Join the Spice Must Flow MKAL!
In the last two years, mid-September has been the time to announce the Halloween mystery mitten KAL (here's 2019 and 2020). But not this year. And you can blame COVID for that... sort of. If you're a scifi nerd like me, you've been waiting for Denis Villeneuve's new movie adaptation of Dune with bated breath. All big movie releases have been pushed back or indefinitely postponed over the past couple of years because studios obviously don't want them launching for non-existing audiences. Dune is one of them... but it's finally arriving in movie theaters soon later this month (or in October, if you're in the US).
And that’s the reason why I decided to skip the Halloween mystery mitten this year: it would’ve collided with my very first mystery sock pattern, Spice Must Flow MKAL. (I did briefly entertain the idea of doing both MKALs but quickly nixed that. Enough is enough.)
What the What?
Spice Must Flow MKAL is a mystery sock pattern inspired by the fictional universe in Frank Herbert's scifi novel series Dune. Don your stillsuit and step into the sweeping sands of Dune with a toe-up sock pattern that has lots of twisted stitches and unexpected turns. The pattern comes in three sizes (60, 64, and 68 stitches) and with two toe options. In addition, both foot and leg length are adjustable within the stitch pattern so you can really customize the pattern to fit your feet.
The pattern is chart-heavy but fear not! Row-by-row written instructions are also given for all stitch patterns. Keep your wits about you, though, as there's quite a lot of stuff happening at the same time.
Yarn & Materials
To knit the pattern you need fingering-weight sock yarn; one skein should be enough for all three sizes. For my sample pair I used a light fingering-weigh yarn, Kässäkerho Pom Pom BFL Sock (75% superwash BFL, 25% nylon, 425 m/100 g, 465 yd/3.53 oz). If you're using a sock yarn thinner than 400 m/100 g, you might want to either go up in needle size or pick a size larger socks than you'd normally wear.
Round, smooth, high-twists yarns — for instance merino/nylon or wool/nylon blends — are the best. I wouldn't recommend using a sock yarn that has a halo (such as yarns containing alpaca) because doing twisted stitches in fuzzy yarns can land you in a hairy situation.
The mystery pattern is written so that in each clue you're working on both left and right socks in parallel. You can knit the socks in magic loop two-at-a-time — that's my preferred method. If you want to knit the socks separately, you'll need two sets of DPNs or circular needles in the same sizes. Removable stitch markers might also come in handy but they're not strictly necessary.
Choosing Colors
To go with the Dune theme, I picked a colorway that's reminiscent of desert sands. Choose a solid or semi-solid color to let the stitch pattern shine. Light(ish) or subtle speckles can also work. In fact, some of my test knitters used ever-so-slightly speckled yarns and the results are beautiful.
Clue Schedule
Spice Must Flow MKAL is released in five weekly clues starting October 1, 2021. Purchasing the pattern prior to October 1 you'll get an info sheet that has all the information on sizing, yarn, materials, schedule, etc.
New clues come out every Friday morning in October at 07 AM UTC. You'll receive an email and/or Ravelry PM when a new clue is available. The last one drops on October 29.
Join the MKAL
The pattern for Spice Must Flow MKAL is now available for purchase in my pattern shops on Payhip and Ravelry (seizure warning). Grab the pattern and join the MKAL on Instagram with the hashtag #spicemustflowmkal, in my Mighty Networks community, or in my Ravelry group.
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