Matt's i-Pod Sock

I have taken up knitting again after a break of 30 years. I had forgotten how therapeutic knitting is – and what a good knitter I am.

Lots of unsuspecting family and friends are going to get something knitted for Christmas this year.

This is the i-Pod Sock, which I knitted on Thursday. Here it is being modelled by my U2 Special Edition pod.

The sock is personalised (yes Matt – MW means that I made this one for you), and includes a front pocket for earphone storage as can be seen in the close-up below.

With many thanks to Suw Charman’s mum who published her i-Pod Sock pattern on the Blog which was the inspiration for my design.

I agree with Suw – these hand-knits are much better than the plain, ordinary, mass-produced ones being peddled by Apple for about £20.

Matt - it will be in the post to you next week.

Here’s my adaptation of Suw’s mum’s pattern:

Materials:
Main colour wool (Double knitting, DK)
Contrast colour wool (Double knitting, DK)
3.25 mm needles
2.75 mm needles
Spare needle or stitch holder
Squared paper & pencil (to work out design for letters)

Abbreviations:
K = Knit
P = Purl
RS = Right side
WS = Wrong side

Pocket:
Using 3.25 mm kneedles and main colour wool cast on 16 stitches and work stocking stitch (1 row K, 1 row P) for 3 inches. Put stitches onto a spare needle.

Main sock:
Using 3.25mm needles and main colour wool, cast on 40 stitches and work in K2, P2 rib for 2 inches, ending with a wrong side row.

Change to stocking stitch for the 1st 20 stitches (front of the sock), starting with K row, and then continuing in K2, P2 rib for the remaining 20 stitches (back of the sock).

Work the pattern for the initials over 9 rows of the stocking stitch half of the sock. For M W, for example, the design (9 rows, 20 stitches) is as follows:

X represents the contrast wool to Knit (RS) or Purl (WS) to form the letters. If you get stuck trying to work out your letter pattern on your squared paper, let me know and I’ll try and work it out for you.

Note for less experienced knitters: When working in two colours, the yarn not being used at any given time has to be interwoven on the WS of the work at least every 2 stitches so that it’s in the right place when it’s due to be used. Loop it along using the yarn being knitted but don’t pull it up tight. The weaving must not change the tension of the work. For an excellent explanation of how to do this, including pictures, see the Knitting Fiend.

After the 9 rows of pattern have been completed, return to K2, P2 rib as follows.
Next row: Rib for 22 stitches, cast off 16 stitches in rib, P2.
Next row: K2, transfer 16 stitches from spare needle and rib across all stitches. Transfer pocket so that the RS of the pocket is against the WS of the front of the sock.

Continue K2, P2 rib until work measures 4 inches ending with WS.

Next row: RS of work facing, change to 2.75 mm needles and contrast wool and K one row.
Continue in Rib (K2, P2) for a further 2 inches. Cast off loosely in rib.

Making up:
Press stocking stitch on sock and pocket lightly if needed but do not press any of the ribbing.
With RS together, sew sides and bottom and edges around pocket to secure.
Turn to RS facing, and sew contrast rib edging, and fold over.