Soft Spots

DESCRIPTION

Soft Spots feature a simple and graphic colorwork design: polka dots. These toe-up socks are designed to have a colorwork pattern with short floats that do not need to be caught.

Gusset increases are hidden away on the bottom of the sole to make the polka dot design flow uninterrupted on the foot. Stitches are increased above the heel flap for better fit: the wider leg ensures the socks will go smoothly over your heel. Toes, heel flaps, and cuffs are worked in the contrasting color for bright color pops.

Soft Spots are worked from the toe up in two colors of sport-weight yarn. The socks are available in two sizes: 48 and 64 stitches.

The pattern is written with both metric and US terminology. The stranded colorwork pattern is charted only.

Share your project with the hashtags #⁠softspotssocks and #⁠talviknits.

SIZES

• Small [Large]
• 48 [64] sts
• To fit shoe size EU 38–39 [44–45] / US 7–9 [10–11]

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

• Foot circumference: 20 [26.5] cm / 7¾ [10½]"
• Foot length: 22.5 [27] cm / 8¾ [10¾]"
• Leg circumference: 23.5 [30] cm / 9¼ [11¾]"
• Leg length from cuff to top of heel flap: 17.5 [20] cm / 7 [8]" or adjustable

MATERIALS

Yarn
Tukuwool Sock (80% wool, 20% nylon, 160 m/50 g), 2 colors

• Main color (MC): H21 Repo, 2 [2] skeins
• Contrasting color (CC): 01 Sake, 1 [2] skeins

Or sport-weight sock yarn, 2 colors

• MC: approx. 180 [310] m / 200 [340] yd
• CC: approx. 145 [250] m / 160 [280] yd

Needles

• 3.0 mm / US #2½ DPNs or circular needle(s) for working small circumferences in the round (or size needed to obtain gauge)

Notions

• 2 stitch markers
• Darning needle
• Yarn guide (optional)

GAUGE

24 sts × 34 rnds = 10 cm / 4” in stranded stockinette

TECHNIQUES USED

The pattern uses the following techniques: working small circumferences in the round, ability to work stranded colorwork from chart, and increasing within colorwork.

The pattern assumes knowledge of a cast-on and bind-off method for toe-up socks; references are given for a couple of alternatives. The pattern also assumes knowledge of working short rows using the wrap-and-turn method.

REFERENCES

• Turkish Cast-on
• Judy’s Magic Cast-on
• Picking up wrapped stitches
• Russian Bind-off
• Lori’s Twisty Bind-off
• Color dominance in colorwork