Pattern: Padded Footlets from IK Summer 2005
Yarn: Panda Cotton (mostly bamboo and oh-so soft)
Needles: US 1 DPNs
These are probably some of the most complicated socks I have knit structure-wise. As the pattern name states, the sole of the anklets are padded with double thickness. Very nice. They are still knit in the round, however. I thought it would be easy, but it was little fiddly at first. I tried to capture the process in pictures. Bear with me. 
So obviously, you can get a double thickness by knitting with yarn held double. But, when you knit across the top of the foot with a single strand you get back to the sole and find yourself with this – two single strands on either side of the sole of the sock.
Take the single strand and purl the first stitch, slip the next double stitch, knit the next double stitch, slip the next double stitch until the end. You will find yourself with a knit stitch followed with a slipped double stitch all the way across.
Here you are at the end – two strands of yarn. One that you worked across the needle with and one that you dropped the last round when you got to the top of the foot.
Now you turn your work, drop the yarn you just worked with, and pick up the strand of yarn you didn’t work with. You slip the first stitch as it was worked on the RS and purl the double stitch you slipped on the RS. Work across the sole of the foot – slip, purl, slip, purl.
When you turn your work right side again you have this – all single knit stitches and a strand of yarn on either end. Go back to the yarn on the left and start knitting the lace motif on the top of the foot.
Once you knit across the top of the foot you find yourself back at the sole with two strands. Knit double all the way across. Then when you get back to the sole AGAIN you start the slip-knit process across the sole again.
I am not going to kid you, it was time consuming and fiddly. I couldn’t wrap my mind around doing it magic loop, so I used DPNs which are slow going for me. Plus I live in terror small children breaking them, so I only worked on them at night. The end result is FABULOUS though. Very soft socks. Very comfy to wear. They will make a nice Christmas present for a loved one.
Next up will be something much easier : crosswalkers. Jaywalkers only easier and the advice of Brainylady will make them a better fit for the recipient.
At the beginning of the year, there was a lot of talk from me about knitting a pair of socks a month. I have been good. I have worked harder at it than I anticipated, but quite honestly I am weary of socks.
