Materials:
Needles:  CPY Bamboo DPN or STAR Bamboo DPS in size # 1.5 or 2 US, or size needed to obtain gauge.
Crystal Palace Yarns Panda Cotton  #8211 “fuchsia” & #0201 “lollipops” (a dotty color)
Yarn Note: 1 ball each of fuchsia and dotty pink will make 2 prs of toddler socks. Several "dotty" colors of Panda Cotton are available, so "boy" socks or "unisex" socks are easy to do, too.

Size: infant (toddler). Toddler model shown has ~6.25 in foot length and 6 in ankle/leg/foot circumference. Infant size with a little room to grow would be 5.5 in foot (9 mos to 1 yr).
This size thus can vary in utility - from a 6-9 mo infant to a 2-3 yr toddler.

Gauge: 8 sts/in (32 st/10 cm) over stockinette stitch with #2 needles.

Designer Notes: I had a lot of fun playing with the stripes for this sock which vary in width so as to give a slightly “op art” effect, and play up the lovely dotty color of the yarn.

Striping Notes: To avoid the unappreciated color change “line” down the back end-of-round on these socks, I’ve used a movable change line = movable end-of-round. (We retain our initial end-of-round marker to use when we start the heel.).

Simply put:
- Color A is worked to the end-of-row marker PLUS 1 stitch.
- Now switch to color B and knit to the place where you changed colors, PLUS 1 stitch.
- Now switch to color A and knit around to the color change, PLUS 1 stitch.
This means that each rnd becomes 49 (45) instead of 48 (44) sts, so the color change line moves.

Amazingly, it does not show - in pictures or on the real sock!! If you do this, you will not have the marked change line down the back of the sock. The change line moves but blends in so well you cannot see it.

Notes & Comments on Changing Colors:
1. If you are new to making color changes, one useful trick is to knit the first stitch of the color change with both yarns. This is used only when joining the new color for the first time, but not in later rnds.
2. To avoid a “hole” where you change colors - a new color is always brought up from UNDER the current color.
3. If you are doing more than one round of a color, you will want to carry the other color up. This is done thusly: when your 2nd round of a color starts, the previous color strand is right below. You pick up this yarn and gently lay it over/across the working yarn in the back so it is simply carried across in the back of the first stitch. You don’t need to pull or snug or twist, just put it there so it’s not waiting 2-3 rows below when you need it.
When the sock is done, I simply hand smoothed the sock at the color change line and now it’s invisible!
It works, trust me!

Directions:

Cast On : With Color A (fuchsia) and #2 US needles, cast on 48 st. (44 sts) Do not join.
Purl 1 row; divide sts up and join, being careful not to twist. Place marker.
Ribbing: Begin K2, P2 ribbing and work thusly for 0.5 in.
Cut color A and join color B. Work in K2, P2 ribbing for 0.5 in.

Stripes:
A. One row stripes: Alternate Color A (fuchsia) and Color B (dotty pink) stripes for 4 rnds each (8 rnds total).
B. Two row stripes: K with Color A for 2 rnds & switch to Color B. K with Color B for 2 rnds & switch to color A.  Repeat 2 rnds of each color for 8 repeats = 4 of each color.
C. Three row stripes: Starting with color A, K for 3 rnds plus 1 st & switch to color B. K with color B for 3 rnds & change black to color A. Work 8 total repeats of the 3 rnd stripes - 4 of each color.
Cut color B.

Heel: First knit with Color A completely around the sock, ending at center back of sock to start heel. Heel will be worked in Color B on 26 sts, (24 sts) with the remaining 22 (20) set aside for instep.

Front: *(Sl-1, K1) across. Turn.
Back: Sl-1 & then purl across. Turn
Repeat these two rows until sock heel is 1.5 in, or desired length, from start.

Turning the heel:
K across 15 (13) sts; k2tog, k1, turn.
Sl-1, p 5, p2tog, p1, turn.

Front: Sl-1, K to 1 st before gap, k2tog, turn.
Back: Sl-1, P to 1 st before gap, p2tog, turn.
Repeat Front and Back rows until all sts are used up. End on back side and turn, ready to knit.

Gusset Pickup: (Worked with Color A)
K across ½ sts on needle (this will become needle 3). With a new needle (#1) knit across remaining sts and begin to pick up and knit sts going down side of heel.

K across instep sts you had reserved.
Pick up and K sts going up side of heel onto needle 3 - now K sts placed onto needle 3 earlier.
K 1 rnd with Color A. Cut color A {will be used again for the toe).

Gusset decreases: Join color B and knit the gusset.
Decrease every other round until sts are back to 48 (44)sts with which you started.

Dec. Rnd:
Needle 1- K to last 3 sts; k2tog, k1.
Needle 2 - K
Needle 3 - K1, Sl-1, K1, PSSO, K to end

Plain Rnd: Knit on all 3 needles.

Foot: alternate dec rnd and plain rnd for foot until back to 48 (44) sts count.
K foot in stockinette with Color B until it is ~1.5 -2 in. shorter than longest toe of child for whom you are making the socks. (The model sock shown was knit to 4.5 in. long from heel to start of toe.)
Cut Color B and rejoin Color A. Remember you can knit the first stitch of the new rnd with both colors to help anchor the change.

Toe: check that at least ½ of sts are on needle 2, with ¼ on each of needles 1 and 3.
(I often put ½ plus 2 st on needle 2.)
Dec rnd:
Needle 1 - knit across to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.
Needle 2 - K1, S-1, K1, psso. Knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.
Needle 3 - K1, Sl-1, K1, psso. Knit across
Plain rnd: K all sts
Alternate these two rnds until only ~20 sts remain. Then work just dec rnd until only ~8 sts remain.
Work your desired toe closure.

Finishing: Turn sock inside out. Carefully work in all ends. This is very very easy with a crochet hook instead of a tapestry needle as there’s no need to fuss with threading a needle. I work each end into its own color, going up 3 sts and down 3 sts diagonally so the end cannot work loose.

Peppermint Stripes Sock Designed and Knit by Laura Andersson, Ph.D

Laura is the editor (and author-designer) of Friendly Socks, Vol.1. The 2nd book in the series, Friendly Socks, Vol 2: A-Z and more was recently released; a 3rd set Friendly Socks, Vol. 3, Fifty States, is in progress and planned for 2007 release. Information about these books can be found at http://siriusknitting.blogspot.com or www.siriusknitting.com .
Laura is the owner of Sirius Knitting Publications and can be reached at
drlaura -at- siriusknitting.com (change the -at- to @ to send email, we do this to help drlaura avoid spam).

Retail shops in the USA should contact CPY Wholesale for information on purchasing Crystal Palace Yarns
and email cpyinfo -at- straw.com (replace the -at- with @)

or write to:
Crystal Palace Yarns, 160 23rd St., Richmond, CA 94804
phone: 510-237-9988,  fax: 510-237-9809