I’m six rows into Tier A of Natalia Vasilieva’s Smokey ZickZacks (page 140 of New Directions in Sock Knitting).
I’m using Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock 100% Superwash Merino Light Weight (color: Schwarzwald) and a size U.S. 2 (3.0 mm) circular needle.
These socks begin with a crochet-on provisional cast-on that will provide the loops to Kitchener together with the live stitches when the knitting is complete. I’m trying not to think about that yet…
The sock is constructed with a series of increases and decreases that will produce the the unique sideways zigzag pattern. I’ve placed blue markers in the decrease stitches and pink markers in the increases stitches. For reasons not yet revealed, a double decrease marker is placed at the toe and a double increase marker is placed at about the half-way point — I suspect this is for the heel.
Double decreases (slip 1, knit 2 together, pass slipped stitch over) are worked at the decrease markers every right-side row.
Double increases (yarnover, knit 1, yarnover) are also worked every right-side row, then the yarnovers are twisted to close the holes on the following wrong-side row. The effect is similar to working Make-One increases, but extra yarn is added in the increases by working the yarnovers on the right-side rows. It’s a clever way to insure that the stitches aren’t too tight at the increase points.
So far, the knitting is fun — I forget how much I love garter stitch!