Ballachulish

For Valentine’s Day 2008, my husband presented me with an envelope.  Inside were two passport applications and a brochure for a tour of Scotland, one of the places I had dreamed of visiting. The gift was to celebrate me finishing my oral comprehensive exams and reaching ABD (all but dissertation) status in my PhD program.

We went that August, starting in Glasgow, spending a couple of days in the Highlands, passing through Aberdeen, and ending in Edinburgh.   On our first night in the Highlands, we stayed in a lovely little town on the shores of Loch Leven: Ballachulish.

Pronounced Bah-lah-hoolish, from the Gaelic Baile a’ Chaolais meaning “Village by the Narrows,” Ballachulish built up around a slate quarry that opened in 1692. In operation until 1955, the quarry provided much of the roofing material in Glasgow and Edinburg for nearly two centuries. We spent some time wandering the peninsula around our hotel, marveling at the stunning Highland scenery.

As an anniversary gift later that year, I decided to design a pair of socks for my husband, in memory of our trip.  The second pair of socks I had ever knit were the Yarn Harlot’s Early Grey pattern for my husband, who loved them so much he promptly requested a second pair. Something subtle, made of wool, and with a nice wide rib that would stretch. I had some dark grey sock yarn gifted to me from a Ravelry swap partner in the UK, who had sent it expressly for the wonderful man who had given his “premium wife” a trip to Scotland. She thought, at the very least, that he deserved a pair of handknit socks. And the UK yarn, by Woolcraft, was just the color of Ballachulish slate.

That was two years ago.  In the mean time, I have finished my doctoral dissertation, had a baby, and started a new job.  I even completed nine additional knitting projects, including four pairs of socks for myself. My husband was beginning to despair of ever receiving a second pair of handknit socks.  But I recently discovered some additional knitting time – meetings! We have regular in-service training that lasts 2-3 hours every month. That’s a lot of extra knitting time that I had lost with the new baby at home. And simple sock patterns are great for meeting knitting. So for our anniversary this year, my husband finally got to wear his custom-designed socks.

Technical Specs:

• Size: Adult Men’s Size 11
• Finished Measurements:
  • Foot Circumference: 10 inches
  • Leg Length: 6-1/4 inches
• Materials:
  • Woolcraft Superwash Sock Yarn [Light Fingering / 3 ply 75% Wool, 25% Nylon]; Color 315 (slate grey); 1 skein/ 455 yards (or substitute the sock yarn of your choice)
  • 1 size 1 circular knitting needle (47″ long) for magic loop
  • 1 tapestry needle
  • 2 stitch markers
• Gauge: 9 stitches/ 12 rows per inch in stockinette stitch

Pattern:

Downloadable PDF

Cast-On: Using the long-tail method, cast-on 72 stitches. Divide stitches evenly between both ends of the cable needle, and join stitches for working in the round (being careful not to twist).

Cuff: Round 1 – *p2,k1,p2,k2,p1,k2,p3,k2,p1,k2, rep from *. Repeat round 1 until cuff measures 1.25 inches (~12 rounds total), or double for a longer cuff.

Leg: Diamond Rib Pattern (worked over a multiple of 18 stitches) -

• Round 1: [p5,K1,p3,k5,p3, K1] to end.
• Round 2: [p5,K2,p3,k3,p3, K2] to end.
• Round 3: [p5,K3,p3,k1,p3, K3] to end.
• Round 4: [p5,K4,p5, K4] to end.
• Round 5: Repeat Round 3.
• Round 6: Repeat Round 2.

Repeat Rounds 1-6 10x, 60 rounds total.  Insert additional repeats for a longer leg, ending on Round 1.

Heel flap (Linen Stitch Heel): worked back and forth over 35 stitches.

Adjust stitches so that top of foot has 37 stitches, two diamond rib repeats with p5 between them, and p3 on either side.  Heel flap should have two diamond rib repeats with p5 between them, plus p2 on either side.

• Row 1 [WS]: Sl 1 purlwise, [*Sl 1 wyb, p1], repeat from *, end p2.
• Row 2 [RS]: Sl 1 purlwise, [* k1, Sl 1 wyf], repeat from *, end k2.

Repeat these two rows 16x, with total of 32 rows for heel flap, or until flap measures approximately 2.25 inches. Insert additional repeats for a longer heel.

Heel turn:

• Row 1 [WS]: Sl 1, p17, p2tog, p1.  Turn work.
• Row 2 [RS]: Sl 1, k4, ssk, k1.  Turn work.
• Row 3 [WS]: Sl 1, p5, p2tog, p1.  Turn work.

Continue Rows 2 and 3, using  ssk on RS and p2tog on WS to bridge the gap, until all stitches have been worked.

Gusset:

• Round 1 (set up round): Divide heel stitches onto both ends of the cable needle, so that approximately half the heel stitches and half the top of foot stitches rest on each needle. Pick up 18 stitches tbl, and knit tfl to twist the stitches, along right side of heel flap. Place marker.
• Knit top of foot in pattern, starting with Round 1.  Place marker.
• Pick up 18 stitches tbl, and knit tfl to twist the stitches, along left side of heel flap.  Knit half of heel stitches remaining on needle. Round now starts in the middle of the heel.
• Round 2: K to last three stitches before marker, ssk, K1 tbl.  Work top of foot in pattern (to second marker).  K1tbl, k2tog, k to end.
• Round 3: K to marker, work top of foot in pattern (to second marker), k to end of round.

Repeat Rounds 2 and 3 until 35 gusset stitches remain [72 stitches total].

Top of foot:

• Round 1: p3,k2,p3,k3,p3,k2,p5,k2,p3,k3,p3,k2,p3.
• Round 2: p3,k3,p3,k1,p3,k3,p5,k3,p3,k1,p3,k3,p3.
• Round 3: p3,k4,p5,k4,p5,k4,p5,k4,p3.
• Round 4: p3,k3,p3,k1,p3,k3,p5,k3,p3,k1,p3,k3,p3.
• Round 5: p3,k2,p3,k3,p3,k2,p5,k2,p3,k3,p3,k2,p3.
• Round 6: p3,k1,p3,k5,p3,k1,p5,k1,p3,k5,p3,k1,p3.

Foot:
Knit all sole stitches, working top of foot in pattern, until you have 13 repeats of the diamond rib pattern from the start of the gusset, or until the work measures 2 inches less than the desired length of the sock, ending on Row 3 of the top of foot chart.

Toe:

• Round 1: K to end.
• Round 2: K to 3 st from marker, k2tog, K1, slip marker, K1, ssk., K to end.

Repeat these two Rounds until 28 stitches remain. Graft toe using Kitchener stitch (Kitchener Tutorial).

Abbreviations:

• K – Knit
• P – purl
• tbl – through the back loop
• tfl – through the front loop
• Sl 1 – slip one stitch purlwise onto the right needle
• Sl 1 wyb – while holding working yarn in back, slip one stitch purlwise onto the right needle
• Sl 1 wyf – while holding working yarn in front, slip one stitch purlwise onto the right needle
• ssk – slip two stitches knitwise onto the right needle, place them back onto left needle, and knit the two slipped stitches together
• K2tog – knit two stitches together
• p2tog – purl two stitches together

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Charts created using chartGen v 1.3