Byzantine – Learn-a-Stitch Mini-Sock

Updated April 14, 2023.

With this sock, we celebrate variations in Byzantine (it was supposed to be Mosaic, but I can’t find the stocking I started). Byzantine and its close relation, Jacquard, are characterized by their zig-zag motion. By varying the width of the stitches and the number of stitches per step, you get some cool variations.

I picked Potpourri from The Caron Collection for the overdye. I like this shade because it’s holiday colors but more modern with the rosy pinks and yellow-green. As you can see, it also plays well with muted versions of red and green as well.

In addition, I used Simply Shaker from The Gentle Art in Baby Spinach (7050 in the lower left, Gumnuts Blossoms in 556 in the upper right, Gumnuts Daisies in5581 with Kreinik #8 in 5535 for the toe, Baroque Silk in Heirloom (1138) with the overdye in the upper left, and Silken Pearl from The Thread Gatherer in Rose Briar as an accent with the overdye in the remaining patch.

Jacquard is characterized by rows of Byzantine separated by rows of Tent, often in a different color or thread. It is used in the toe and upper left. Byzantine can have rows of the same width (upper right), of different widths (lower left), or be interspaced with another stitch (overdyed patch).

Here are the stitches I used.

Toni’s Jacquard, upper left, is named for Toni Randall, Whimsy & grace’s designer. The interesting thing about this Jacqaurd variation is that the corner stitches are slightly longer, so they meet. This interrupts the Tent Stitch line.

Wide Byzantine is used in the upper right. This Byzantine has stitches over three intersections with four stitches per step.

Irregular Byzantine (lower left) varies the width of stitches in each row from 1 to 4 intersections. I think it makes a really eye-catching pattern.

Byzantine with Cashmere (overdye patch) is a variation on Byzantine where the steps are uneven. This makes the “open patches rectangular to fit the Cashmeres. There are four stitches on horizontal steps and six on vertical steps. The easiest way to make this stitch is to stitch a line of Byzantines and park your thread. Then add the Cashmeres and park That thread. Then repeat by stitching another row of Byzantine.

Uneven Jacquard (toe) is similar to Byzantine with Cashmere in the horizontal and vertical steps have different numbers of stitches. Here, though, the rows fit together instead of leaving open spaces. Here there are six stitches in the horizontal steps and four in the vertical ones.