New York

New York Socks by That Metzbower Girl Designs

What is Being Made

New York is a pair of knitted socks inspired by the Adirondack region. The design features colorful Adirondack chairs as the focal point, combined with a fun heel and foot construction. These socks are worked in three sizes to fit Women's US shoe sizes 5-7½ (M: 8-9½, L: 10+), with a foot circumference of 7¼ (7¾, 8¼) inches.

Construction Techniques

The New York socks use a distinctive two-phase construction method. The sock begins cuff down and worked flat until the Adirondack chair motifs are complete. This flat knitting approach allows for precise colorwork execution on the chair chart. Once the charted design is finished, the sock is joined in the round to complete the leg and foot sections. This transition from flat to circular knitting is a hallmark of intermediate-level sock design.

The upper leg features a simple rib pattern for a comfortable, stretchy cuff. The heel construction is described as strong, providing durability in a high-wear area. The foot section completes the sock with a unique design element that complements the chair motifs.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The primary stitch used throughout most of the sock is stockinette stitch (knit on the right side, purl on the wrong side), which provides a smooth, classic fabric base. The ribbing in the leg section uses rib stitch, which creates vertical columns of texture and stretch.

The Adirondack chair design is worked using an Adirondack Chair Chart that employs colorwork techniques. This charted pattern requires working with multiple colors of yarn simultaneously, necessitating the use of bobbins for each contrasting color to keep the stranded yarn organized and prevent tangling.

Materials and Gauge

The pattern calls for 4-ply weight yarn in two main colors: Main Color (MC) requiring 250 (280, 308) yards, and Contrast Color (CC) requiring 54 (61, 68) yards. Additional contrast yarn for each individual Adirondack chair requires approximately 10 yards per color variation.

Needles required are US 1 [2.25 mm] for the primary knitting. The pattern specifies a gauge of 30 stitches × 40 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch when knit in the round, and 32 stitches × 40 rows = 4 inches in ribbing. Achieving proper gauge is essential for sock fit, particularly in the circumference measurement.

Additional materials needed include bobbins of contrasting color for each different colored chair in the design, which help manage multiple yarn colors during the colorwork sections.

Skill Level

This pattern is rated as Intermediate difficulty. The intermediate classification reflects the combination of techniques required: transitioning between flat and circular knitting, executing a charted colorwork pattern, managing multiple yarn colors with bobbins, and constructing a properly fitted sock heel. Knitters should have foundational skills in basic knitting stitches and be comfortable reading charts before beginning this project.