Surprisingly Stretchy Socks for Wool-Aid

Socks really are a great canvas for trying things out. A new stitch. A different heel method. A new cast off.

I recently finished the green ones I've been working on. Unlike most wool raveled from a sweater, this wool was spun. It was rather tightly spun but still soft to the hand. Perfect for socks.

The sock body was 40 stitches around and I worked a type of broken rib (or is it a waffle stitch? I don't know) once I had finished the short-row toe.

I did two rounds of 2x2 ribbing and then purled a round.

It is bumpy and cushy and will provide a lot of insulation. But the inside should still feel smooth on the foot as you can see--

It acts just like a 2x2 rib on the inside.

Like some other recent socks, I added a gusset (8 stitches each side), did a short-row heel on the original number of sole stitches (20) and then knit a flap after the heel, decreasing the gusset stitches.

I worked the gusset stitches in purl just for fun.

The leg was worked in the broken rib all the way around until near the top when I changed to a plain 2x2 rib. I ended with a new (for me) bind off--Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off.

I've heard about it for a long time (that link will take you to a tutorial from 2009) but had resisted using it. For one thing, I have a bind off that I like to use that functions very well. But it works best on a 1x1 rib and I didn't want to end this sock with 1x1 rib on top of the 2x2. The second reason I've resisted is the name, quite frankly. It's so clumsy and...I don't know...stupid? (Is that too harsh?) Even the usual abbreviation, JSSBO, bugs me because an abbreviation shouldn't be so long you can't remember all the letters. Blech!

But anyway, it was time to try it. I followed the tutorial linked above and the bind off worked very well. Unlike any other bind offs I know, you can see that it "corrugates" with the ribbing.

It will do that with any type of ribbing (3x3, 2x3, whatever) because you treat the knits and purls differently as you bind off. I will definitely us it again when needed, but maybe I'll call it "the Bind Off That Shall Not Be Named." Hmm...that doesn't exactly roll off the tongue either.

The socks finished at 8" which should be good for the age group Wool-Aid aims for.

Project Stats
Started: 31 Jan '15
Finished: 18 Feb '15
Pattern: made up as I went along (more details on the Ravelry page)
Materials: 136 grams from a Pendleton sweater (used doubled)