Travelling Vine

Travelling Vine Socks by Alison Payne

What is Being Made

Travelling Vine is a pair of knitted socks designed for UK adult sizes 4–6 (US 5½–7½, Euro 35–39). This intermediate-level knitting project features a decorative lace pattern that creates visual interest throughout the sock construction. The design showcases a travelling vine motif worked into the fabric, making these socks both functional and aesthetically refined.

Knitting Techniques Used

This pattern employs several essential sock knitting techniques to achieve its finished structure. The socks are knitted in the round, a fundamental method for creating seamless, tubular garments. The pattern utilizes lace knitting techniques to incorporate the travelling vine design, which involves strategic yarn overs and decreases to create openwork sections with stitch definition. Multiple needle sizes are used at different stages of construction to shape the sock properly from cuff to toe.

Stitches and Stitch Techniques

The Travelling Vine pattern incorporates a variety of knitting stitches and techniques:

• Stocking stitch – the primary fabric base, created by alternating knit and purl rows when working in the round
• Knit stitches (k) and purl stitches (p) – fundamental stitches forming the sock structure
• Slip stitches – including slip one stitch purlwise (sl1p) and slip one stitch knitwise (sl1k) for shaping and pattern work
• Decreases – knit 2 together (k2tog), purl 2 together (p2tog), knit 2 together through back loops (k2togtbls), and knit one stitch through back loop (k1tbl) to shape the sock and create lace openings
• Yarn overs – paired with decreases to form the lace pattern characteristic of the travelling vine design

Materials and Yarn Specifications

One 100g ball of yarn is required, providing 215 metres of yardage. The yarn is Knit Craft by Hobbycraft Cotton Blend Plain DK, a worsted-weight blend composed of 50% cotton and 50% acrylic in the shade Denim. This fibre composition creates a yarn with a soft sheen and excellent stitch definition, allowing the intricate lace pattern of the travelling vine to display clearly throughout the finished socks.

Needles and Tools

The pattern requires double-pointed needles in three sizes to accommodate different stages of sock construction: 3.75 mm (UK 9/US 5), 3.25 mm (UK 10/US 3), and 3.00 mm (UK 11). The main tension is worked using the 3.25 mm needles, achieving 25 stitches and 36 rows to 10 centimetres when knitted in the round in stocking stitch. Additional notions include a tapestry needle for weaving in ends, three stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats, and a stitch holder or spare needle for holding stitches during construction.

Difficulty Level

Classified as an intermediate project, the Travelling Vine socks are suitable for knitters with foundational skills in circular knitting and basic stitch techniques. The lace pattern and multiple needle size changes require attention to detail and familiarity with reading knitting patterns, making this design an excellent progression for knitters ready to explore decorative stitch work in sock construction.