Herringbone Socks

Herringbone Welly Socks by Rita Taylor

What is Being Made

The Herringbone Welly Socks are a pair of knee-high socks designed by Rita Taylor featuring a distinctive herringbone stitch pattern. These socks are crafted to fit foot size 10½ with an adjustable sizing option, and feature a leg length of approximately 18 inches. The design incorporates a classic welly sock construction, making them practical for everyday wear or pairing with wellington boots.

Knitting Techniques Used

This intermediate-level knitting project employs several essential sock-making techniques. The pattern uses in-the-round knitting on double-pointed needles or circular needles, which allows for seamless construction. The sock begins with a ribbed cuff worked in a K1 P1 (knit one, purl one) rib pattern to create elasticity at the leg opening. The pattern incorporates even decreasing to shape the leg from 60 stitches down to 56 stitches, ensuring a proper fit. The herringbone pattern itself is created through a series of shifting knit and purl stitches that create the characteristic diagonal zigzag visual effect. The sock also features a turned cuff construction, where the top is worked inside out for additional bulk and warmth, a traditional technique for welly socks.

Stitches Used

The Herringbone Welly Socks utilize fundamental knitting stitches executed in a specific sequence to achieve the herringbone pattern. The primary stitches include:

• Knit stitch (K): The basic stitch used throughout the pattern
• Purl stitch (P): Creates the textured appearance when alternated with knit stitches
• Knit 2 together (K2tog): A decrease stitch used during the shaping rounds
• Purl 2 together (P2tog): An alternative decrease method employed in the pattern
• Slip stitch (Sl1): Used to move stitches without working them, aiding in pattern transitions
• Slip, slip, knit (ssk): A left-leaning decrease created by slipping 2 stitches knitwise and knitting into the back of both stitches

The herringbone effect is achieved through a 14-round repeat pattern where knit and purl stitches shift position systematically, creating the diagonal lines characteristic of the herringbone design. Rounds 7 and 8 are worked entirely in purl, providing visual definition within the pattern repeat.

Materials and Gauge

The Herringbone Welly Socks require 3 balls of Aran weight wool in natural colour, providing a durable and warm yarn suitable for sock construction. The pattern specifies a tension of 18 stitches to 10 centimeters worked over the rib pattern, which is essential for achieving the correct fit. Two needle sizes are required: 3.25mm double-pointed needles or circular needles for the ribbed sections, and 4mm double-pointed needles or circular needles for the main pattern sections. The use of two needle sizes creates the necessary gauge changes between the elastic ribbed areas and the patterned leg, a common technique in sock design.