Candle Flame Stockings

By Kai Mistry

Romance, sensuality, candlelight, champagne and love: these are all the words that come to mind when you see these stockings. Knee-highs that make you feel sexy, with ribbons that add that final touch. A woman’s legs are things of beauty that should be showcased in stockings made just for this purpose.

Photographs: Oliver Rochford, Kai Mistry Model: Kai Mistry

Size
Size: Ladies’ Medium (UK shoe size 4 to 6/US shoe size 6½ to 8½)
Finished leg circumference at calf: 23.75cm/9½inches, with approximately 12.5cm/5inches of negative ease.

Shown in size: Ladies’ Medium, stretched to fit 37.5cm/15inch calf.

Requirements
Yarn: 3 x 50g skeins Regia Silk 4-Ply (55% wool/25% polyamide/20% silk, 200m/50g) in colour: Cream (002)
Needles: Set of 4 or 5 x 2.5mm/US 1.5 double pointed needles, or size needed to obtain correct tension
Notions: 100cm/40inches of 6mm/¼ inch wide ribbon to thread through eyelets

Tension
34 sts and 42 rows = 10cm/4inches in stocking stitch

Pattern Notes
The Candle Lace pattern works up over 27sts, but you will be increasing and decreasing sts throughout the pattern repeat. This is why the number of sts used for the back is always important. The Twisted Cables will eventually be decreased to just one on either side of the Candle Lace pattern as you come down the leg. The Trellis Lace pattern is a multiple of 4 + 2 sts and is worked across the back of the stocking.

All stitch patterns are written and charted in the printable version of the pattern.

For increases use the m1 instructions. For decreasing at the back seam, slip 2sts knitwise, k the next stitch and then pass over the two slipped stitches. This should give you a decrease that looks like an arrowhead.

Abbreviations
sl1k wyif: sl1 st knitwise with yarn at front of work
sl1p wyib: sl1 st purlwise with yarn at back of work

The Inside Loop list of standard abbreviations can be found here.

Instructions
Cast on 78sts and divide evenly over needles. Join to work in the round, being careful not to twist stitches and k6 rounds.

Picot round:*yo, k2tog, repeat from * until end of round.

Knit a further 5 rounds.

Picot joining round: Fold the knitting in half, where the picot ridges are. Make sure the cast on edge is on the inside. You should have your knitting facing towards you and the cast on edge on the other side. Pick up the first cast on st and knit it together with the first st on the needle. Repeat this process until all the cast on sts have been worked with the live sts. You should now have a picot edge as the cuff of the sock.

Knit 1 round.

Ribbon eyelets round: *yo, k2tog, repeat from * until end of round.

Knit 1 round.

Starting with row 1 of the Twisted Cables 1 chart, work first 6sts. Then work row 1 of the Candle Flame chart across the next 27sts. Work the final 6sts using row 1 of the Twisted Cables 2 chart. Work the next 18sts using row 1 of the Trellis Lace chart, then p1, k1, p1. Work the last 18sts using the Trellis Lace chart again.

Work in pattern as set until round 4.

Increase round:
Round 4: Work in pattern as set for the first 39sts. Work Trellis Lace chart for the next 18sts. p1, m1, k1, m1, p1, continue with the Trellis Lace chart.

Repeat increase round every 4th round until you have completed the Candle Flame chart for one repeat.

NOTE: when increasing at the back seam, make sure that the extra sts are worked into the Trellis Lace chart pattern. Also, depending on the circumference of your calf, the increasing is to be worked until you reach the largest part of your calf, so keep trying on your stocking.

Work 5 rounds with no increases before moving onto the next part.

Decrease rounds:
Next round: work Row 6 of all charts, decreasing 1st on either side of the back seam (k1).
Next round: work Row 7 of all charts.
Next round: work all charts.
Next round: work all charts.

Decrease in this manner until you have 39sts at the back. Carry on in pattern as set until you have completed this repeat of the Candle Flame chart, without further decreasing.

Work first 3 rows of Candle Flame chart before resuming the decreases at the back seam, but also start the following decreasing at the front (you will be decreasing every 4th row):

Next round: k1, ssk, p1, work sts 5 and 6 from Twisted Cables 1 chart. Work next row of Candle Flame chart and then work sts 1 to 3 of Twisted Cables 2 chart and then k2tog, k1. Work Trellis Lace chart and decrease at seam as before.

