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I love knitting socks designed by verybusymonkey, who is an incredibly talented knitwear designer with over 200 patterns under her belt! (Can you imagine being so endlessly creative?! I’m in awe!) Today I’m reviewing verybusymonkey’s Little Leafy Socks pattern, which is one of my favorite designs of hers.
This is my second time knitting from this pattern. (First pair is here!) Both times I used a heathered sock yarn (Knit Picks Stroll) and I absolutely love the way the heathered fibers add so much depth to this pattern.
Little Leafy socks is a cuff-down sock pattern with a heel-flap and gusset that comes in two sizes: a 64- or 72-stitch cast on. A cool thing about this pattern is that it comes in two versions: you can knit it “right-side out”, like mine, or “wrong-side out”, with more prominent purl stitches. There are written or charted instructions for both variations, so you can pick your poison. (It’s charts all the way for me!)
I love the way verybusymonkey has designed the cuff of the socks to flow right into the leg pattern. It’s such a thoughtful detail and the sign of a truly talented designer. (Heads up: because of this design feature, be sure to follow the instructions carefully! The first pattern repeat after the cuff is done a little differently than all the other repeats.)
I knitted these magic loop style on pointy nickel-plated needles which made them work up very quickly! I also liked that the chart isn’t too complicated. I wouldn’t say it was easy enough to memorize entirely, but it is easy enough that you can just glance at it at the start of a row and not have to check it again once you get in the groove. (Also see my post on how to keep your place while working with charts!)
A final note: I’ve never had to reach out to verybusymonkey for pattern support, but she is active on instagram and has a group on Ravelry so you should be able to reach her or another knitter if you run into issues, which is always good! I like it when you know there is a way to reach a designer if you get stuck. Plus, if you follow her on instagram, she often throws promo codes your way!
Here are the details on these socks:
yarn details
Knit Picks Stroll in Rainforest Heather (color 25608) (buy here)
Fingering Weight
75% Fine Superwash Merino Wool, 25% Nylon
Machine wash gentle, tumble dry low or lay flat to dry
50 g/ 231 yd ball
Purchased in November 2022
project details
pattern: “Little Leafy Socks” by Verybusymonkey (right-side version) (download pattern on Ravelry or on verybusymonkey’s website for $5.50)
size knit: 64 stitch
needles: US size 1.5 (2.5 mm), nickel-plated fixed circular needles from Knit Picks
yarn used: 305 yards (66 grams)
finished size: foot length: 8”; top of cuff to bottom of heel flap: 9.75”
duration: December 2022 – April 2023
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