Knit or Crochet, Ripple Socks Make Their Own Fun!

Ripple Sock Patterns from “Ripples, Knitted & Crocheted” c. 1965

Now, these sock patterns do come with suggested colours: Black and Cocoa for the knitted pair, Black and Scarlet for the crocheted ones. But the colourless photo is a clear invitation to go wild and pick any colour combination your heart desires.

So why not Yellow and Brown for Thanksgiving? Orange and Black for Halloween? Or Green and Red for Christmas? Make them extra long, and hey presto, you’ve got seasonal – and sexy! - stockings.

Just be careful where you flaunt them. There’s an urban legend that walking or dancing too vigorously in ultra-rippled socks will trigger seizures in anyone watching you.

For the complete pattern (and more snark!):

ANOTHER KNIT OR CROCHET RIPPLE

Model illustrated is crocheted

That’s right, knitters! There’s no picture to guide you. You’ll be knitting blind!

Knitted Ripple Socks

Materials Required:

AMERICAN THREAD COMPANY “DAWN” KNITTING WORSTED

Dawn Knitting Worsted – now “permanently mothproofed”. Don’t trust your precious ripple socks to those temporarily mothproofed brands!

4 oz each Black and Cocoa

Or Black and Silver for New Year’s, Pink and Red for Valentine’s Day, or Red and White for Canada Day!

1 Pr. Knitting Needles No. 9 or ANY SIZE NEEDLES WHICH WILL RESULT IN STITCH GAUGE BELOW

GAUGE: 9 sts = 2 inches

With all of those ALL CAPS shouting at me, it’s anticlimactic to read “sts” and “inches” in lowercase. I expected to see “9 STS = 2 INCHES!!!1!1! KN1TZ!”

NOTE: Socks are worked in alternate stripes of 2 rows Black, 2 rows Cocoa.

With black cast on 85 sts work same as mittens on page 24 for 9 1/2 inches.

I love being sent on scavenger hunts. Especially when the relevant instructions are located further along in the book than the pattern I’m currently working on.

The Relevant Part of the Mitten Pattern:

With Black case on 85 sts. 1st ROW: K 2 tog, K 5, inc in next st, (to inc: K in front, K in back, K in front of st) K 5, * K 3 tog, K 5, inc, K 5, repeat from * across ending K 2 tog. 2nd ROW: K 2 tog, K 5, inc, K 5, * K 3 tog, K 5, inc, K 5, repeat from * across ending K 2 tog. Repeat these last 2 rows 9 times, alternating colors.

That’s right, this sock is knitted flat, not in the round. If you’re fussy about seams in your socks, this is not the pattern for you.

NEXT ROW: K 2 tog, K 11, * K 3 tog, K 11, repeat from * across ending K 2 tog. NEXT ROW: K 2 tog, K 4, inc, K 4, * K 3 tog, K 4, inc, K 4, repeat from * across ending K 2 tog. Repeat last row for 5 inches ending with Cocoa. With Black bind off 6 sts at beg of next 2 rows.

Of course, if people are rude enough to check your socks for seams, just walk away from them briskly and they’ll be distracted by ripple-induced seizures.

HEEL: With Black work in stockinette st (K 1 row, P 1 row) over 10 sts for 10 rows. Place remaining sts on st holder. Turn 1st half of heel as follows: K 2, sl 1, K 1, p.s.s.o., K 1, turn; P 4, turn; K 3, sl 1, K 1, p.s.s.o., K 1, turn; P 5, turn; K 4, sl 1, p.s.s.o., K 1, turn; P 6, turn; K 5, sl 1, K 1, p.s.s.o., pick up 6 sts on side of heel; place these sts on st holder. Turn 2nd half of heel as follows: attach Black at opposite side, P across 10 sts. Work in stockinette st over the 10 sts for 9 more rows, then P 2, P 2 tog, P 1, turn; K 4 turn; P 3, P 2 tog, P 1, turn; K 5, turn; P 4, P 2 tog, P 1, turn; K 6, turn; P 5, P 2 tog, pick up 6 sts on side of heel. Slip all sts from holders onto needle. NEXT ROW: With right side of work toward you attach Cocoa, inc 1 st in 1st st, then K 4, K 3 tog, K 4, * inc 2 sts in next st, K 4, K 3 tog, K4, repeat from * across inc 1 st in last st. Repeat this row until sole section is 2 inches less than desired length. NEXT ROW: K 5, K 3 tog, * K 9, K 3 tog, repeat from * across ending K 5. NEXT ROW: Inc 1 st in 1st st, K 3, K 3 tog, K 3, * inc 2 sts in next st, K 3, K 3 tog, K 3, repeat from * across inc 1 st in last st. NEXT ROW: K 4, K 3 tog, * K 7, K 3 tog, repeat from * across ending with K 4. NEXT ROW: Inc 1 st in 1st st, K 2, K 3 tog, K 2, * inc 2 sts in next st, K 2, K 3 tog, K 2, repeat from * across inc 1 st in last st. NEXT ROW: K 3, K 3 tog, * K 5, K 3 tog, repeat from * across ending with K 3. NEXT ROW: Inc 1 st in 1st st, K 1, K 3 tog, K 1, * inc 2 sts in next st, K 1, K 3 tog, K 1, repeat from * across inc 1 st in last st. NEXT ROW: K 2, K 3 tog, * K 3, K 3 tog, repeat from * across, ending with K 2. NEXT ROW: K 2 tog, * K 3 tog, repeat from * across ending with K 2 tog. Cut yarn, leaving a 12 inch length. Thread through blunt needle, pull through remaining sts and draw tog.

