For your enjoyment here is my version of a pattern for the flag socks seen on the Antiques Road show (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/roadshow/series/highlights/2007/saltlakecity/index.html)

Without having these beauties in my hot little hands I have made the best guess on how to create them. I may be off by a stitch or two, but nothing to make any great difference. Because of the color changes I would rate this as an advanced project (or a very enthusiastic beginner with an experienced knitter to guide them!). Besides regular knit and purl the skills you will need are circular knitting and color changing.

In addition for your convenience I am selling a kit containing all the yarn that you will need to knit these socks (including the red, white and blue). The kit contains Jagger 100% wool fingering weight yarn (I suggest medium gray)  and costs $17.50 including shipping. Place your order on the Contact page

Materials:     100% fingering weight wool yarn
                                          

 Cast on for Cuff

Wind yarn into balls. Cast on 80 stitches on two needles Work in knit 3, purl 1 ribbing for 8 rows. Knit 28 stitches in the main color and then proceed to change color according to the chart below. (To knit the socks as seen on the show you will need to reverse the chart for the second sock. This includes both the Union and Confederate flags)

When the flag portion of the sock cuff is finished knit an additional 8 rows of ribbing.

Leg

Switching to the double pointed needles divide the stitches on to three needles. Begin to knit in the round making sure when you join into the round not to twist the stitches (if you remember your geometry a twist will make a “Mobius strip” which can not be undone in any way but to unravel the whole sock!!).This join marks the “seam line” or the center back stitch and the end of each round. To make things easier for you I suggest you mark this stitch in one of two ways Period method: use a piece of contrasting yarn slipped through to mark, change position of this yarn as the sock progresses. Modern method: Mark with a safety pin which can be moved as your work progresses. 

Begin stockinet stitch as follows, knit entire round until the last stitch on the third needle, purl 1 (this will form the “seam line” which is seen in all mid 19^th-century socks). Continue down the leg until the total length of this “tube” is approximately 10 inches long.

Divide for heel

Knit up to and including stitch number 20. Rearrange the stitches on your needles as follows: Needle 1 should have 41 stitches, with the seam or purl stitch in the middle (20 knit, 1 purl, 20 knit).  Needle 2, 20 stitches. Needle 3, 19 stitches.  You will now only have one working needle (Needle 1) and your “seam line” or marked stitch will be in the center of this needle. The heel is worked on this needle, the remaining stitches will just “hang” unused for now, while you do the heel flap. Period method: if you are knitting these socks at a living history you may place cork pieces or small pieces of bee's wax on the ends of needles 2 and 3 so that the stitches won’t slip off the ends.

Heel Flap for “Common Heel”:

Using needle number 1 purl across the needle making sure to knit stitch number 21. Next row knit across, purling stitch number 21. This will allow you to continue the “seam” stitch down the heel flap. Do this until the flap is 3 inches long. Next knit row decrease one stitch on each side of the “seam” stitch, then purl row back with no decreases. Repeat this 5 times. On the last purl row back only purl to the middle stitch.

Turning the Heel

You will now be binding off the stitches of the heel and joining them together. With yarn at the middle stitch fold your knitting needles so that the “right” sides of the heel flap are touching. You should now hold these needles parallel to each other. Holding them in your left hand and using a third knitting needle take one stitch from each of the parallel needles and knit them together. Knit the next two stitches the same way. Now you will have two stitches on the right hand needle. Take the right most stitch from this needle and bring it back over the remaining stitch to bind off. You will now have one stitch on the right needle. Repeat this process until you have one stitch left on the right needle. Turn the heel right side out. (NOTE: There is a modern stitch called the Kitchener stitch that is an alternate method of closing the heel. This particular method does not appear in knitting directions until the early 20^th century. I have not seen it used in any directions for mid 19^th-century socks. If anyone comes across a period reference to this stitch I would love to hear your feedback.)

Heel Gusset

Pick up a stitch at each row on the left side of the heel flap, knit the stitches held on the needles that have not been in use (arranging the stitches on different needles as instructed below). Pick up a stitch at each row on the other side of the heel flap, try to pick up the same amount of stitches as you did for the other side of the heel. Arrange the stitches on the needles as follows:

First needle. All the heel stitches plus 6 from the needle held in reserve

Second needle : 26 stitches

Third needle : 7 stitches from the needles held in reserve and the remaining heel stitches.

Knit one round.

Next row: Widen or increase every 5^th stitch on picked-up heel stitches.

On needle one, knit to the 7^th stitch from the end of the needle, knit two together, knit the remaining 5 stitches.

On needle two, Knit all stitches

On needle three, Knit 6 stitches, Knit two together, Knit remaining stitches

Next round knit without decreasing*

Do these two rows until 83 stitches remain on the total of all three needles. Rearrange so that there are 27 stitches on each needle.

Foot

Due to the color changes the next portion of the sock needs to be knitted flat (the slit will be closed up when the sock is finished.

From the center back stitch (the one that used to be the "seam" stitch" knit 21 stitches,  Slip the other stitches onto one needle. Turn the work. Starting on the purl row, follow the color changing chart of the Confederate flag, the remaining stitches in the row should be purled using the main sock body color. Continue knitting the color chart in a stockinet stitch until the chart is finished. 

Rearrange the stitches on three double pointed needles and continue knitting the tube as for the leg (but do not use a seam stitch) until, from the heel, the sock measures 8 inches for a standard sock If you are custom fitting to a person, measure their foot and subtract two and one half inches for the toe. End on the last needle, which should still be marked as the center back stitch.

Shape the toe

Decrease one stitch in the first and last stitch of each needle every third row until there are 17 stitches on each needle.

Decrease one stitch in the first and last stitch of each needle every second row until there are seven stitches on each needle.

Decrease one stitch in the first and last stitch of each needle every row until all the stitches are used. Break off yarn about 6 inches long, thread into a yarn needle and draw the yarn through any remaining stitches. Work end into the sock to finish the toe. Sew up the seam for the ribbing and sew the slit on the side of the Confederate flag.

ENJOY YOUR SOCKS!!.

 This web site is maintained by Robin Stokes, and was last updated 03/03/2008 . All text and images are copyright 2008 by Robin Stokes, who is solely responsible for the content and reserves all rights.