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SOME RUFFLED FEATHERS
July 31, 2021
For this month I wanted to something relatively simple and straight forward. I have seen some socks with little ruffles around the cuff and I thought that might be kind of fun. I know how to knit a ruffle, had some idea of how I’d want to resolve ruffle and cuff, and have a sock recipe that I like so I thought I’d give it a go.
These socks were largely inspired by PetiteKnit’s Ruffle Sock, but no was used. The yarn I used is Ula + Lia’s Mongolian Baby Yak Wool Yarn in Milk Chocolate. I picked this yarn up a little while ago because I was curious about how it’d feel and knit up.
Since I knit socks top down (generally), I started with the ruffle. My initial idea was to knit a ruffle, knit a fold-line, and then knit the cuff and resume knitting the sock. My first attempt was unsuccessful as I twisted the round and began knitting a mobius strip. I realized this a few rows in and frogged to start over. For my second attempt, I realized I could knit the ruffle in reverse stockinette so when it folded over the wrong side (stockinette side) would be facing out. Midway though that I decided to switch from a fold-line to a welt (the cuff folded over and attached to itself) as I figured that would look nicer and cleaner. My ruffle seemed a bit large (10 rows long, four times the final number of stitches) even though I made a little swatch and initially liked how it looked so I decided to start over with something a little more demure. My third attempt was a little too demure (7 rows, two times the final number of stitches). The ruffle disappeared when it stretched out as it would be on my leg and I didn’t consider the shortening of the cuff as it stretched out. For my fourth attempt, I decided to go back to large ruffle but make it a little shorter and the cuff a little longer (9 rows for the ruffle, 24 rows for the turned cuff(). I also twisted this attempt. But fifth time was a charm and I had no issues with getting the second sock going either.
Aside from figuring out my ruffles, I only had two issues, neither too major. One was that I accidentally dropped two stitches in my ruffle and only noticed after I was well into the leg. I just held those stitches on a stitch marker and sewed them in after I finished. The other was that I accidentally made a stitch, dropped it once I noticed, and was left with a ladder. It’s still there but I’ll try to even out the tension later.
These socks started out a bit rough, but once the ruffle trim and cuff were sorted, it was an easy knit. The foot is just in regular stockinette and the heel uses a heel flap. I did do an Eye of Partridge Heel for a bit more texture and visual interest, but otherwise a really straight forward sock.
The yarn is made of yak which is quite soft, noticeably softer than the merinos I’ve used. Visually, it is also quite soft, having a bit of a halo and less of a defined stitch. It feels really nice, but I do worry a bit about its strength. I’d love to make some other things with the fiber though, things that would sit close to the skin.
Overall, I am quite happy with these socks. I’m tempted to make more ruffled socks, but there are a few other things I want to try out first.