Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk.....

I love knitting socks.  I  love designing socks.  I love wearing my hand knit socks.

What I don't love?  Naming my socks!

It can be very hard, not just coming up with a pattern name, but then making sure it isn't the same name as 47 other patterns have, or that the interesting word you heard doesn't mean something you don't intend it to in another language.

This time, the name came from a conversation on Ravelry.  One of the groups I am in has a pretty good mixture of other designers and knitters who support indie designers, so it is a great place to ask questions about what my peer group would do, and what regular knitters would like to see. 

In my (enormous) stash of sock yarns I have a lot of yarns that are not currently available.  Either the yarn was dropped by the larger commercial companies, the indie-dyer changed base yarns or, in some sad cases, stopped dyeing yarn commercially. 

I asked in the group chat thread if knitters would have a problem with my using a yarn that was not currently available for my sample on the pattern page, if I offered other (currently available) suggestions for yarns.  One of the people who responded had to keep editing her reply because her auto-correct kept changing Discontinued to Disco Tuned.

And so a pattern name was born!

In fact I like it so much that....well...you'll see at the end of April!

So, without further behind the scenes stories.....Presenting :

Disco Tuned Socks!
 
If knitting were music, the basic stitch counts could tell you the rhythm (or time), and the knits and purls
could be the notes. If knitting were music, a simple two by two rib could be translated into the Key of C (no sharps or flats, just natural notes), in 2/2 time (or cut time). Changing just a few stitches (the notes) to cables or lace (sharps or flats), the entire musical world is at your knitting fingertips. With a basic ribbed back, but an interesting pattern on the front, these socks give you the best of the “ribbed socks fit so well” and “patterned socks seem to knit up so quickly” worlds.

Info
Size Women’s Medium Sock, 8 inches wide, length adjustable.
Yarn 400 yd [366 meters] 100 gms [3.5 ounces] sock yarn. Sample Shown in Land O Lace Steffi, 80% superwash merino/ 20% nylon
Needles
Size US 1 (2.5 mm): double points or circular needles for working in the round.
Notions
Stitch markers, large eyed tapestry needle for grafting, and weaving in ends.
Optional: sock blockers, size 8 [1.5mm] crochet hook for nupps.
Gauge
32 sts and 36 rows = 4” [10 cm] in St st after wet blocking.

This cuff down sock includes a heel flap and gusset and nupps worked in the round. Although instructions are given for 7 st nupps, 5 st nupps can be substituted. Don’t like nupps? The foot chart, which doesn’t include nupps, can be worked for the entire length of the sock.
 
Skills required : Working in the round, knit, purl, k2tog, k3tog, nupps, ssk, sssk, yo and kitchener stitch.

You can also substitute your favorite toe and heel, if you have one!
Thank you to Nancy Bellamy of LivetoKnit for Tech-Editing Services and all my test knitters!

The pattern is now available in my Ravelry Store here!

For special offers, discounts, and more, subscribe to my mailing list over there on the right hand side of your screen.

~M