by Louise Robert

I wanted to create a half and half sock with semi-solid and self-striping yarn. But equal halves was too boring. I came to work this pattern with "waves" of colourways and the STITCH SURFER was born!

You will notice that there is no "right" and "left" foot on this pattern. This pair of socks can be worn either way: with the solid color MC in the middle or on the sides. You will obtain a ripple at the junction of your foot one way or the other!

The socks are worked using the intarsia technique in the round. Each round is worked in two steps: The stitches of the first color are knitted to the color change point; the yarns are twisted around each other and then the stitches of the second color are knitted to the end of the round, and a wrap and turn is worked at the end of the round to close the gap. Then the stitches of the second color are purled to the color change point, the yarns are twisted around each other and then the stitches of the first color are purled back to the start of the round.

SIZE
S[M, L]

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Sock circumference: 8.5 [9.5, 10.5] inches
Foot length: Adjustable to Fit.
Leg length: Adjustable. Samples shown have leg 9 inches long, measured from the bottom of the heel.

MATERIALS
Yarn
Biscotte & Cie - Felix semi-solid [80% superwash merino, 20% nylon; 420yds/384m per 115g skein], 1 [1, 1] skein each of MC and CC
Colourways for each pair (shown left to right in photo below)
[MC] 1) Nuit, 2) Turquoise, 3) Raisin malin, 4) Chocolat, 5) Limonade
[CC] 1) Go Habs Go, 2) Clown Fish, 3) Purple rain, 4) Chou, Hibou, Genou, 5) Pâturage

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
US #1.5/2.5 mm needles for working in the round

Notions
Yarn needle

GAUGE

PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]

Instructions for Judy's Magic Cast-On can be found here.

The socks are worked using the intarsia technique in the round. When changing colors, twist them around each other so that no holes are created. See below:

KRL: Knit right loop. Insert right hand needle into stitch 1 row below stitch on left hand needle. Place on left hand needle. Knit stitch just picked up through front loop.

PRL: Purl right loop. Insert right hand needle into stitch 1 row below stitch on left hand needle. Place on left hand needle. Purl stitch just picked up through front loop.

Note: The wraps from the w&t do not need to be hidden -- they are part of the design.

DIRECTIONS
FIRST SOCK
Toe
Using MC, and Judy's Magic Cast On, CO 32 sts - 16 sts on each of two needles.

Setup round: Knit one full round, the first 8 sts of the next round. You are now in the middle of sole sts and this is the new start of the round.

If you're working on two circulars or magic loop, the first and last 8 sts of the round form the sole, the center 16 sts form the instep. If you're working on DPNs, distribute your sts so that the first 8 are on one needle, the next 16 sts (the instep) are one one or two needles as you prefer, for the instep, and the rem 8 sts (the other half of the sole) are on the last needle.

Note: when you join CC, start at the beginning of one of the color stripes.

Round 1 [RS]: With MC, k6, kfb, k2, kfb, k6. Drop MC, join CC, k6, kfb, k2, kfb, k6, w&t. 4 sts increased.

Round 2 [WS]: With CC, p18. Drop CC and with MC, p18. Turn your work.

Round 3 [RS]: With MC, sl1, k to 2 sts before start of instep kfb, k2, kfb, k to end of MC sts. Drop MC and with CC, k to 2 sts before end of instep, kfb, k2, kfb, k to end of round, w&t.

Round 4 [WS]: With CC, p all the CC sts. Drop CC and with MC, p all the MC sts. Turn your work.

Work Rounds 3 & 4 until you have a total of 60 [64, 68] sts.

Foot

Surf Left:
Round 1 [RS]: With MC, sl1, kfb, k until 3 MC sts remain, k2tog, k1. Drop MC and with CC, k1, kfb, knit until 3 CC sts remain, k2tog, k1, w&t.

Round 2 [WS]: With CC, p all the CC sts. Drop CC and with MC, p all the MC sts. Turn your work.

Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 until 5 MC sts remain before the start of the instep.

Stop Surfing:
Round 1 [RS]: With MC, sl1, k all MC sts. Drop MC and with CC k all CC sts, w&t.
Round 2 [WS]: With CC, p all the CC sts. Drop CC and with MC, p all the MC sts. Turn your work.
Repeat Rounds 1 & 2 once more.

Surf Right:
Round 1 [RS]: use MC and sl1, ssk, knit until 2 MC sts remains, kfb, k1. Drop MC and with CC to k1, ssk, knit until 2 CC sts remains, kfb, k1, w&t.
Round 2 [WS]: With CC, p all the CC sts. Drop CC and with MC, p all the MC sts. Turn your work.
Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 until 5 CC sts remain after the instep.

Work the Stop Surfing Section.

