It's a Hat ...

... instead of socks, for a change. I've made several, this will be number five: "RIDGES" HAT:

This looks especially good in long-repeat variegated yarns like Noro Silk Garden.

Materials: Noro "Silk Garden" (about 1 1/2 skeins); size 7 16-inch circular needle and double-pointed needles. Gauge = 4 sts/in.

Sizes small (medium)

Cast on 80 (88) stitches on 16-in. circ.ndl., join. Knit 8 rounds. *Purl 4 rounds. Knit 4 rounds. Repeat from * three (four) times. Purl 4 rounds (there should be four (five) purl ridges).

Knit 1 round. Decrease round: K 6, K 2 tog around = 70 (77) sts. Knit 2 rounds. Purl 4 rounds.

Knit 1 round. Decrease round: K 5, K 2 tog around = 60 (66) sts. Knit 2 rounds. Purl 4 rounds.

Knit 1 round. Decrease round: K 4, K 2 tog around = 50 (55) sts.

Knit 1 round. Decrease round: K 3, K 2 tog around = 40 (44) sts. Knit 1 round. Continue to work decrease rounds as established every other round, changing to double-pointed needles when needed. At 10 (11) sts, pull stitches together, fasten off.
--Karen Kahane (2005)

Obsessed with Socks

Yarn: a cashmere-wool blend from The Knittery, so soft and warm. The yarn was so softly spun that I'm worried about how it will hold up to wear, so the foot was knit with needles a size smaller than usual. Small pointy needles + soft-spun yarn = splits, so I'm not sure if I'll knit with this yarn again. Lovely colors, but a bit frustrating....

The stitch pattern is "Twilled Stripe" from the Barbara Walker Treasury II (p. 147 in my old edition). It's a twisted slip stitch pattern (multiple of 7 sts, 8-row repeat) that is ideal to show off a lightly variegated yarn such as this "Passion Flower" color.

I used a size #1 (2.5 mm) 40-inch circular needle (magic loop method) for the cuff and leg, then switched to two 24-inch circular needles in size 0 (2.0 mm) for the heel flap and foot.

Not a pattern, just a blueprint:

Cast on 64, K1P1 rib for cuff, dec 1 to 63 sts, work in patt st for 5 (6) repeats.

Heel flap: dec 2 to 61 sts, arrange sts to center pattern on instep: 35 sts for instep (1 purl st, 4 full patt reps, ending with K5, 1 purl st). Work heel flap on 26 sts.

After heel flap, turn heel, pick up sts around; for instep switch to K5P2 rib, leaving P1 at each side to frame instep pattern (P1, *K5P2 4 times, end K5, P1). Work gusset decs to 60 sts: 35 sts on instep, 25 on foot; knit to desired length. For toe decs, divide evenly 30/30, dec to 10/10. Kitchener toe.