Isla Buena Socks

Isla Buena Socks by Terry Morris

What is Being Made

Isla Buena Socks are a pair of knitted socks featuring stranded two-color knitting throughout the leg and foot. The design comes in multiple sizes: Women's Medium, Women's Large/Men's Medium. These socks combine decorative colorwork with functional construction, making them a visually striking accessory with practical everyday wearability.

Craft and Primary Technique

This is a knitting project worked primarily using the stranded two-color knitting technique, also known as Fair Isle knitting. Stranded colorwork appears on both the leg and foot sections of the socks, creating intricate patterned designs. The designer, Terry Morris, recommends a helpful tension management technique: knitting the stranded sections inside out. This unconventional approach keeps the tension in the strands loose and prevents the finished socks from becoming too tight—a common challenge with stranded colorwork in fitted garments like socks.

Stitches and Construction Methods

The pattern employs strategic stitch techniques to balance visual interest with construction simplicity. The ankle gussets and toe sections are worked in easy striping rather than complex stranded colorwork. This design choice eliminates the need for fussy recalculation of patterning in these shaping areas, making the project more manageable for intermediate knitters. The cuff is worked in garter stitch, which requires careful attention when changing colors to maintain consistent tension and appearance.

Materials and Yarn Specifications

Isla Buena Socks are designed for fingering/sock weight yarn, classified as 4-ply weight. The pattern calls for five (5) different solid colors, with each color requiring 30–50 grams of yarn. The designer provides specific color suggestions for three size options:

• Women's Medium: Color A (Aqua), Color B (Lime Green), Color C (Purple), Color D (Magenta), Color E (Orange)
• Women's Large/Men's Medium: Color A (Black), Color B (Red), Color C (White), Color D (Gray), Color E (Navy Blue)

The pattern specifies US Size 1 (2.25mm) double point needles or the size needed to obtain proper gauge. Knitters should also have 1 yard of smooth waste yarn available for the project setup.

Gauge and Sizing

The required gauge is 7 stitches = 1 inch when working stranded colorwork on US Size 1 needles. Maintaining accurate gauge is essential for achieving the correct sock fit and ensuring the stranded sections display properly without puckering or excessive looseness.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as intermediate difficulty. While stranded two-color knitting requires foundational knitting skills and color management experience, the strategic use of simple striping in shaping areas and the designer's tension-management tips make this project accessible to knitters ready to expand their colorwork capabilities.

Designer and Format

Isla Buena Socks are designed by Terry Liann Morris, known as SailingKnitter. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF format, allowing knitters to access and print the instructions for convenient reference during the knitting process.