Wintermint Socks

First pattern release for 2022!

Wintermint Socks are my latest knitting creation. This toe-up sock pattern is companion piece to last year’s Christmas gift to my mailing list subscribers, the Wintermint Mitts. The two accessories share the design elements: an easy lace pattern, twisted ribbing, and purl ridges that separate the two.

As said, the lace pattern is super easy. It’s a 8-stitch and 8-round repeat but you’re essentially repeating only two different lace rounds, offset from each other in what’s called a half drop in stitch pattern design. This makes the lace pattern quite quick to memorize. And when you don’t have to constantly refer to the instructions, it also makes this pattern fast to knit. As usual, both written and charted instructions are given for the lace pattern.

Wintermint Socks are worked from the toe up and feature a Widdershins Revisited heel, my favorite gusset-and-heel construction. As an allusion to the cuff on Wintermint Mitts, the heel flap is worked in twisted ribbing. The cuff at the top of the leg is also done in twisted ribbing.

Like the mitts, Wintermint Socks also come in multiple sizes. The foot is graded for 4 sizes (58, 62, 66, and 70 stitches) with foot length adjustable within pattern. To make the 8-stitch lace pattern repeat evenly around in all sizes, the leg is graded for 3 sizes (56, 64, and 72 stitches).

Because of this difference in sizing, stitch counts are adjusted within the heel construction so that — depending on the size you’re making — you’ll have a different number of stitches after the heel than what you started with. Leg length is adjustable within pattern so you can customize the fit to your (or your recipient's) feet.

Right and left socks are identical and can be worked two at a time... up to a point at least. Because of the change in stitch counts, a little stitch re-distribution is needed right above the heel. You can then resume working two-at-a-time for the leg and rest of the sock.

The lace pattern is very stretchy and in fact looks best stretched out. When picking a size, it’s a great idea to size down. I usually recommend making socks with approx. 10% of negative ease but with this pattern you can go even higher, 15% or more.

To knit the socks you need one skein or approx. 275–425 m or 300–465 yd of (light) fingering-weight sock yarn. Like Wintermint Mitts, the socks were also knit in a light blue-green-y color. For my sample socks, I used Adlibris Socki Fine in the colorway Sea Green. In general, light(ish) solid or semi-solid colors are ideal to bring out the pretty lace pattern. I wouldn't recommend using variegated yarns with high contrast variations — that’ll obscure all your hard work.

Wintermint Socks were initially available as a beta test in my Mighty Networks community. The pattern was free for anyone to try during the entire month of January 2022. (If you were one of the beta knitters, check your private messages or email for a free copy of the pattern!)

If you didn’t participate in the beta test, you can purchase the pattern on my pattern shops on Payhip, LoveCrafts, and Ravelry (seizure warning). Check out the hashtag #wintermintsocks on Instagram for inspiration!

And I’m not done with the lace pattern yet. There’ll be a third pattern in the Wintermint series but that won’t be out for a while...

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