I moved to Arizona two years ago with crates full of
shoes - heels, sneakers, boots. They all
remain in the back of my closet, untouched and unloved. I do occasionally bring out the black cotton
Mary Janes or shiny embroidered Chinese slippers, but usually I blend in with
the rest of my new neighbors. Flip flops
(a.k.a. thongs or house shoes, depending on where you live) are as basic and as
necessary as sunblock and dark sunglasses in Arizona. For men and women alike, flip flops are
acceptable, expected footwear in ninety percent of the social situations in the
desert. Unless you are heading to the
golf course, an executive board meeting, or to work in a restaurant kitchen,
you are probably sliding on your current favorite pair of flip flops as you head
out the door.
For the most part, I like this
laid back, practical approach. I could
do without seeing my children’s grimy feet, however. Lily especially has a way of attracting more
than her fair share of Valley dust, and I outfit her in black flip flops when I
can. Any other color is likely to turn
black in the course of a single afternoon, anyway. The other thing that bothers me is our recent
discovery of an environmentally based adaptation worthy of Darwin’s
attention. Lucy showed me this wonder of
nature first, and I almost fainted (feet freak me out, more than a
little). Both of my children now have
what they call “Flip Flop Feet”.
Apparently wearing these sandals for two years straight during a time of
rapid growth (right now the girls, ages 9 and 11, wear the same shoe size that
I do. By winter they will have outgrown
my shoes) has actually changed the shape of their feet. When they are barefoot, their big toes stick
out, separate from their four sibling toes.
There is also a marked indentation between the big toe and the next
largest. It looks like a square-shaped
notch, waiting for the “stem” on the flip flop strap to fill it. When the girls start school again this fall,
I am thinking of conducting a survey of other children’s feet, especially
native “Scottsdaliens”, as Lucy calls them.
Because we wear flip flops
year-round, we sometimes need socks.
Desert nights, especially in January, can be cold. As knitters, we are able to make adjustments
to handknit socks to make them flip flop friendly. We knit separate toes, or leave off the toe
section entirely.
It occurred to me that the most
basic version is not only practical, but can actually be a perfect first sock
for a timid knitter. Even knitters new
to dpn’s (double pointed needles) needn’t worry about the “scary” parts of sock
knitting – toe finishing and turning that dreaded heel. My own pattern uses stretchy Cascade
“Fixation” yarn, so exact sizing isn’t as critical as usual sock knitting
either. And, “Fixation” is a thicker
yarn than most sock yarn, so the knitting is fast and easy. I use less than half a skein for each pair,
making this project VERY economical (less than $3 and 2 hours work). The cotton yarn is perfect for flip flop
weather, especially as the mercury rises and wool becomes unthinkable.
SIZE/MEASUREMENTS
3.5 inches by 3.5 inches. My sock is 7 inches around, unstretched. This sock fits a large child to a medium
woman, up to a shoe size of 7.5 or 8, depending on the foot, of course. To change the size, just leave out or add two
or three stitches on each round.
MATERIALS
Yarn – Cascade “Fixation”, 98.3% cotton/1.7% elastic, 100
yards/50 grams.
I
used less than half a skein for one pair.
Needles – Double pointed needles
(dpn’s) to fit gauge*.
Notions – Tapestry needle
Stitch
marker
Stitch
holder or safety pins.
GAUGE
20 stitches = 4 inches in
stockinette stitch, unstretched.
PATTERN NOTES
*Choose needles that are
comfortable with this yarn for YOU, and give you a slightly tighter gauge than you
would expect on yarn of this weight. I
used size #1US needles, but tend to knit very loosely…you may need to go up one
or more sizes. The best thing to do is
to knit a gauge swatch, but because this is such a small project, you may want
to choose a needle size that “feels right” with the yarn and dive in to the
actual knitting. You should have yarn to
spare, and by the time you would have finished a swatch, you could have most of
one sock finished. Even if your first
choice isn’t right, the resulting sock is bound to fit someone, and there is
yarn left to make the second in that size, as well as a pair in your size. Try size #3, or even #5, US dpn’s if you tend
to be a tight knitter, and try the sock on as you go.
K = knit Ktbl = knit one st through back loop
P = purl K2tog = knit two sts together
CO = cast on BO = bind off
st(s) = stitch(es) tog = together
PATTERN
CO 34 sts.
Divide sts among dpn’s and join,
being careful not to twist. Place marker
to mark the beginning of the round.
Rounds 1-10 - *Ktbl, P1* rib,
repeat from * to marker.
Rounds 11-40 – K even.
Round 41A – Shape toes. K11 sts, CO 3 additional sts, place next 12
sts on holders
(safety
pins work well for this), K remaining 11 sts back to beginning of round.
You
should now have 25 live sts divided on your dpn’s.
Rounds 42A-45A – K these 25 sts
even.
Rounds 46A-50A – P1,*Ktbl, P1*
rib, repeat from * to marker.
BO
these sts loosely.
Round 41B – Shape big toe. Work by knitting across the 12 sts on
holders, and on
3
additional sts that you CO next to the 3 sts that you made in 41A. Place marker.
Rounds 42B-45B – K these 15 sts
even.
Round 46 B – K2tog, P1, *Ktbl,
P1* rib, repeat from * to marker (14 sts remain).
Rounds 47 B-50B - *Ktbl, P1*
rib, repeat from * to marker.
BO these 14 sts loosely.
Repeat for second sock.
Finishing
Use tapestry needle to weave in
ends, using these ends to darn (fill in) any holes that you may see. If you weave in the ends neatly along the
edges, the socks can be worn inside out, too.
The variegated skeins of “Fixation” look especially good on the purl
side.
Play Fair - Please, remember this
basic kindness. These patterns, as well as the images and other artworks,
are for non-commercial use only. If
you decide to make one of the Luscious Gracious projects, remember it is
not legal to sell the item. Our
patterns may not be reprinted or copied in any way without our express permission.