Designer: Cynthia @highcontrastknits
Interstitial is an English adjective, meaning occurring in or occupying a small space. Choose a deep rich fingering weight yarn and a light playful variegated contrast for the swirling fully charted pattern. Mosaic colorwork will create tiny points of dancing light.
The Interstitial socks are knit toe-up in mosaic stitches around the leg and foot, using a magic loop with an afterthought heel. The texture of mosaic knitting may be uncomfortable on the sole of the foot for those with sensory issues, therefore instructions are included for an optional striped stockinette sole.
The knitter should be familiar with cast-on, knit, purl, stitch increase, yarn over, slip stitch, & stitch decrease. Previous sock construction experience not required but helpful.
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Yarn Used
The beautiful yarn used for the pictured sample is from Eva of Seismic Yarn & Dye Works. The sample uses the Seismic Butter Sock base, which is fingering weight, 85% Superwash Extra Fine Merino 15% Nylon, 100g/m/437yd. The MC used is Daly City Birthday Party, and the CC is Slip.
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Difficulty
Advanced Beginner
Sized Included
Four Adult Sizes: S, M (L, XL)
Finished Sock Circumference: 6.25, 7 ( 8, 9.25 ) inches / 15.75, 18 ( 20.25, 23.5) centimeters
To fit Foot Circumference: 7, 8 ( 9, 10 ) inches / 17.5, 20.5 ( 23, 25.5) centimeters
Socks require a snug fit because they stretch over the course of wear. Select a size smaller than your measured foot circumference. Sample shown in M on 8.0 inch / 20.5 cm foot.
Materials
- Seismic Yarn & Dye Works Seismic Butter Sock, fingering weight, 85% Superwash Extra Fine Merino, 15% Nylon
- MC Daly City Birthday Party 90, 150 ( 200, 250 ) meters / 100, 160 ( 220, 280 ) yards
- CC Slip 165, 220 ( 275, 330 ) meters /180, 240 ( 300, 360 ) yards
- US 1 (2.25mm) or size needed to obtain gauge.
- As pattern is written for the Magic Loop method, a cord length of 32” or longer is recommended.
- Darning Needle
- Stitch Markers
- Scrap yarn (For an afterthought heel, use waste yarn that is not near the color of your project yarn and that does not adhere to other yarns easily)
Abbreviations
- BO – bind off
- BoR – beginning of round
- CC – contrast color
- CO – cast on
- Cont – continue
- Dec – decrease
- K – knit
- K2tog – knit 2 together
- LH – left hand
- M1 – make one stitch knitwise
- MC – main color
- N – needle
- P – purl
- Rem – remain(ing)
- Rep – repeat
- RH – right hand
- Rnd(s) – round(s)
- Sl – slip
- Sl st – slip stitch
- Ssk – slip 2 stitches knitwise
- St(s) – stitch(es)
- Wyib – with yarn in back
- Yo – yarn over
Gauge
36 sts and 40 rows = 4” / 10cm over Mosaic Stitch, blocked
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Special Stitches and Techniques
Magic Loop
When working Magic loop total stitches are divided in half over a circular needle with a long cable and worked in the round. Half the stitches are worked then the cable and needles are rearranged to ready the other half of the stitches. Instructions are given for the top of the foot on one needle, and the bottom of the foot on another needle, indicated as follows:
N1: Needle 1, top of foot, front of calf stitches
N2: Needle 2, sole of foot, back of calf stitches
Mosaic Knitting
Mosaic knitting is colorwork that is created by slipping stitches and working one color at a time. Each color is used for two consecutive rows or rounds before switching to the next color. When mosaic knitting in the round, each chart row is read from right to left and worked for two rounds.
Turkish Cast on
Make a slip knot, and place it on one needle. With needles held parallel, wrap yarn around both needles (N1 and N2) until wraps equal half the number of desired stitches. Pull one needle through so that the wraps rest on the other needle and the cable. Knit across st on the needle, rearrange cable and needles to knit across the remaining stitches. Stitch count doubled, Turkish cast on complete.
Kitchener Stitch
Setup
Insert the threaded darning needle purlwise through the first st on the front needle, leave the st on the needle. Insert the darning needle knitwise through the first st on the back needle, leave the st on the needle.
