Note: From now until the end of April, Dragonfly Fibers is holding a KAL in their group, found here: http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/dragonfly-fibers/2871972/1-25#9.

Octopodes are a pair socks with stranded colorwork on the foot, and helix knitting to stripe the ankle. All throughout, a pair of stripes shoot up the sides of the socks from toe to top, creating a strong visual line.

I’ve developed a fondness for cephalopods over the last 10 years. It started in college when one of my biology friends insisted that cuttlefish really were cute, and then extended as I learned just how smart -- in a completely non-human way -- creatures like octopi, squid and cuttlefish are. I wanted to share my geeky love for them. Plus, I love how many different forms of the plural octopus there are. The Oxford English Dictionary lists octopuses, octopi and octopodes as all correct forms. Although, technically octopi is hypercorrect, coming from the mistaken notion that the ūs in octopūs is a Latin second declension ending. Being perverse, I prefer the rarer form of octopodes, which is the ancient Greek plural, oktō-pous being from the Greek, meaning eight-foot.

When planning these socks I had some specific requirements: stranded, for warmth, with an afterthought heel as I always wear my heels out, and afterthought heels are easier to replace since stranded knitting is a pain to darn in pattern. However, I knew I wanted to carry the two colors of yarn into the ankle, but at the same time I didn’t want the ankle in stranded knitting, as it would be too difficult to fit my heels into the socks. Since I have a fondness for helix striping combined with slip stitches, the ankle is as you see.

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Circumference around ball of foot: 88.5, 8.75, 9, 9.5 inches
Foot length: 99.25, 9.5, 10, 10.25 inches, length can be added to adjust fit
Height from top of heel: 6.56.75, 7, 7.5, 8, adjustable to fit

A note on sizing: these stranded colorwork socks are not very stretchy. We recommend they be worn with zero ease -- that is, you should choose to make the size that most closely matches your foot circumference. If the sock is too short or too long for you lengthwise but fits your circumference, you can make it shorter or longer by knitting less or more rows in the foot before the chart.

A note on the heel: to accommodate enough room to slide the sock on, extra room has been added to the afterthought heel to increase the heel diagonal. If your heel diagonal is typically shallow, you might not want to work as many rows in the heel, or only work one repeat of the beginning heel decreases before going onto the 2nd heel decrease chart.

MATERIALS

Dragonfly Fibers Djinni 80% superwash merino, 10% cashmere, 10% nylon; 420 yd per 4 oz skein
* MC Poseidon; 1 skeins
CC Silver Fox; 1 skeins

Note: Design uses approximately 113133, 156, 184, 221 yds of each color.

Recommended needle size always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter’s gauge is unique
US #1/2.25 mm needles for working in the round

Notions
Yarn needle
Waste yarn
Stitch Markers

GAUGE
36 sts/36.5 rounds = 4 inches in stranded colourwork
38 sts/44 rounds = 4 inches in helix knitting