2:1 socks

3 skeins of yarn: 2 brown, 1 blue. A sock pattern that is close to, but not quite, 2:1, is a good idea, but you should realize that toes and heels actually constitute a decent amount of yarn. Which means you will run out of the “1” before you’re through with the “2.” These socks would have been done a bit sooner, but I had to take out the first one to redo. But I’m thrilled with the ultimate result, so it was all worth it.

front view

Do you see what I did? My little tweak that fixed not only the yarn consumption but created a small optical illusion so that the stripes appear to be essentially the same height? (It’s not exact, I know, but it’s pretty good in my opinion.) My 2:1 “pattern” was to knit 6 rows of brown to 2 rows of blue, until I got to the calf muscle, at which I not only increased stitches but started working 8 rows of brown to 2 rows of blue. I had 31 inches of blue left in the end. Thirty-one!

socks with unmatching dress

Stripey Socks
Yarn: Koigu KPM (or however many Ps should be in there)
Needles: US 1 Knitpicks
Method: Short-row toe, short-row heel, toe-up, magic loop
Calf shaping: On the 6th brown band from the heel I increased 6 stitches (2 stitches a row for 3 alternating rows). On the 14th brown band from the heel I increased another 6 stitches, same deal, only I knit that band for 7 rows. All following brown bands were 8 rows high.
Carrying colors: I didn’t bother with any kind of “jogless” trickiness with the color–who cares? I don’t mind that there’s an apparent spot where the rows ended. I just carried the blue up along the inside, putting a tiny bit of slack in so that it wouldn’t pull.
Started: I have no idea. I think I probably officially started them, um, back in April? I went though some nonknitting time in there.
Finished: Wednesday, July 25 (Mom’s bday!)
Nitpicky notes: I really wanted the heel to coincide with a blue stripe, and I’m pretty lucky that the foot length worked out for me to do that! I don’t know how I would have engineered it otherwise.

Not much else to say. Luf!

I don't recommend wearing these garments together

53 Responses to 2:1 socks

  1. k says:

    Oh I like these. If I hadn’t just finished my own stripey pair I would definitely be picking out yarn. Then again, maybe I will anyway….

    Love the colour and you did a great job!

  2. jennie says:

    oh, *loving* them! I’m flying through my own pair of knee socks right now too. maybe we’re all ready for fall…

    and that’s a great solution to the running-out-of-yarn problem. striped socks might be in my future.

    p.s. thanks for the birthday wishes!

  3. Elinor says:

    Those are so cool, Minty! I was just in the fabric store yesterday and I saw this great chocolate brown-light blue striped cotton and it made me wonder how your socks were coming. I love that color combination so much!!! They look great!

  4. Karma says:

    Laaaaa! How cute are you? Those socks are adorable. I wouldn’t have noticed the switch to 8/2 rows until you mentioned it. What a smart solution. What do you plan to wear your knee-highs with? Just wondering; I don’t have any knee-highs except for cheap black store bought tall socks that I sometimes wear with my black boots.

  5. Lolly says:

    They are so damn cute. I love the jog too. I did the same thing with some of the knee socks I recently made, and I like the touch :) Great job, E~

  6. Brenda says:

    Great socks! Living in California (but not a native), knee-hi socks are the last thing I need, but seeing a pair like yours makes me wish I did.

  7. Lori in Michigan says:

    Very kewl trick with the optical illusion for yarn consumption in the stripes! I’ll definitely note this one! Yummy colors – can’t get enough of the brown/blue myself!

  8. Christy / Not Hip says:

    So awesome!
    Random Koigu question
    Does the KPM seem thinner than the KPPM? The recommended needle/stitch count is the same, and it seems like the only difference should be the variegation versus semi-solid. However, to me it seems a little thinner than the KPPM. Is this just me?

  9. Rachel says:

    Huh. I’m late to this. I sort of thought as I was reading, “Wow, I think the jogs look really great and almost sexy in that old-fashioned stockings kind of way. I’m going to tell her that in my comment — won’t that be a wonderful (and true) observation?” However, I see that I am not nearly so original as I thought. Damn. Well, I still stand by it.

    You are a very cool knitter.

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