Bring me Wine, Now Leave

Bring Me Wine, Now Leave Socks by Ivy Sipes

What Is Being Made

Bring Me Wine, Now Leave is a pair of knitted socks designed by independent designer Ivy Sipes. These socks feature a stranded colorwork design using two complementary colors from the Cascade Heritage yarn line. The project is worked in the round from the cuff down, creating a finished pair of socks suitable for everyday wear with decorative visual interest.

Craft and Primary Technique

This is a knitting project worked entirely in the round. The socks employ stranded colorwork, a technique where two yarn colors are carried simultaneously around the circumference of the sock, creating a patterned fabric. Working in the round eliminates the need for seaming and allows for seamless construction from cuff to toe.

Stitches and Construction Methods

The sock construction begins with a ribbed cuff worked in a 2x2 rib pattern (knit 2, purl 2), which provides elasticity and helps the sock stay in place on the leg. The ribbing is worked for approximately 2 inches before transitioning into the main stranded stockinette stitch body. The pattern includes increase rounds to shape the sock appropriately. Stockinette stitch forms the primary fabric structure, worked in the round to create a smooth, flat surface ideal for displaying the two-color stranded pattern.

Yarn and Materials

The socks are knitted using Cascade Heritage yarn, a high-performance blend of 75% Superwash Merino and 25% Nylon. This fiber composition provides durability, softness, and easy care—the superwash treatment allows machine washing, while the nylon content increases wear resistance in high-friction areas. The project calls for one skein each of two colorways: Italian Plum and Dusky Orchid, each skein containing 437 yards at 100 grams. This yardage is sufficient for a complete pair of socks.

Needles and Gauge

The pattern is worked on US 1 (2.2mm) needles, which are sized to achieve a gauge of 38 stitches and 41 rows over 4 inches in stranded stockinette stitch in the round when blocked. Knitters have flexibility in needle choice: double-pointed needles (DPNs), two 24-inch circular needles using the two-circulars technique, one 32-inch or longer circular needle using the Magic Loop technique, or needles sized to match the specified gauge. Additional notions include a yarn needle for weaving in ends, stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and round beginnings, and scrap yarn for holding stitches.

Difficulty Level

This project is rated as intermediate difficulty, appropriate for knitters with prior experience. The stranded colorwork technique requires managing two yarn colors simultaneously while maintaining even tension and stitch consistency. Familiarity with working in the round, reading charts, and managing color changes is beneficial for successful completion.

Yarn Weight

The project uses 4-ply yarn, a standard weight category that produces a fabric with good definition for colorwork patterns while remaining lightweight and breathable for sock wear.