Adelaide

Adelaide Socks by karenknitland

What Is Being Made

Adelaide socks are a pair of knitted socks featuring a striking herringbone colorwork pattern combined with a bold stripe accent on the bottom of the foot. The design is available in four sizes to fit adult feet: Small, Medium, Large, and Extra Large, with finished circumferences ranging from 7 to 10 inches. These socks are designed to be worn with approximately 1 inch of negative ease for a snug, comfortable fit.

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

The Adelaide socks are constructed using colorwork knitting, specifically a herringbone pattern that creates substantial visual interest while remaining accessible to intermediate knitters. A key advantage of this design is the absence of floats—the long strands of yarn carried across the back of colorwork pieces that can snag. This makes the socks more practical and durable for everyday wear.

The pattern is worked in stockinette stitch as the foundational stitch, which creates a smooth, classic fabric ideal for sock construction. Once knitters become familiar with the herringbone pattern progression, the design can be executed without constantly referring to the chart, allowing for more intuitive knitting as the pattern evolves.

The socks are worked in the small circumference knitting method, which typically involves knitting in the round using small needles to create a seamless tube that forms the leg and foot of the sock.

Materials and Gauge

The Adelaide socks are designed to be knitted with sock or fingering weight yarn, which is a fine yarn weight ideal for creating fitted, durable socks. The pattern requires approximately 250 yards of main color yarn and 250 yards of contrast color yarn, for a total of roughly 500 yards.

The project shown in the pattern is knitted in Stunning String Studio Luxury, a premium yarn blend consisting of 80% superwash merino wool, 10% nylon, and 10% cashmere. This particular yarn is available at 425 yards per 100-gram skein, offering excellent yardage and a luxurious fiber composition that combines the breathability and elasticity of merino with the durability of nylon and the softness of cashmere. The colorway shown features Moroccan Blue as the main color and Linen as the contrast color.

The recommended needles are US 1.5 (2.5mm) needles sized for working in small circumference, though knitters should select the needle size needed to achieve the correct gauge. The pattern specifies a gauge of 8 stitches per inch in stockinette stitch, which is typical for sock knitting and ensures the finished socks will fit properly and have the appropriate fabric density.

Additional Supplies

• 3 stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and size increases
• Tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends
• Scissors for cutting yarn

Difficulty Level

Adelaide socks are rated as an intermediate knitting project, making them suitable for knitters who have mastered basic knitting techniques and are ready to explore colorwork. The herringbone pattern, while visually complex, is straightforward enough that experienced knitters can work from memory once the pattern repeat is understood, and the absence of floats simplifies the colorwork process compared to traditional stranded knitting techniques.