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Simply Socks Yarn Company

When I pulled my nephew’s name in the family gift exchange this past holiday, I knew immediately what I would make him. This is a man who, in his mid-twenties, dropped his entire life in the US where he’d always lived to run off to China and discover a whole new way of life. He’s been there more than four years now, speaks fluent Mandarin, and is engaged to a Chinese girl. His only complaint? There’s no central heating and Guilin winters are cold.

Clearly, this is a man who needs cozy socks. Nice, thick socks to pad around the apartment, but also rugged socks for an adventurous spirit who goes on lengthy train trips and gets his shoes stolen. The solution comes in the form of a soft DK-weight sock yarn which I’ve dyed in what his mother assures me are his favorite colors, of plain design but sporting a linen stitch toe, sole, and heel for an extra thick and sturdy fabric that’s sure to last for many years of trekking across the exotic East.

Inspired by Cat Bordhi’s brilliant book ‘New Pathways for Sock Knitters’ to seek a new pathway of my own, I’ve designed these socks with an upside-down heel flap and inverted gusset, so look out for the unexpected!

photos: Gryphon Perkins

SIZE
To fit an average adult foot
 
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Foot circumference: 8.5 inches
Leg length: 6.25 inches

 
MATERIALS

The Sanguine Gryphon ‘Traveller’ [100% superwash merino wool; 280yd/255m per 4 oz skein]; color: An American in China; 1 skein
Note: One skein of Sanguine Gryphon Traveller is enough to make a pair of socks  for a normally sized foot. If the wearer is particularly sasquatchean, you may want a second skein. Either way, I recommend halving your skein before beginning so you can be sure to have enough for socks of equal height.

Recommended needle size:
1 set US #4/3.5 mm double-point needles
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]

Stitch markers
Tapestry needle

 

GAUGE

25 sts/32 rows = 4 inches in stockinette st
28 sts/52 rows = 4 inches in Linen Stitch

 
PATTERN NOTES

[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here]

Instructions for Judy's Magic Cast On can be found here.

Wyif: With yarn held to front of work
Wyib: With yarn held to back of work

Linen Stitch (Worked in the round over an odd number of stitches):
Round 1: [K1, sl1 wyif] to last st, k1.
Round 2: [Sl1 wyif, k1] to last st, sl1 wyif.
Repeat these 2 rounds for Linen Stitch.

Linen Stitch (Worked back and forth over an odd number of sts):
Row 1 [RS]: [Sl1 wyif, k1] to last st, sl1 wyif.
Row 2 [WS]: [P1, sl1 wyib] to last st, p1.
Repeat these 2 rows for Linen Stitch.

The row gauge of linen stitch is tighter than that of stockinette stitch. In order to make the sole and instep the same length, the pattern will require you to turn the work and add an extra two rows to the sole after every fourth round of the instep. To avoid confusion, the linen stitch design is written out through much of the pattern.

DIRECTIONS

TOE
Using Judy's Magic Cast On, CO 14 sts (7 sts onto each of 2 double-point needles).

K 1 round as shown in linked article (see Pattern Notes).

Shape toe as follows:
Round 1: Kfb, [k1, sl 1 wyif] twice, k1, kfb; work sts on second needle in the same way. 18 sts.

Divide sts on first needle between 2 needles, placing 5 sts on Needle 1 and 4 sts on Needle 2.
The sts on these needles will form instep. Sts on remaining needle (Needle 3) will form sole.

Increase Round: Kfb, [k1, sl 1 wyif] to last 2 sts on Needle 2, k1, kfb; work sts on Needle 3 in the same way. 4 sts increased.
Repeat this round twice more. 30 sts.

Next Round: K1, [k1, sl 1 wyif] to last 2 sts on Needle 2, k2; work sts on Needle 3 in the same way.
Work Increase Round as above.
Repeat these 2 rounds 6 times more. 58 sts: 15 sts on Needle 1, 14 sts on Needle 2, 29 sts on Needle 3.

FOOT
Round 1: K all sts on Needles 1 and 2; k1, [k1, sl 1 wyif] to last 2 sts on Needle 3, k2.

Round 2: K all sts on Needles 1 and 2; [k1, sl 1 wyif] to last st on Needle 3, k1.

Round 3: Work as for Round 1.

Round 4: Work as for Round 2, turn work; sl 1 wyif, [p1, sl 1 wyib] to last 2 sts on Needle 3, p1, turn work, sl 1 wyib [k1, sl 1 wyif] to last st on Needle 3, k1.

Repeat Rounds 1-4 until foot measures approx. 2.25 inches less than length of wearer's foot, ending with Round 1.

