Happy St. Patrick's Day!

To celebrate, I've got a new knitting pattern for you all! I call them Damhsa (pronounced "DOW-sa"), which is Gaelic for "dance" because the construction is reminiscent of Irish dancing shoes.

Photos by Brandon Marling

The simplicity of sideways socks has always appealed to me, but the thought of grafting a couple hundred stitches together in the end really turned me off.

My solution: Use a Magic Cast On along the back of the leg and bottom of the foot, all the way from cuff to toe, knit up and around the sides of the foot in a big “U” shape, and finish by lacing up the live stitches along the top of the foot and right up the leg. Additionally, basic increases and decreases could be substituted for short-rows to shape the heel and toe.

The result: A simple sideways sock, with no grafting, no seaming, and no short-rows, that looks great in any yarn, be it solid, self-striping, hand-dyed, or gradated.

SIZE
S [M, L]

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Foot Circumference: 7.5[8.25, 9] inches, relaxed
Foot Length: 8[9, 10] inches, adjustable
Leg Length: 6.75[7.5, 8.25] inches, adjustable

MATERIALS
S: Light fingering weight yarn, such as Malabrigo Sock [100% Merino Wool; 440 yd/402 m per 100g skein]; 1 skein
M: Fingering weight yarn, such as Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino [100% Merino Wool; 420 yd/384 m per 113g skein]; 1 skein
L: Sport/DK weight yarn; sample knit with Noro Silk Garden Sock [40% Wool, 25% Silk, 25% Nylon, 10% Mohair; 328 yd/300 m per 100g skein]; color: S84; 1 skein

S: 2 US #0/2mm circular needles, 20 inches or longer
M: 2 US #1/2.25mm circular needles, 20 inches or longer
L: 2 US #2/2.75mm circular needles, 20 inches or longer

6 stitch markers
Spare knitting needle for bind-off
Tapestry needle

GAUGE
S: 34 sts/51 rows = 4” in stockinette
M: 31 sts/47 rows = 4” in stockinette
L: 28 sts/42 rows = 4” in stockinette

Buy now on Ravelry!