Reverse Pod Socks

Reverse Pod Socks by Andrea Jurgrau

What is Being Made

The Reverse Pod Socks are a pair of knitted socks designed for an average woman's foot width, with customizable length to suit individual preferences. This intermediate-level knitting project creates a finished garment using lace pattern techniques, resulting in decorative and breathable socks suitable for warm weather wear.

Knitting Techniques Used

This pattern employs several fundamental and intermediate knitting techniques. The construction uses circular knitting on double-pointed needles, a traditional method for creating seamless socks. The pattern incorporates lace knitting, which creates decorative openwork through strategic yarn overs and decreases. Knitters will work decreases in both directions—right-leaning and left-leaning—to shape the lace pattern symmetrically. The pattern uses a charted lace design where only odd-numbered rows are charted, with even-numbered rows worked in pattern, requiring knitters to read charts and maintain stitch patterns around the circular work.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The Reverse Pod Socks utilize basic knitting stitches as building blocks for the lace pattern. The primary stitches include:

• Knit (K)—the fundamental stitch creating the fabric base
• Purl (P)—used in combination with knits to create textural contrast
• Yarn overs—creating the openwork characteristic of lace patterns
• K2tog (knit two together)—a right-leaning decrease used to balance yarn overs
• SSK (slip, slip, knit)—a left-leaning decrease that pairs with K2tog for symmetrical lace shaping

The pattern is organized with repeating sections marked between asterisks (*), allowing knitters to work the lace motif consistently around the sock.

Materials and Tools

This project requires Lorna's Laces sock yarn, a premium fingering-weight yarn. Two skeins of 50 grams each provide sufficient yardage for a complete pair of socks. The pattern calls for US size 1 double-pointed needles in a set of five, which are appropriate for the yarn weight and create the correct gauge. Additional materials include a yarn needle for weaving in ends and finishing the toe closure. The gauge is established at 9 stitches per 1 inch when worked in the pattern stitch and blocked, ensuring proper fit and finished dimensions.

Yarn Weight Specifications

The Reverse Pod Socks are designed for 3-ply and 4-ply yarn weights, both of which fall within the fingering weight category ideal for sock construction. These lighter yarn weights create delicate, breathable fabric suitable for summer wear while maintaining structural integrity through the lace pattern.