Taper Linen Stitch panel as follows:
Round 1: K all sts on Needles 1 and 2; k2, [k1, sl 1 wyif] to last 3 sts on Needle 3, k3.
Round 2: K all sts on Needles 1 and 2; k3, [k1, sl 1 wyif] to last 4 sts on Needle 3, k4.
Round 3: K all sts on Needles 1 and 2; k4, [k1, sl 1 wyif] to last 5 sts on Needle 3, k5.
Round 4: K all sts on Needles 1 and 2; k5, [k1, sl 1 wyif] to last 6 sts on Needle 3; slip these 6 sts to Needle 1. Slip first 6 sts from Needle 3 to Needle 2. 21 sts on Needle 1, 20 sts on Needle 2, 17 sts on Needle 3.

HEEL FLAP
Heel Flap will be worked back and forth over remaining 17 sts on Needle 3.

Work these sts in Linen Stitch until flap measures 2 inches, ending with a WS row.

TURN HEEL
Shape heel flap using short rows as follows:

Row 1 [RS]: Work 15 sts in pattern, W&T.

Row 2 [WS]: Work 13 sts in pattern, W&T.

Row 3 [RS]: Work 12 sts in pattern, W&T.

Row 4 [WS]: Work 11 sts in pattern, W&T.

Row 5 [RS]: Work 10 sts in pattern, W&T.

Row 6 [WS]: Work 9 sts in pattern, W&T.

Row 7 [RS]: Work 8 sts in pattern, W&T.

Row 8 [WS]: Work 7 sts in pattern, W&T.

Working wrap together with wrapped st at end of each short row, continue as follows:

Row 9 [RS]: Work 8 sts in pattern. Turn work.
Row 10 [WS]: Sl 1, work 8 sts in pattern. Turn work.
Row 11 [RS]: Sl 1, work 9 sts in pattern. Turn work.
Row 12 [WS]: Sl 1, work 10 sts in pattern. Turn work.
Row 13 [RS]: Sl 1, work 11 sts in pattern. Turn work.
Row 14 [WS]: Sl 1, work 12 sts in pattern. Turn work.

Note: When decreasing at end of Rows 15 and 16, work wrap together with both wrapped st and following st.

Row 15 [RS]: Sl 1, work in pattern to last 2 sts, k2tog.
Row 16 [WS]: Work in pattern to last 2 sts, p2tog. 15 sts in flap.
Row 17 [RS]: Work in pattern.

GUSSET
Using a new needle, pick up and k 13 sts along adjacent edge of heel flap, place marker, then work sts of Needle 1. 34 sts on Needle 1.

Using a second needle, work all sts of Needle 2, place marker, then pick up and k 13 sts along remaining edge of heel flap. 33 sts on Needle 2.

Using a third needle, work sts of heel flap in pattern. 15 sts on Needle 3.
82 sts in total.

Note: Read ahead! Gusset shaping and stitch pattern directions are worked at the same time.

As gusset shaping is worked, taper Linen Stitch panel as follows:
Rounds 1-2: Work first and last sts of Needle 3 in stockinette st; work center 13 sts in Linen Stitch.
Rounds 3-4: Work first and last 2 sts of Needle 3 in stockinette st; work center 11 sts in Linen Stitch.
Rounds 5-6: Work first and last 3 sts of Needle 3 in stockinette st; work center 9 sts in Linen Stitch.
Rounds 7-8: Work first and last 4 sts of Needle 3 in stockinette st; work center 7 sts in Linen Stitch.
Rounds 9-10: Work first and last 5 sts of Needle 3 in stockinette st; work center 5 sts in Linen Stitch.
Rounds 11-12: Work first and last 6 sts of Needle 3 in stockinette st; work center 3 sts in Linen Stitch.
Rounds 13-14: Work first and last 7 sts of Needle 3 in stockinette st; work center st in Linen Stitch.
From this point, work all sts on Needle 3 in stockinette st.
AT THE SAME TIME: Shape gusset as follows:
Round 1: K13 tbl, k41, k13 tbl; work sts of Needle 3 in pattern.
Round 2 (Decrease Round): Ssk, k to end of Needle 1; k to last 2 sts of Needle 2, k2tog; work sts of Needle 3 in pattern.
Round 3: K all sts on Needles 1 and 2, work sts of Needle 3 in pattern.
Repeat Rounds 2 and 3 ten times more. 60 sts remain.

LEG
Next Round: [K3, p1] to end.
Repeat this round until leg measures 6.25 inches or desired length. Loosely BO all sts.

FINISHING

Weave in ends and block if desired.

 

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

Gryphon is a fiber fiend who is trying to do it all. Her designs have been published in Interweave Knits and by various yarn companies and books, and she sells her handpainted yarns and spinning fibers on her website: sanguinegryphon.com.

She is blessed with a wonderful family that never complains about the mass of fiber threatening to consume their home.