The Ballad socks are knitted from the cuff down towards the toes. They are started with an optional tubular cast on which provides a stretchy edge to the cuff. The heel flaps are knitted with a reinforced stitch pattern for durability and the heels are round French heels. Instructions are given for modifying the gusset for a more generous fit.

The lace pattern of these socks is the little sister to the lace pattern from my most popular pattern, the Poet sweater. I first worked a pair of socks in the original Poet lace pattern and while I was knitting them I started to think about a similar pattern but with a smaller scale so that I could fit more pattern repeats on a sock. That’s how the Ballad socks were born.

Size
One size
Circumference 20 cm / 8 inches, to be worn with slight negative ease
Length adjustable

Yarn
300 m / 350 yards of fingering weight sock yarn such as Malabrigo Yarn Sock (100% superwash merino; 402 m / 440 yards per 100g), shown in colorway 036 Pearl

Needles
2.5 mm / US 1.5 DPNs or circular needles with a cable suitable for small circumference knitting
Always choose the needle size that gets you the right gauge.

Gauge
1 pattern repeat of Leg chart (10 sts)= 3.5 cm / 1.5 inches, in the round after blocking

30 sts and 38 rounds = 10 cm / 4 inches of stockinette stitch, in the round after blocking.

If you can’t match the gauge both across the stitches and across the rounds, choose the needle size that gets you closer to the gauge across the stitches.

Notions
3 stitch markers
waste yarn for the Tubular Cast On
sewing needle
blocking tools (sock blockers)