Continue in this manner:
Surf Left
Stop Surfing
Surf Right
Stop Surfing

When the foot is 2 inches less than the desired length, start the heel. Stop after a WS row.

Heel
Heel is worked back and forth in rows with MC.

Heel setup row 1 [RS]: Work to start of instep in pattern as set, turn.
Heel setup row 2 [WS]: With MC, p30[32, 34], turn.

Row 1 [RS]: K29[31, 33], turn.
Row 2 [WS]: Sl1, p27[29, 31], turn.
Row 3 [RS]: Sl1, k26[28, 30], turn.
Row 4 [WS]: Sl1, p25[27, 29], turn.
Row 5 [RS]: Sl1, k24[26, 28], turn.
Row 6 [WS]: Sl1, p23[25, 27], turn.
Row 7 [RS]: Sl1, k22[24, 26], turn.
Row 8 [WS]: Sl1, p21[23, 25], turn.
Row 9 [RS]: Sl1, k20[22, 24], turn.
Row 10 [WS]: Sl1, p19[21, 23], turn.
Row 11 [RS]: Sl1, k18[20, 22], turn.
Row 12 [WS]: Sl1, p17[19, 21], turn.
Row 13 [RS]: Sl1, k16[18, 20], turn.
Row 14 [WS]: Sl1, p15[17, 19], turn.
Row 15 [RS]: Sl1, k14[16, 18], ssk, KRL, turn.
Row 16 [WS]: Sl1, p15[17, 19] p2tog, PRL, turn.
Row 17 [RS]: Sl1, k16[18, 20], ssk, KRL, turn.
Row 18 [WS]: Sl1, p17[19, 21], p2tog, PRL, turn.
Row 19 [RS]: Sl1, k18[20, 22], ssk, KRL, turn.
Row 20 [WS] Sl1, p19[21, 23], p2tog, PRL, turn.
Row 21 [RS]: Sl1, k20[22, 24], ssk, KRL, turn.
Row 22 [WS]: Sl1, p21[23, 25], p2tog, PRL, turn.
Row 23 [RS]: Sl1, k22[24, 26], ssk, KRL, turn.
Row 24 [WS]: Sl1, p23[25, 27], p2tog, PRL, turn.
Row 25 [RS]: Sl1, k24[26, 28], ssk, KRL, turn.
Row 26 [WS]: Sl1, p25[27, 29], p2tog, PRL, turn.
Row 27 [RS]: Sl1, k26[28, 30], ssk, KRL, turn.
Row 28 [WS]: Sl1, p27[29, 31], p2tog, PRL, turn.

RS is facing.
Resume working in the round: With MC, k across heel sts, and continue across instep in surfing pattern as set.

Leg
Work as for the foot, repeating Surf Left, Stop Surfing, Surf Right and Stop Surfing sections until leg measure 9 inches from the bottom of the heel (or desired length).

Cuff
Round 1 [RS]: With MC, sl1wyib, [p1, k1] until 1 MC st remains, p1. Drop MC and with CC [k1, p1] to end, w&t.
Round 2 [WS]: With CC, [k1, p1] across all CC sts, Drop CC and with MC [k1, p1] to end of MC sts. Turn your work.

Repeat Rounds 1 & 2 for 1.5 inches.
Bind off loosely as follows: K1, *yo, k1; lift yarnover and previous knit st over; rep from * to end.

SECOND SOCK
Note: No matter what yarn you use, in order to have your color stripes match the first sock, you need to start casting on 12 inches up (that is, earlier in) the yarn from the start of the stripe you started with for FIRST SOCK. That is, if you started FIRST SOCK with a pink stripe, start casting on 12 inches before the start of the pink stripe yarn.

Toe
Work as for Toe of FIRST SOCK, reversing the colors.

Foot
Continue in pattern as set as for FIRST SOCK, ensuring colors are reversed, ending with a WS row.

Heel
Heel is worked back and forth in rows with MC.
Heel setup row 1 [RS]: Work to end of instep in pattern as set, stop.
Work Heel as for FIRST SOCK, starting with Row 1.

Resume working in the round: After last heel row, do not turn. Continue working around the WS to the end of the MC sts on the instep; drop MC and with CC p 30[32, 34], turn. Continue in surfing pattern as set.

Leg & Cuff
Work as for FIRST SOCK, ensuring colors are reversed.

FINISHING
Block and weave in ends.

Louise Robert lives in metropolitan Montreal, Quebec where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in art history. She lives with her husband and her 3 kids, 2 cats and one beloved angora rabbit.

She is the owner of Biscotte & Cie, a yarn shop where she hand-dyes yarn in all kinds of self-striping, semi-solid and variegated colourways.