isle Beachcombing Socks below.

The two yarns worked wonderfully well together. The midnight blue was dark enough to create a wonderful contrast for the busier Beachcombing sock yarn. I didn’t weigh the skeins after I finished the first pair of socks but I had 36g of the Beachcombing Glass Stones and 12g of the Exmoor Sock Midnight left after I’d finished the second pair of socks.

Yarn

• 1 ball of Opal Self Patterning Sock Yarn (MC)
• 1 ball of Solid Coloured Sock Yarn (CC)

Needles

• 3.25 mm double pointed needle (dpn) for casting on
• 2.75 mm (set of 5) dpns for knitting socks
• tapestry needle for finishing

Tension

The tension for this sock is 20 rows and 16 stitches / 5cm (2 inches) square in stocking stitch (stockinette). 8 stitches / 2.5cm (1 inch).

Abbreviations

double pointed needle(s) – dpn(s); stitch(es) – st(s); knit – k; purl – p; knit two stitches together – k2tog; slip slip knit – ssk;

Cuff

• Using MC cast on 60 sts using 3.25 mm dpn using the long tail cast on or a different stretchy cast on.
• Join into the round as you knit the first round using 2.75 mm dpns, 15 sts on each needle.
• Knit 15 rounds using k1, p1 ribbing.
• Knit 1 round.

Leg

Stripes are never boring there are so many different looks that can be created using stripes and they always look elegant and are fun to knit. I love the textural polka dot stripes in these socks.

• Rounds 1 & 2: knit using CC.
• Round 3: k1 CC, k2 MC, * [k2 CC, k2 MC] repeat from * to last stitch, k1 CC.
• Rounds 4 & 5: k1 CC, p2 MC, * [k2 CC, p2 MC] repeat from * to last stitch, k1 CC.
• Rounds 6 & 7: knit using CC.
• Rounds 8 & 9: knit using MC.
• Rounds 10, 11 & 12: knit using CC.
• Rounds 13 & 14: knit using MC
• Repeat Rounds 1 to 14 twice more.
• Repeat Rounds 1 to 7 once more. Then knit 15 stitches, turn.

Heel

Heel Flap

After finishing the leg you’ll be working the heel flap over half of the total number of stitches, working in rows rather than rounds. Continue using CC.

• Row 1: k2, *sl 1 purlwise, p1; rep from * to last 2 sts, k2, turn
• Row 2: k
• Repeat rows 1 and 2 fifteen times more. A total of 32 rows.

Turning the Heel

• Row 1: p17, p2tog, p1, turn.
• Row 2: sl 1, k5, ssk, k1, turn.
• Row 3: sl 1, p6 (1 stitch remains before the ‘gap’), p2tog (combines the stitch before the ‘gap’ and the stitch after the gap), p1, turn.
• Row 4: sl 1, k7, ssk, k1, turn.
• Row 5: sl 1, p8, p2tog, p1, turn.
• Row 6: sl 1, k9, ssk, k1, turn.
• Row 7: sl 1, p10, p2tog, p1, turn.
• Row 8: sl 1, k11, ssk, k1, turn.
• Row 9: sl 1, p12, p2tog, p1, turn.
• Row 10: sl 1, k13, ssk, k1, turn.
• Row 11: sl 1, p14, p2tog, p1, turn.
• Row 12: knit 9 stitches. Then change to MC, knit to the last 3 stitches, ssk, k1.  (18 stitches)

Gusset

You are now knitting in rounds again.

• Pick up and knit 17 stitches along the edge of the heel flap. (Needle 1)
• Knit across the 30 instep stitches. (Needles 2 and 3)
• Pick up and knit 17 stitches along the edge of the heel flap. Then knit across the first 9 stitches of the heel. (Needle 4)

This is the starting point for the following rounds.

Before you start the next round, slip the next 9 heel stitches onto needle 1. Needles 1 and 4 should have 26 stitches on each. Needles 2 and 3 should have 15 stitches on each.

Gusset Shaping

• Round 1: Using MC: k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1, k3o instep stitches, k1, ssk, k to end
• Round 2: Using CC: k
• Round 3: Using CC: k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1, k3o instep stitches, k1, ssk, k to end
• Round 4: Using CC: k
• Round 5: Repeat Round 1
• Round 6: Using MC: k
• Round 7: Repeat Round 3
• Round 8: Using CC: k
• Round 9: k1 MC, [k2 CC, k2 MC] repeat 4 times, k2 CC, k2tog MC, k1 MC, [k2 CC, k2 MC] 7 times across the instep then k2 CC, k1 MC, ssk MC, [k2 CC, k2 MC] 4 times, k2 CC, k1 MC
• Rounds 10 & 11: p1 MC, [k2 CC, p2 MC] repeat to last 3 stitches, k2 CC, p1 MC
• Please note that the pattern is correct for the instep but slightly out of step on the gusset sections but this isn’t noticeable when you are wearing the socks.
• Round 12: Repeat Round 3
• Round 13: Using CC: k
• Round 14: Repeat Round 1
• Round 15: Using MC: k
• Round 16: Repeat Round 3
• Round 17: Using CC: k
• Round 18: Repeat Round 3
• Round 19: Using MC: k
• Round 20: Repeat Round 1
• Round 21: Using CC: k
• Round 22: Repeat Round 3

There are 15 stitches on each needle.

Foot

• Rounds 1 & 2: knit using CC.
• Round 3: k1 CC, k2 MC, * [k2 CC, k2 MC] repeat from * to last stitch, k1 CC.
• Rounds 4 & 5: k1 CC, p2 MC, * [k2 CC, p2 MC] repeat from * to last stitch, k1 CC.
• Rounds 6 & 7: knit using CC.
• Rounds 8 & 9: knit using MC.
• Rounds 10, 11 & 12: knit using CC.
• Rounds 13 & 14: knit using MC
• Repeat Rounds 1 to 14 once more.
• Repeat Rounds 1 to 7 once more.

Please note that Beachcombing Striped Socks is a one-size free pattern. The sock is easy to try on after the heel has been completed and while you are knitting the foot. The toe shaping is worked over a length of 6cm (2 3/8 inches) which will help you decide when to stop knitting rounds for the foot and still allow for some negative ease. The polka dot stripe repeats over 4 stitches so it should be relatively easy to go up to 64 stitches or down to 56 stitches.

Classic Toe

• The Classic Toe is knit using MC.
• Round 1: Needles 1 and 3: k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1; Needles 2 and 4: k1, ssk, k to end of the needle.
• Round 2: k
• Repeat rounds 1 and 2 until there are 4 sts on each needle. (16 stitches).

Making sure that the toe stitches align with the heel, slip the stitches from needle 4 onto needle 1 and the stitches from needle 3 onto needle 2. 8 stitches on each needle.

• Graft the toe stitches using Kitchener Stitch.

Finishing the Beachcombing Striped Socks

Weave in all loose ends. I washed and blocked these socks as I was going to photograph them.

I love how the Beachcombing Striped Socks turned out. The stripes have a bit of interest with the purl polka dots. I’d love to hear about how you get on knitting your own Beachcombing Striped Socks.