They say necessity is the mother of invention.

When the US sock manufacturers decide that most men’s feet are size 13 or smaller, finding good looking socks that fit larger feet can be a challenge… unless of course there’s a knitter in the house. Zingiber was born out of necessity—an upcoming trip to the East Coast and the need for some warm, custom fit socks while away. So with limited time to knit a pair of XXL socks, why not make the challenge even greater by adding the design element into the mix? Sometimes I’m crazy like that.

The original Zingibers are XXL, large enough to fit a man’s US size 14/15 foot comfortably. The stitch pattern is a stretchy 2x2 rib with twisted knit stitches and a cinch every now and then to keep the pattern from becoming boring. There’s a traveling stitch cable panel that runs down the sides of the leg and foot, framing the main stitch pattern. Choose from 2 options for the toe, a traditional stockinette toe as shown in the XXL brown sock, or a Zingiber Toe as shown in the M blue sock.

Oh and yes, the socks were finished in time and were much appreciated during and after the trip. Hand knit socks. Nothing beats them.

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Foot circumference: 99.5, 10, 10.5 inches, slightly stretched; 6.757.5, 8, 8.5 inches, unstretched
Foot length: Adjustable to fit.

GAUGE
32 sts/44 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch, unstretched
52 sts/40 rows = 4 inches in pattern stitch, unstretched