Loch Raven

Loch Raven Socks by Corrine Walcher

Project Overview

Loch Raven is an intermediate-level knitted sock pattern designed by Corrine Walcher. This downloadable PDF pattern creates a thicker sock ideal for wearing in motorcycle boots, featuring a thoughtful design that incorporates unexpected color details hidden within the construction. The pattern takes inspiration from Loch Raven, a beautiful reservoir in the designer's favorite riding location, bringing personal meaning to a functional everyday garment.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a pair of knit socks available in three sizes: Small (6.75" around), Medium (8" around), and Large (9" around) when measured unstretched. The socks are designed with a thicker construction, making them particularly suitable for wearing inside motorcycle boots or other sturdy footwear where extra cushioning and warmth are desired. The pattern incorporates hidden color work, allowing knitters to add visual interest that reveals itself as the sock is worn and folded.

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

Loch Raven employs several intermediate knitting techniques that elevate it beyond basic sock construction. The pattern uses knitting in the round as its primary construction method, which creates seamless socks with continuous fabric. Cable work is incorporated through 2/2 RC (right cable) techniques, where stitches are slipped onto a cable needle, held in back, and then worked in sequence to create twisted rope-like textures within the sock fabric.

The stitch vocabulary includes fundamental techniques such as knit (K) and purl (P) stitches, along with shaping methods including yarn overs (YO) for creating decorative eyelets or lace details, knit two together (K2tog) for right-leaning decreases, purl two together (P2tog) for purl-side decreases, and slip-slip-knit (SSK) for left-leaning decreases. The pattern also uses slip stitches worked as if to purl with yarn in back, a technique that creates neat selvage edges and is essential for cable work preparation.

The primary stitch pattern is stockinette stitch, which forms the smooth, classic sock fabric. This combination of techniques creates a sock with textural interest, structural integrity, and the visual appeal of hidden colorwork that surprises the wearer.

Materials and Gauge

The pattern calls for DK weight yarn, specifically Neighborhood Fiber Co Studio DK, which is composed of 100% superwash merino wool. The yardage requirement is 275 yards per 114 grams, providing sufficient yardage to complete all three sizes. The sample sock shown in the pattern was knit in the colorway Truxton Circle.

Needles required are size 5 US (3.75 mm), available in either a set of 5 double-pointed needles or two circular needles, depending on the knitter's preferred sock construction method. The pattern specifies a gauge of 6 stitches per inch in stockinette stitch, knit in the round, which is essential for achieving the correct finished sock dimensions and ensuring proper fit.