Next round: work from Twisted Cables 1 chart, but only p1 between the two twists. Work next row of Candle Flame chart, and then work Twisted Cables 2 chart, with only a p1 in the middle. Work Trellis Lace chart.

Work 2 rounds in pattern without any decreases.

Next round: k1, ssk, work stitches 5 and 6 of Twisted Cables 1 chart. Work next row of Candle Flame chart and then work stitches 1 and 2 of Twisted Cables 2 chart and then k2tog, k1. Work Trellis Lace chart, with decreases.

Next round: Work in pattern, no decreases.

Work 2 rounds in pattern without any decreases.

Next round: k1, ssk, k1, work Candle Flame chart, k1, k2tog, k1. Work Trellis Lace chart, with decreasing.

Next round: work sts 1 and 2 of Twisted Cables 1 chart and then k1. Work row of Candle Flame chart, k1, work sts 5 and 6 of Twisted Cables 2 chart. Work Trellis Lace chart.

Work 2 rounds in pattern without any decreases.

Next round: k1, ssk, work Candle Flame chart, k2tog, k1. Work Trellis Lace chart with decreases. This should leave you with 33sts for the back and a total of 64 sts at the end of the Candle Flame pattern.

Continue in this manner until you have either completed a total of 4 repeats of the Candle Flame chart or the leg is the correct length for you and ready to work the heel.

Eye of Partridge Heel with German Chain Selvedge:
Row 1(ws): k1, p to last st, sl1k wyif.
Row 2(rs): k1, *k1, sl1p wyib, rep from * to last 2sts, k1, sl1k wyif
Row 3: repeat Row 1
Row 4: k1, *sl1p wyib, k1, rep from * to last 2sts, sl1p wyib, sl1k wyif

Repeat rows 1 to 4 for a total of 8 times, giving you 32 heel flap rows. Last row should be a rs row.

Heel Turn:
Row 1(ws): sl1, p16, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 2(rs): sl1, k4, ssk, k1, turn. (there is a gap between working sts and unworked sts)
Row 3: sl1, p to within 1st of gap, p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 4: sl1, k to within 1st of gap, ssk, k1, turn.

Repeat rows 3 and 4 until all sts have been worked, ending with a rs row. You should have 19sts remaining.

Gusset:
With rs facing, pick up and knit 16 selvedge sts, plus an extra 2sts at top of gusset.

Work next 31sts as follows: work first 2 sts of Twisted Cables 1 chart, work first row of Candle Flame chart, work first 2sts of Twisted Cables 2 chart.

Pick up and knit 2sts at top of gusset and 16 selvedge sts. Knit 9 heel sts. The beginning of the round is now the centre of the bottom of the foot.

Next round: knit to 3sts before gusset edge, k2tog, k1. Work Candle Flame chart across next 31sts (row 2), k1, ssk, k to end of round.
Next round: knit to beginning of lace pattern and work 31sts in Candle Flame chart, k to end of round.

Repeat these 2 rnds until you have a total of 60sts remaining.

Continue in lace pattern across 31 front lace panel sts and knit 29 sole sts until foot measures 3.75cm/1½ inches short of the end of your foot, k 1 rnd.

Toe Shaping:
Round 1: k1, ssk, k24, k2tog, k1, transfer extra stitch to beginning of next needle. k1, ssk, knit to last 3sts, k2tog , k1.
Round 2: k all sts
Round 3: *k1, ssk, knit to last 3sts on front of sock, k2tog, k1, repeat from * for the sole.

Repeat rnds 2 & 3 until you have a total of 32sts, then repeat rnd 3 until you have 16sts remaining. Graft these stitches together. Repeat from the beginning for the second sock.

Finishing
Weave in all ends, thread your choice of ribbon through the eyelets and wear with sensuality!

About the Designer
Kai is a Brit living in Germany. Most of her time is taken up running around after two beautiful King Charles Cavaliers and her partner. The rest of the time, you'll find her knitting, spinning and now designing. Go visit her fibre-filled world at Yarn Mistrys.

Contact Kai