Turtlegrass Socks

Turtlegrass Socks by Terry Morris

What is Being Made

Turtlegrass Socks is a downloadable knitting pattern for women's socks designed by Terry Morris (SailingKnitter). This project creates a pair of socks inspired by the flowing movement of seagrass in the shallow Caribbean waters, featuring a lace pattern that evokes the natural beauty of the ocean environment. The pattern is available in two sizes: Women's Medium and Women's Large.

Design Inspiration and Features

The design draws inspiration from the teal blue waters and green turtlegrass visible from a sailboat anchored in the Caribbean islands. The socks incorporate flowing lace patterning that mirrors this underwater landscape. The lace design is strategically placed and tapers off asymmetrically on the instep, transitioning to plain stockinette stitch for practical comfort when wearing shoes. This combination of decorative lace and functional plain knitting creates both visual interest and wearability.

Knitting Techniques Used

This advanced-level knitting pattern employs several key techniques to create the finished socks. The heel is constructed using the traditional flap and gusset method, a time-tested approach that provides durability and a comfortable fit. The lace patterning is strategically spaced throughout the sock design, appearing only once every 4 rounds, which means the majority of the knitting consists of straightforward stockinette stitch. This spacing makes the pattern manageable despite its advanced difficulty rating.

Stitches and Stitch Techniques

The lace pattern relies on three fundamental stitch techniques:

• Yarn-over (yo): Creates the openwork eyelets characteristic of lace knitting
• Ssk (slip, slip, knit): A left-leaning decrease used to balance yarn-overs
• K2tog (knit two together): A right-leaning decrease that pairs with yarn-overs for symmetrical lace

Between lace rounds, the pattern uses basic stockinette stitch (knit on right-side rounds, purl on wrong-side rounds), which comprises three out of every four rounds. This rhythm of simple knitting interspersed with lace creates a manageable pace for advanced knitters.

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The pattern is designed for 4-ply yarn weight (also called fingering or sock weight). The recommended yarn is Cascade Heritage Paints in color 9884, a superwash merino wool and nylon blend (75% Superwash Merino Wool / 25% Nylon). The nylon content adds durability to these frequently-worn socks. Yardage requirements are 350 yards for Women's Medium size and 400 yards for Women's Large size per pair.

Any fingering or sock weight yarn of similar fiber content and yardage can be substituted. The gauge is 8.5 stitches per 1 inch over stockinette stitch, which is typical for sock-weight yarns.

Needles and Tools

The pattern calls for US Size 1 (2.25mm) double point needles, or the size needed to obtain the specified gauge. Double point needles are the traditional choice for sock knitting, allowing for seamless construction in the round. Knitters may also use circular needles or other preferred methods for small circumference knitting, provided they can achieve the correct gauge.

Pattern Format and Instructions

This downloadable PDF pattern provides comprehensive instructions in two formats to accommodate different knitting preferences. Both charted instructions and written line-by-line instructions are included, allowing knitters to choose their preferred method for following the lace pattern. This dual-format approach makes the pattern accessible to knitters who prefer visual charts as well as those who work better with written directions.