Turkish Socks

Traditional Turkish socks are a challenging and rewarding project for seasoned knitters. The oddly shaped but well-fitting foot is begun at the toe, with the heel worked after the rest of the sock is complete. The Ram’s Horn socks are authentically patterned and have the same interesting shape but are worked from top to toe in a manner more familiar to Western knitters. This construction has one advantage when working a continuous vertical pattern: the stitches that must be picked up for the heel are on the sole of the foot; therefore, any imperfection in the pattern is less visible.

Materials

Yarn: Harrisville Designs New England Shetland, 100% wool yarn, 217 yards (198.4 m)/50 g (1.8 oz) skein, 1 skein each of

• #2 Red
• #4 Gold
• #8 Hemlock
• #18 Aubergine
• #21 Violet for traditional version.

1 skein each of

• #2 Red
• #4 Gold
• #8 Hemlock
• #21 Violet for Ram’s Horn version.

Needles: set of 5 8-inch (20-cm) double pointed, size 4 (3.5 mm) or size needed to obtain gauge, and 11½-inch (29-cm) circular (optional)

Tapestry needle

Finished size: About 9½ inches (24 cm) (Traditional) and 9¼ inches (23 cm) (Ram’s Horn) long, about 9 inches (23 cm) in diameter around the leg and stretch comfortably to fit a 14-inch (35.6-cm) calf

Gauge: 6½ sts = 1 inch (2.5 cm); 6½ rnds = 1 inch (2.5 cm)