The Story Behind my American Flag Socks

The tragedy on September 11, 2001, really didn't hit me personally until September 14, when I received an email from my friend, Darrell Childress. Attached to the email was a photograph of his friend, Barbara G. Edwards of Las Vegas, NV, who perished when American Airlines flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon. The photo showed Barb knitting a sock in Regia Ringel. This was Darrell's sock, and she was teaching him how to knit continental. (She learned to knit as a schoolgirl in Germany.)

Although I never met Barb, I had heard Darrell speak of her frequently. The photo of her knitting a sock really put a face on the tragedy for me. I decided to design an American flag sock pattern, complete with 50 five-pointed stars and 13 stripes, and dedicate it to Barb. Barb was a teacher at Palo Verde High School in Las Vegas.

Pattern

This sock is knit from the toe up with a short-row heel. The stars were knit into the sock leg with stranded knitting, but could be duplicate-stitched. The legs are knit on larger needles because stranded knitting tends to be thicker than plain stockinette.

Level of Experience: Intermediate, with sock-knitting experience. Must be able to work short rows.

Size: Women's small (shoe size 7)   (See suggestions for other sizes below.)

Materials:

Gauge: 8 1/2 stitches per inch and 12 rows per inch in stockinette stitch with 2.25 mm needles

Directions:

Foot - Color Sequence:

Knit this color sequence at the same time as the foot shaping:
  8 rounds red
*    6 rounds white
6 rounds red    *
Repeat from * to * through round 80

Foot - Shaping:

 

With red, cast on 10 stitches.

Round 1:
Knit across. This is needle #1
With another needle, pick up and knit 5 stitches from the first 5 cast-on stitches. This is needle #2.
With another needle, pick up and knit 5 stitches from the last 5 cast-on stitches. This is needle #3.
(There will be 20 stitches.)
Place a marker between needles #3 and #1 to mark the beginning of the round. Place another marker between needles #1 and #2 to mark the middle of the round.

Round 2 (Toe Increase Round):
On needle #1, K1, M1, knit to within 1 stitch of end of needle, M1, K1
On needle #2, K1, M1, knit to end of needle
On needle #3, Knit to within 1 stitch of end of needle, M1, K1
(You are increasing 4 stitches per round, two on each side of the foot.)
(There will be 24 stitches.)

Rounds 3 through 5:
Repeat Round 2. At the end of round 5, there will be 36 stitches.

Rounds 6 through 15:
Even rounds: Knit around
Odd rounds: Repeat Round 2
At the end of round 15, there will be 56 stitches

Rounds 16 through 59: Knit around

Round 60: Increase 6 stitches, evenly spaced. (62 stitches)

Rounds 61 through 71: Knit around

Round 72: Increase 8 stitches, evenly spaced. (70 stitches)

Rounds 73 through 80: Knit around

Try on the sock to see if the foot is the proper length. Unstretched, the sock should reach the point where the foot and ankle meet. (For size small, this will be 6 3/4 inches.) Knit more rows in red if needed.

Break red and white yarns.

Knit one round even in blue.

Short-Row Heel

  K 3 stitches, wrap next stitch, turn.
P across the 3 stitches knit in the previous row, P from beginning row marker to middle row marker, P 3 stitches, wrap next stitch, turn.
Row 1: K to within 1 stitch of wrapped stitch, wrap next stitch, turn.
Row 2: P to within 1 stitch of wrapped stitch, wrap next stitch, turn.
Repeat rows 1 and 2 until 11 unwrapped stitches remain, ending on row 2.

K to first wrapped stitch, knit wrapped stitch and wrap together, wrap next stitch, turn.
P to first wrapped stitch, purl wrapped stitch and wrap together, wrap next stitch, turn.
Row 1: K to first wrapped stitch, knit wrapped stitch and both wraps together, wrap next stitch, turn.
Row 2: P to first wrapped stitch, purl wrapped stitch and both wraps together, wrap next stitch, turn.
Repeat rows 1 and 2 until all wrapped stitches have been knit, ending on row 2.

Knit to beginning marker, K 17, place marker for center back. Remove other markers.

Leg

 

Change to 2.5 mm needles.

Work following the Star Chart below.
There will be 7 stars on rounds 1 - 8, and 6 stars on rounds 9 - 16.
Work rounds 1 - 16 4 times, then work rows 1 - 8 one time.

Break white yarn.

Knit 4 rounds even with blue.

Increase 2 stitches evenly spaced on the next round. (72 stitches)

Work 12 rounds of K3, P3 rib.

Cast off with sewn cast-off.

Star Chart



Suggestions for other sizes:

 

For a woman's size medium, use needles for the foot which will give a gauge of 8 stitches per inch.

For a woman's size large, or for a man's sock, use sport, double-knitting, or worsted weight yarn and appropriate size needles.



© Rae B. Creedle, 2001, 2002. All rights reserved. This pattern may be used for your own personal use, for gifts, or for charitable donations. It may not be knit up for sale. You may make printed copies of the pattern for free distribution, but it may not be sold. This pattern may not be posted to any web site without permission. Email Rae Creedle for permission to post a link to this page. This copyright notice must remain attached to the pattern when distributed in print or in electronic form.

This pattern was downloaded from http://www.thinkingknitter.com

If you have questions about this pattern, please contact Rae Bullock Creedle at rae@thinkingknitter.com

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This page was last updated on 10/01/2003.