Murphy's Textile Law 0001

There is no clothing item so hideous that the judicious application of tatting and puffpaint can't make it uglier.


On the bright and yet still garish side, these house socks will not end up on anyone other than their owner.  No color-blind, over-worked laundress can do anything to these bed-socks to make them LESS attractive.  And finally, though fractions of pennies went into pockets overseas for the manufacture of the yarns and paints, no one but the recipient will profit from their construction.

The sox are knit in acrylic (or other machine washable yarn); toe up with a short row heel.  Once the toe increases are completed I start the K1, P1 ribbing on the top (arch) side of the socks.  It makes them more elastic and form fitting to compensate for faulty foot measurement and lack of gauge swatches.  Ribbing at the ankle is shorter than a normal sock -- about half the length as a fold-down crew sock.  These socks only need to stay on in bed and so there is no danger that they will fall down.  Disappear in the bed-clothes - yes.  Fall down - no.

Since the sole decoration is puff paint, it also serves as a form of non-slip tread.  If the recipient of your bed socks is actually going to walk in them, though, a more conventional sew on non-slip tread is recommended and puff-paint should go on the top of the socks where it will do the most esthetic damage.

If you're interested in a link to a generic toe up sock pattern, or to the tatted lace edging pattern, let me know and I will add links.