As promised, a pattern for the Bacteriophage socks.

If you prefer a more readily printable version, please send me an e-mail (link is in the sidebar). Put "bacteriophage" in the subject line somewhere so I can "whitelist" any messages - that way my e-mail won't think you're spam. I'll send the pattern to you as a Word file attachment; as long as you have Word you should be able to print it out.



Bacteriophage socks



Copyright 2007, "fillyjonk"

To fit a “ladies’ medium” – about 8 1/2“ foot diameter, unstretched, about 9 3/4” long.

Gauge: 8 1/2 to 9 stitches per inch, over stockinette in the round.

Yarn: uses CYCA #1 yarn (also known as fingering, sockweight, or super-fine).

I used about 75 grams of a bluish-grey Elann “Essential Four Ply” (MC) and perhaps 25 grams of burgundy KnitPicks “Essential” sock yarn (CC)

I used size US #1 dpn knitting needles to achieve gauge. You may wish to use US #1.5, if you have them, for the stranded portion. (You can use two circular needles if you want but I prefer knitting socks on double-points).

Bacteriophage chart:

Repeat is over six stitches.



Cast on 72 sts in MC. (I cast on over two needles held together to give a looser top edge.). Join to work in rounds.

Work in knit 1, purl 1 ribbing for 1”

Knit three rounds plain (this will include the first row of the chart above).
Join in CC and work the chart as shown. The chart repeats over 6 stitches so there will be 12 ‘phages on the socks. Be sure to knit loosely and keep the carried strands loose. (You may wish to go up to US #1.5 needles here, if you have them).

After completing the last row of the chart, break off CC and continue knitting plain in MC for 2 ¾” (entire top of sock will measure about 4 ¾”)

Divide for heel: put 36 stitches on a holder (or just onto 2 dpns) to hold as instep stitches. For heel flap stitches, join CC again and slip 1 MC, *knit 1 CC, knit 1 MC across* Repeat from * to * until end. You will be knitting 36 sts as the heel.

Row 2 (WS): Slip 1 CC, * p1 MC, p1 CC* Repeat * to * until end (You will always knit or purl the CC sts with CC and the MC sts with MC)

Row 3 (RS): Slip 1 MC, * k1 CC, K1 MC* Repeat * to * until end.

Repeat rows 2 and 3 until heel flap is 2 ½ inches long. End after a row 2.

Heel turning: Using CC ONLY (don’t cut MC; you will use it for the gussets), use the French Heel Turn:

Slip 1, knit 19, ssk, k1, turn.
Slip 1, purl 5, p2tog, p1, turn
Slip 1, knit 6, ssk, k1, turn
…continue in this way, increasing 1 st between decreases each row until all sts have been worked.

Break off CC, leaving a tail to weave in.

MC will be at the edge of the heel. Knit across the heel with MC and then pick up 14 sts (or however many you need to pick up a stitch in each slipped “chain” st on the heel edge). Work across the instep (you can work these sts onto one or two needles as you prefer). Pick up 14 sts down the other side of the heel flap and knit half of the bottom-of-the-heel sts onto that same needle (I think I had 18 sts after the heel turn, so I knit 9 sts onto the needle). Your rounds now begin at the middle of the heel.

Needle 1 has the right-heel-flap stitches, Needles 2 and 3 have the instep stitches, needle 4 has the left heel-flap stitches. (If you carry your instep sts on one needle, needle 4 will actually be needle 3, but I will refer to it as needle 4 here)

Knit one round plain.

Decrease round: Knit until the last three sts on needle 1, k2tog, k1. Knit across the instep. On needle 4, knit 1, ssk, knit until the end.
Knit one round plain.

Alternate decrease and plain rounds until you are back to 72 stitches (18 per needle).

Knit plain until sock is 7” long. Rejoin CC and k1 MC, k1 CC all around. Knit 4 rows like that (or until sock is about 2 ½” shorter than you need it to be).

Decrease rounds:

In decreasing, you will need to “fudge” the stripes a little. I generally kept the CC and MC the same as much as I could, but for some of the decreases you will have to wind up with 2 CC or 2 MC sts next to each other. (Really, it isn’t that noticeable).

Again, I am assuming you are working on 4 needles.

Needle 1: knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. Needle 2: k1, ssk, knit to end. Needle 3: knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. Needle 4: k1, k2tog, knit to end.

Do the decrease round once, then three plain rounds
Do the decrease round once, then two plain rounds
Do the decrease round once, then two plain rounds
Do the decrease round once, then one plain round
Do the decrease round once, then one plain round
Do the decrease round once, then one plain round
(16 rounds total).

Then, decrease every round until 32 sts remain.
Kitchener stitch the remaining stitches together with MC only.

Weave in ends.