For as long as I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with the idea of creating a sock design for self striping yarn.

I wanted a stitch pattern that would enhance and emphasise the stripes, whilst also being fun to knit.

The Fairground Socks are all of those things, and so much more!

The undulating curves of the design are created using my own modification to the much loved feather and fan stitch.

The curves also inspired the name of this design, as they bring to mind the feel of a traditional carousel ride.

This design would also make the most wonderful scrappy socks!

Sock Details

The socks feature a very pretty, yet simple to work stitch pattern that will quickly become addictive! There are no complex stitches so would suit all levels of knitter.

The pattern comes with 2 heel options. The first is a traditional heel flap and gusset, with a heel turn that best suits the striping yarn. The second is my Butterfly Heel for those that want no interruption to their stripes. A video tutorial is included in the pattern to demonstrate this heel.

Sizes

The pattern comes in 3 sizes - Small (56 sts), Medium (64sts) and Large (72 sts). The stitch pattern is both written and charted. Instructions are written for the magic loop method, but other methods can of course be used.

Yarn

I knitted 3 samples for this design (because I couldn’t stop knitting it…)

1 - Fab Funky Fibres in ‘Big Top’.
2 - Freckled Whimsy in ‘Queen of Hearts’.
3 - Freckled Whimsy in ‘I Carried A Watermelon’.