To avoid having the pointed “ears” at the ends of the heel, you may omit the set up
Step 1: Insert darning needle in the first st on the front needle knitwise, sl st off the needle
Step 2: Insert darning needle in the next stitch on the front needle purlwise, leave st on needle
Step 3: Insert darning needle in the first st on the back needle purlwise, sl st off the needle
Step 4: Insert darning needle in the next st on the back needle knitwise, leave st on needle
Rep Steps 1-4 until all sts have been bound off, break yarn and pull through the last st.
Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off
Knit or Purl the first stitch as called for (in the case of 1×1 twisted ribbing as shown in the Interstitial sock, the first stitch is knit).
Before a Knit Stitch
- YO backward (bring yarn from back to front over the right needle) then K the next st.
- On the right needle, pass YO and first st over st just worked. 1 st dec, and 1 st rem on RH needle.
Before a Purl Stitch
- YO (bring the yarn from front to back over the right needle), then P the next stitch.
- On the right needle, pass YO and first st over st just worked. 1 st dec and 1 st rem on RH needle.
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Directions
Toe
Using Turkish Cast-On or preferred toe-up CO method and MC, CO 20, 28 ( 36 , 44 ) sts.
Rnds 1, 3, 6, 9, 13:
N1: K1, m1, k to last st, m1, k1.
N2: K1, m1, k to last st, m1, k1.
Rnds 2, 4, 7, 10:
N1: K3, m1, k to the last three sts, m1, k3.
N2: K3, m1, k to the last three sts, m1, k3.
Rnds 5, 8, 11, 12: K all sts.
28, 32 ( 36, 40 ) sts on each needle. 56 , 64 ( 72, 80 ) sts.
Foot
Foundation Round: With MC, K one rnd in St st.
You will now begin working the charted pattern. Each size has a different chart.
Option 1:
Mosaic worked on top and sole of foot
Rnd 1-2: (CC):
N1: K each CC st and sl1p each MC st wyib following chart for your size.
N2: K each CC st and sl1p each MC st wyib following chart for your size.
Rnd 3-4: (MC):
N1: K each MC st and sl1p each CC st wyib following chart for your size.
N2: K each MC st and sl1p each CC st wyib following chart for your size.
Option 2:
Mosaic worked on top of foot, St st stripes worked on sole of foot
Rnd 1-2: (CC):
N1: K each CC st and sl1p each MC st wyib following chart for your size.
N2: K all sts.
Rnd 3-4: (MC):
N1: K each MC st and sl1p each CC st wyib following chart for your size.
N2: K all sts
Cont working Rnds 1-4 until you reach approx 2” / 5 cm shorter than desired total foot length.
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Position Afterthought Heel
Afterthought Heel:
N1: K in pattern across N1 as established.
N2: With scrap yarn, K across 28, 32 ( 36, 40) sts, sl the just worked sts back onto the LH needle and cont with the working yarn in pattern.
Leg
Cont the charted pattern over all 56, 64 ( 72, 80) sts until you reach approx 1.5”-2.0” from the desired sock length.
Cuff and Binding Off
Break yarn that will not be used for cuffs. K one rnd. Work Cuff Rnd for 1” / 2.5 cm or your preferred ribbing technique.
Cuff Rnd: *K1 through the back, P1 rep from * until the desired cuff length
BO with Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off or preferred stretchy BO. Break yarn.
Afterthought Heel
Using the working needle, pick up 28, 32 (36, 40 ) sts on either side of the waste yarn for the heel. 56, 64 (72, 80) sts. Carefully snip away the waste yarn being careful not to cut any of the sts of your MC or CC. Join CC using the tail as a visual cue for the BoR.
Rnd 1: K all sts, picking up 2 sts in the gap bet needles on each end. 60, 68 (76, 84) sts.
Rnd 2: *K1, ssk, k to 3 sts before the end of needle, k2tog, k1, rep from * to BoR.
Rnd 3: K all sts.
Rep Rnds 2 and 3 until you have 18, 24 ( 28, 32 ) sts total rem. Cut yarn leaving at least 12” and graft the heel.
Finishing
Weave in ends, washing and blocking are optional.
Enjoy your Interstitial Socks! Don’t forget to show it off on Instagram and tag us @radiclethreads and use the hashtags #RadicleThreadsMagazine and #InterstitialSock so we can see it!
