This Free Sock Knitting Pattern is a Great Intro to Magic Loop

I like knitting socks and other small things using the magic loop method, where one long circular knitting needle holds all the stitches. It’s less fiddly and feels like it goes faster than knitting on double-pointed needles or even two circulars, but there can be a bit of a learning curve involved.

Summer Lee recently released the I’m So Basic Socks pattern, which serves as a tutorial for magic loop knitting as well as a great free knitting pattern for basic socks you can change up however you like. She has a contrasting cuff, heel and toe, which is a classic, but you can also throw in stripes, stick a stitch pattern in there, whatever you like.

The basic pattern uses sock yarn and offers four sizes, from 7 inches around to 10 inches around. They’re worked from the top down and there is a video tutorial as well as words and pictures, so no matter how you learn this pattern should be a good introduction to socks and magic loop knitting.

It’s available on Ravelry.

[Photo: Summer Lee.]

Looking for more Sock patterns? Check these out on Etsy.

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It’s been well documented that I love a knitting pattern with a bit of whimsy, so when I saw the Mine! Pullover from Sarah L. Kelly recently I knew I had to share it with you.

I mean, who wouldn’t want to knit a sweater with a yoke full of seagulls? And another seagull at the waist? Chasing little crabs?

The story behind the sweater (and you knew there had to be one, right?) is that while Sarah was traveling around Europe there were a lot of cheeky seagulls about. They reminded her of the scene in Finding Nemo where the seagulls say “mine, mine, mine” and thus the Mine! series of patterns was born.

Oh yes, there’s a whole set. It was the sweater I saw first but there’s also a pair of socks (and the pattern says there’s a cowl, too, but I couldn’t find it as of this writing. If you see it let me know and I’ll add the link here!) so you can totally deck yourself out in pesky seabirds if you want.

But back to the sweater for now. This is worked in DK weight yarn from the top down in the round. The yoke and a section at the bottom are worked in stranded colorwork, with stripes on the body, though you could make the body a single color if you wanted. Details like the beaks and eyes are added with duplicate stitch to make the knitting a little easier.

The colorwork sections are charted. The pattern comes in 10 sizes, with a finished chest circumference ranging from 32 to 68 inches, or 80 to 170 cm.

The socks are worked in sock yarn and come in three sizes. There worked from the cuff down and change needle sizes to accommodate the less stretchy nature of stranded colorwork. You can choose from a side profile or a seagull that’s looking out from the sock. Make a matching pair or mix it up.

Both patterns are available on Ravelry: sweater and socks. If you make them I’d love to hear about it!

[Photo: Sarah L. Kelly]

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