Painted Canyon

Painted Canyon Socks by Corrine Walcher

What is Being Made

Painted Canyon is a downloadable knitting pattern for a pair of socks designed by Corrine Walcher. These socks feature mirrored cables running the length of the front, creating a striking visual effect inspired by the natural landscape of Painted Canyon in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota. The pattern was originally designed for the July 2017 Club Dragonfly and is available in three sizes: small (7" around unstretched), medium (8" around unstretched), and large (9" around unstretched).

Techniques Used

This intermediate-level sock pattern employs several key knitting techniques. The primary technique is knitting in the round, which creates seamless socks using either a set of five double-pointed needles or two circular needles. The pattern features mirrored cable work as the signature design element, with cables positioned symmetrically on the front of the sock. Cable knitting requires crossing groups of stitches over one another to create twisted, rope-like textures. The pattern also incorporates standard sock construction methods, including shaping and decreasing to fit the foot and leg properly.

Stitches Used

The Painted Canyon pattern utilizes fundamental knitting stitches combined with cable techniques. Core stitches include:

• Knit (K) – the basic stitch forming the foundation of stockinette stitch
• Purl (P) – the reverse of the knit stitch, used for texture variation
• Slip stitches (Sl) – stitches slipped as if to purl with yarn held in back, commonly used in cable work
• Purl two together (P2tog) – a decrease stitch for shaping
• Slip, slip, knit (SSK) – a left-leaning decrease created by slipping two stitches as if to knit and then knitting them together

The pattern also uses stockinette stitch as the primary fabric base, which creates a smooth, flat surface ideal for showcasing the cable details. Markers are placed strategically to help track pattern repeats and construction sections.

Materials

The recommended yarn for Painted Canyon is Dragonfly Fibers Dragon Sock, a 100% superwash merino yarn that provides 390 yards per 4 ounces. This yarn weight is suitable for 3-ply and 4-ply sock construction, making it ideal for creating socks with good stitch definition and durability. Superwash merino offers softness and easy care, as the fibers have been treated to resist felting in the washing machine.

Needles required are US size 2 (2.75 mm) double-pointed needles or circular needles, sized to achieve the specified gauge. The pattern calls for a gauge of 8 stitches per inch when working stockinette stitch in the round, which is typical for sock-weight yarn and ensures the finished socks will fit properly and have the correct drape and elasticity.