Yarn Weight
Fingering
Yardage
425 yards for S and M;
a bit of a second skein for the L
Straw into gold?
We know this story!
Or do we?
This is not Rumplestiltskin, but Naomi Novik’s fantastic novel Spinning Silver.
This is a story with a twist: the heroine has to transform silver, not straw, into gold. She does this not by spinning, but through her own cleverness and courage. Fiber artists need not despair, however: there IS spinning AND knitting in the book, too!
How the Sock is Knitted
The sock features a dramatic side motif. It combines a traditional Bavarian Twisted Stitch pattern called “Spinning Woman” with a simpler cable. Besides the large motif, a yarnover cable rib cascades down the leg and foot, like the silver that needs to be turned into gold. Optional beads (a very few, I promise) gives this sock a glamorous look.
Yarn
SweetGeorgia Yarns Tough Love Sock (80% Superwash Merino/20% Nylon; 425 yds [389 m]/115 g): Color Snowfall, 1 (1, 2) skeins.
Note: We were able to knit a pair of mediums with one skein. If you need a larger size, you’ll probably have to use a second skein. If you don’t want to do that, you can always shorten the cuff by doing fewer Rnds of ribbing or you can use mini skeins for the toes. Whichever you choose, we highly recommend splitting the skein in half so that the socks will be a perfect match.
Needles
Size US 1.5 (2.5mm) needles: dpns, Flexitips, or 32″ (60cm) circulars
Or size needed to obtain gauge
Sizes
7” [17.75 cm] long leg
S (M, L): 7 (7.5, 8.75)” [17.75 (19, 22.25) cm] foot circumference, blocked.
Gauge
32 sts and 44 rows = 4″ [10cm] in St st after blocking
Notions
Tapestry needle, stitch markers, stitch holder or waste yarn, cable needle. Optional: 1 tube 6/0 Beads, and either a small crochet hook or dental superfloss.
Tutorials
Old Norwegian/Twisted German Cast On
How to Read a Knitting Chart
Knit through the Back Loop (ktbl)
Cable Without a Cable Needle
Beading With Superfloss
Beading With a Crochet Hook (Knitting)
Picking Up Stitches for a Heel Flap
Kitchener Stitch
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About the Designer: Jill Bickers
The fact that Jill Bickers is obsessed with knitting is more of a tribute to her stubbornness than anything else. Although her grandmother and her great grandmother were notable knitters, it was not immediately apparent that the knitting gene had been handed down to her knitting.
She felt clumsy and confused, but not to be outdone by a pair of needles and yarn, she kept at it until she “got it.” Having “gotten it,” she put her needles and yarn aside for almost twenty years. The knitting gene reared its head when she picked up her needles once more. She felt like it was coming home and hasn’t looked back.
Though she loves other textile arts, knitting is the one that feels most “right.” She thinks her grandmother and great-grandmother would be pleased.
Jill loves beautiful yarn and has the stash to prove it. She also has a bad habit of starting too many projects and has the project bags to prove that, too. She knits while watching TV, listening to audiobooks, Zooming, in waiting rooms, and in the car (but not when she’s driving).
You can find her designs on Ravelry.
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