Color Dipped "Ariel Socks" // Sari Norland
NOTES
This is an ambitious pattern for me for a sock. But I’ve wanted to try one of Sari’s patterns for a while, and I couldn’t resist the light, spring like feel of this sock.
Modifications
US 000 (1.5 mm) - for the foot; US 0 (2.0 mm) - for the leg, after the heel; US 1 (2.25mm) - for the ribbing
Two-at-a-time socks, magic loop
Alternate between Increase rounds [M1R, M1L (both needles)] and Knit rows until 64 stitches (32 stitches each needle); adjust so there are 33 sts. instep needle & 31 sts. sole needle; knit an additional 4 rows at the end of the increases for toe
My foot length is 9.25”, so I stopped at 6” of knitting (round 15)
For gusset: 33sts. (instep) / 51sts. (sole); knit four additional rows for heel (no increases); back to 33sts. (front needle) + 31sts. (back needle)
Worked leg chart 2 full times; on the 3rd time stopped at row 8 (5” from the top of the heel flap)
Worked 10 rows, 1x1 rib; worked the bind off recommended by Sari on one sock and then switched to my TNT bind off (minus the 4 rows of slipping purl or knit stitches) for the other sock
RESOURCES
Tubular Bind Off in the Round (Recommended by Sari in the pattern) // Stitches n Scraps // Youtube
Tubular Bind Off in the Round // Knitting with Suzanne Bryan // Youtube
Final Thoughts
This makes a very elegant sock.
Ultimately, I don’t need very many lace socks in my wardrobe, so this will probably not be a TNT pattern for me.
Also, I really needed to reference the chart for each round, which meant that this was a full concentration knit. I tend to prefer my socks to be a bit simpler, as I often use them as my travel / guild knit.
A tip for the charts: After knitting several rounds of the chart (which are on the small side), I realized that I was having trouble seeing which stitch was next. So, I put purple X’s in the empty “knit stitch” boxes, highlighted the purl stitch black circles yellow, and used pink and blue colored pencils to denote the left leaning and right leaning decreases. This turned out to be key.