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Power of Ten Socks
Inspired by German calf warmers she saw in photographs and paintings, Carol decided to design a pair of socks with traditional designs.
In photos of contemporary Bavarian dancers and historic paintings, Carol Huebscher Rhoades spotted something interesting: knitted calf warmers. “I have a number of knitting books from Germany; most of them are pattern dictionaries with stitch motifs and garment instructions for traditional knitwear from Bavaria and Austria,” she wrote. “Stocking patterns with complex motifs of twisted traveling stitches abound, but no calf warmers.”
Intrigued, Carol researched further: ”Originally, calf coverings were considered poor
man’s socks and were worn to protect the legs much as leggings do now. No socks were worn inside the shoes, and many people wore no shoes at all. Interestingly, few examples of calf warmers are knitted with what we consider typical Bavarian knitting—twisted traveling stitches.”
Carol was inspired to interpret what she saw in a new knitting design. “The various German calf warmers I saw in photographs and paintings inspired me with their lace and cable patterns as well as the occasional colorwork,” she wrote. “Since socks are more practical than calf warmers, I decided to design a pair with traditional designs.”
MATERIALS
Yarn Kauni 8 /2(100% wool; 656 yd [599.8 m]/150 g [5.3 oz]): #HH3 Gray, 1 ball.
Needles Sizes 1 (2.25 mm) and 0 (2 mm) circulars, 40" (100 cm) or sizes needed to obtain gauge.
Notions Cable needle, stitch markers (m), stitch holder, tapestry needle.
Gauge 32 sts and 44 rnds = 4" (10 cm) in St st on smaller needles.
Finished Size About 9" (23 cm) foot circumference, 9¾" (25 cm) from back of heel to tip of toe, and 9" (23 cm) from top of leg to base of heel.
Photo by Joe Coca
Visit farmfiberknits.com/abbreviations for terms you don’t know.
In photos of contemporary Bavarian dancers and historic paintings, Carol Huebscher Rhoades spotted something interesting: knitted calf warmers. “I have a number of knitting books from Germany; most of them are pattern dictionaries with stitch motifs and garment instructions for traditional knitwear from Bavaria and Austria,” she wrote. “Stocking patterns with complex motifs of twisted traveling stitches abound, but no calf warmers.”
Intrigued, Carol researched further: ”Originally, calf coverings were considered poor
man’s socks and were worn to protect the legs much as leggings do now. No socks were worn inside the shoes, and many people wore no shoes at all. Interestingly, few examples of calf warmers are knitted with what we consider typical Bavarian knitting—twisted traveling stitches.”
Carol was inspired to interpret what she saw in a new knitting design. “The various German calf warmers I saw in photographs and paintings inspired me with their lace and cable patterns as well as the occasional colorwork,” she wrote. “Since socks are more practical than calf warmers, I decided to design a pair with traditional designs.”
MATERIALS
Yarn Kauni 8 /2(100% wool; 656 yd [599.8 m]/150 g [5.3 oz]): #HH3 Gray, 1 ball.
Needles Sizes 1 (2.25 mm) and 0 (2 mm) circulars, 40" (100 cm) or sizes needed to obtain gauge.
Notions Cable needle, stitch markers (m), stitch holder, tapestry needle.
Gauge 32 sts and 44 rnds = 4" (10 cm) in St st on smaller needles.
Finished Size About 9" (23 cm) foot circumference, 9¾" (25 cm) from back of heel to tip of toe, and 9" (23 cm) from top of leg to base of heel.
Photo by Joe Coca
Visit farmfiberknits.com/abbreviations for terms you don’t know.
[PAYWALL]
Download this pattern as a PDF here: Power of Ten Socks
NOTES
* You may want to skein and wash the yarn before knitting as it is somewhat stiff. My socks could almost stand on their own when freshly knitted (I knitted the yarn right from the ball) but softened nicely with washing.
* The instructions are written for the long Magic-Loop needle method; two circulars or a set of four or five double-pointed needles could also be used.
* Less than 1 ball of Kauni 8 /2 is required for one pair of socks.
This pattern and the accompanying article, “Calf Warmers: An Abbreviated Note in Bavarian Tradition,” originally appeared in PieceWork January/February 2017.
Carol Huebscher Rhoades lives in Madison, Wisconsin. She spends much of her time translating Scandinavian textile and cookbooks into English while also continuing her research into traditional knitted garments from northern Europe. She has also contributed extensively to Spin Off magazine and taught knitting and spinning around the country. There are always wonderful surprises and new avenues to explore.
Design originally appeared in PieceWork Januafy/February 2017.
