'Vog On by Aleta Fera

'Vog On

Knitting
Fingering (14 wpi) ?
28 stitches and 40 rows = 4 inches
in st st
US 2 - 2.75 mm
350 yards (320 m)
one size
English
This pattern is available for free.

Note from the designer:
In the toe-up version, the directions are not as clear as they could be, i.e. you need 88 stitches in total, not just on needles 3 & 4.

Description from Knitty, Summer 2007:

I Love My Fluevogs. I bought them just before I started my professional life 4 years ago, and they are sturdy & comfortable in all situations while remaining girly & stylish enough to satisfy my inner urban princess. Once you find a shoe that you can wear to cyber-goth clubs and yet still has enough traction to cover a classroom in seconds to stop a student from lighting a desk on fire, you stand by that shoe.

Oddly enough, I seem to have a problem finding sandals that fit these high standards, and while I would love a light-weight shoe for the summer, my ‘vogs end up on my feet year round for lack of something equally fabulous. This, of course, creates a burning need for cute anklets in the hot summer months.

I wanted something lacier and less substantial than any other pattern I could find, so I juggled a few things together on an avian theme, girled it up, used the Koigu colour I love (that coincidentally matches my new favourite summer dress), and ended up with a very birdy princess sock.

The 7-stitch lace repeat pattern is Lace Wings from the Vogue Dictionary of Knitted Stitches, which I found in this anklet pattern. I also made good use of the Yarn Harlot’s sock recipe in her book Knitting Rules!, which would be a good resource to consult if you want to change the sizing. In addition, I used her instructions for Eye of Partridge Heel, which I chose for the fowl associations but fell in love with after it made the variegations on the Koigu pop like a mosaic.

The name of this sock is both a cheer for my shoes (’Vog on, my friend!) and a reference to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, a movie I watched obsessively as I knit the first pair.

Special thanks to the Drunken Knitters of Toronto for providing a name for the toe-up variety. Extra-special thanks to Michelle DesGroseiliers, who test-knit & snapped the toe-up version. She’s awesome!