Whew! After awhile all of the NEXT ROWs begin to blur together. I think I counted them up correctly, but if the toes of your socks come out deformed, don’t blame me. It was the sadistic editor who couldn’t be bothered to type “TOE: Row 1:”, and instead inflicted this indigestible mass of instructions upon us.

FINISHING: Block. Steam lightly and sew seam.

I bet even the professional knitter ended up with deformed toes, and that’s why they only provided a picture of the crocheted socks.

Crocheted Ripple Socks

Materials Required:

AMERICAN THREAD COMPANY “DAWN” KNITTING WORSTED

4 ounces Black

3 ounces Scarlet

Aw, heck! Why limit yourself to just two colours? You can celebrate Easter with Yellow, Pink and Green stripes. If you’re American, you can show your patriotism on the 4th of July with Red, White and Blue stockings. Or you can go all out and make your stockings Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue and Purple, and wear them during Gay Pride Week. And if you pair your rainbow ripple stockings with a black micro skirt and rainbow pasties, you’re guaranteed to get your picture in the paper!

Plastic Crochet Hook Size J OR ANY SIZE WHICH WILL RESULT IN STITCH GAUGE BELOW.

GAUGE: 3 sts = 1 inch

But make sure you bring enough money to pay bail. The Fashion Police will rarely let you go with just a warning.

NOTE: Work entire sock in back loop of sts. Work in alternate rounds of Black and Scarlet. When changing colors work 1st half of st with color being used, complete st with new color. 1st ROUND: With Black ch 4, join to form ring, ch 3, work 11 d c in ring, join in top of ch 3. 2nd ROUND: Skip 1 s c 5 s c in next s c, repeat from beg all around. 3rd and 4th ROUNDS: Skip 2 s c, 1 s c in next st, 3 s c in next st, 1 s c in next st, repeat from beg all around. 5th ROUND: Skip 2 s c, 1 s c in next st, 5 s c in next st, 1 s c in next st, repeat from beg all around. 6th and 7th ROUNDS: Skip 2 s c, 1 s c in each of the next 2 sts, 3 s c in next st, 1 s c in each of the next 2 sts, repeat from beg all around. Repeat 6th and 7th rounds until there are 11 Black stripes, skip 2 s c, sl st in next st, with Black ch 12 loosely for heel section, skip 3 points, join ch, cut yarn. 21st ROUND: Skip 1 st, * 1 s c in each of next 2 sts of ch, 5 s c in next ch, 1 s c in each of next 2 sts, skip 2 sts, repeat from * all around (5 points). 22nd ROUND: * 1 s c in each of next 3 sc, 3 sc in next st, 1 s c in each of next 3 s c, skip 2 s c, repeat from * all around. Repeat last round alternating colors for 18 stripes or desired length.

See how much nicer it is when the rounds/rows are actually numbered? Sure it’s still a honking big block o’ text, but at least your eyes won’t be crossing from the endless repetitions of “NEXT ROW”.

HEEL: Attach Black at start of ch, work 1 s c in each st of ch. Place a marker, work 12 s c on other side of heel, place a marker, work 1 round even. NEXT ROUND: Work a dec each side of marker (4 dec in round). Repeat last 2 rounds once. NEXT ROUND: Work 2 s c tog all around, cut yarn leaving a length. Thread into blunt needle and draw sts tog.

The pattern editor tossed those “NEXT ROUNDS” in there just to taunt me, didn’t he? That’s okay, one day I’ll track him down and begin walking briskly in front of him in my ultra-ripple seizure-inducing socks. That’ll learn him.

Click here for the printable pattern.