Get your Drunken Bees here

Monday, July 30, 2007

Here at last is the pattern for the Drunken Bees Socks. Fair warning, the pattern is not laid out to a T. I've left out specifics like how to do a cable, how to knit a heel turn and the toe, and all those very macro details like how many stitches to knit across first before you start the heel, how to distribute stitches, etc. If you're an experienced sock knitter - as in you've knit at least one or two socks - you don't need to know exactly how, so I don't want to fluster myself trying to spell it all out!

All you need is the chart and you can work out the rest to your liking.

But feel free to contact me if something makes no sense or looks wrong.

For more photos, see here.

DRUNKEN BEES SOCKS

I call these Drunken Bees

Yarn: Fingering weight sock yarn. To really show the pattern, use semi-solid to solid colors.
Needles: 5 size 1 dpns (or whichever method you prefer for circular knitting) for S/M foot, Size 2 for L foot.

Pattern is deliciously squishy and should stretch comfortably to fit.

For socks that pull in a little more, you can knit through the back loop of every yarn over that was done in the previous row.

CAST ON:
CO 69 sts. Distribute 17 sts on 3 needles, 18 sts on one needle

CUFF:
Repeat (k2, p1) ribbing until cuff is 1 inch long or desired length.
Begin last row of ribbing with a k2tog.

Now you have 68 sts to work leg pattern.

Drunken Bees chart

Slip stitches =
RS: repeat (sl1,k1) to end
WS: sl1, then p to end

LEG:
Work leg pattern chart 3 times, or to desired length (make note of where you left off).

HEEL FLAP & HEEL TURN:
Divide sts so that there are 33 sts for the heel flap, and 35 sts for the instep. Make sure you split in such a way as to allow two "honeycomb" patterns to continue down the side of the heel. I started the divide in the middle of a bee flight pattern. You might have to knit across some stitches to get to the start of heel.

Slip first stitch of every row. Except for the honeycomb patterns and the purl gutters, knit the heel in slip-stitch pattern, until you've worked 26-30 rows.

See chart above.

Follow flap with your preferred heel turn. I used a square heel.

GUSSETT:
Pick up the slipped stitches on side of heel flap, and continue chart pattern for instep.

INSTEP:
The instep is symmetrical. For the first and last 6 stitches of the instep, follow the first 6 stitches of the "bee flight" leg pattern chart (stitches 6-11). Or, just knit them in Stockinette. Or ribbed. Whatever you want.

Continue until desired length, then knit your preferred toe method.

Bzzzz!

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