Sock Knitting pattern with bavarian twisted stitches: Auf zur Dult

A free sock knitting pattern with detailed step-by-step instructions so you don’t miss any of those intricate cables and Bavarian twisted stitches.

I am a huge sucker for regional knitting styles. Luckily, my hometown and the surrounding regions have a long-standing tradition of knitting socks on extremely fine needles. I already published a pattern of traditional Bavarian half-socks.

Beautiful as they may be, I realized they may not be all that accessible to a larger audience. Too complicated, too time-consuming, and where do you wear them anyway if the famous Bavarian festivals and costume parades are thousands of miles away?

So, I thought it was about time to translate the handed-down stitch patterns and constructions to create a more modern sock using bigger needles and simple stitches that still has a distinctive regional look and feel using the traditional Bavarian twisted stitches.

I called the resulting pattern Auf zur Dult, which can be translated into English as “Let’s go to the fair”. Sadly our traditional fairs aren’t happening this year due to the pandemic (such a tragedy really) but I could well imagine wearing these socks together with a more casual look.

(Note: These socks are not meant to be worn with a traditional Bavarian costume. Further adjustments would have to be made).

I do have to say that the task of developing this pattern was quite a bit more difficult than I thought it would be. The problem: I usually knit with 2.00 mm needles or below. With 120 stitches or more in the round on your needles, you have a lot of freedom to shape fantastic gussets and squeeze in unique designs into the shaft.

And after I plotted down a possible design, I found out it didn’t knit up quite as well as I thought it would. So, it did take me like 5 attempts to get it right. But now, I am super satisfied! I’m truly in love with these socks. So, definitely comment below if I should develop some more patterns using Bavarian Twisted stitches.

This sock knitting pattern is, like all my other patterns, exclusively available for my newsletter subscribers. It’s probably more suitable for intermediate knitters since it does not go into too great detail in terms of sizing. The basic pattern is for a men’s size 8.5 (EU 42), but it can be adjusted to other sizes as well. If that has you worried, then my Socke 1 beginner pattern might be more to your liking.

Like almost all traditional Bavarian sock patterns I know, it also relies heavily on your ability to read charts. It is, mind you, quite the simple chart with no crazy repeat, but I know that some knitters might favor written instructions which are not available for this pattern (if you have got a repeat of 40+ stitches, these become way too cumbersome and prone to errors on my side. It’s almost impossible to spot a typo in a sea of knits and purls). You also will have to figure out your own size. This post explains how many stitches you need to cast on for socks.

Note: If you want a simple sock knitting pattern, try out Socke 1 and Socke 2 here on my blog. Or check out my tutorial on how to knit socks for beginners.

If you downloaded one of my patterns before, then you will already know that it does come with tons of extra instructional pictures and lots of explanations. So, despite being a bit more challenging, I always try to make every step accessible to knitters willing to learn new techniques.

Materials Used:

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While most Bavarian sock patterns are quite difficult, you don’t need any crazy equipment (still, make sure to check out my list of 25 things every knitter needs).

• 500 yards/ 460 meters of sturdy sock yarn for needles size 2.5 – 3.00mm. I am using the Wollmeise Twin (Superwash merino 20% Polyamide) in the color Pistazie. Regia 4-ply can be a nice (and much less expensive) alternative. Or the Regia Trend & Classic (Schachenmayr has been a favorite of Bavarian knitters for quite a loooong time!).
• Double-Pointed Knitting needles 2.5 mm. Frequent readers probably already know that I am a huge fan of the Knitter’s Pride Karbonz because they are the only ones that don’t end up crooked after 5 minutes.
•  A tapestry needle and scissors.
• A crochet hook to pick up the stitches for the gusset (optional)
• A measuring tape (optional)

Knitting techniques used

This is a pattern suitable for experienced knitters who know how to:

• K = knit
• P = Purl
• KTBL = Knit through the back loop
• PTBL = Purl through the backloop
• TL= traveling to the left
• TR= traveling to the right
• CR = Crossing right stitch in front
• CL = Crossing left stitch in front
• k2tog tbl = Knit two stitches together through the back loop
• TR K2tog = Traveling twisted decrease to the right
• P2tog = Purl two together
• P2tog tbl = purl two together through the back loop
• SL1 = Slip one stitch

These Bavarian socks are knit in the round on double-pointed needles. That’s the traditional way, and I feel it’s much easier to knit the gusset that way. If you are still struggling with that technique, I compiled a very helpful tutorial with 10 tips and tricks to knit on dpns like a pro. You will also need to know how to read a knitting chart.

Anyway, Go download the traditional Bavarian sock pattern and make sure to comment if you have any questions.