Salto socks - Spring 2008

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by Rebekkah Kerner These socks weren’t inspired by anything but a desire to play with knitted fabric. There were no flowers or visions or fictional characters involved in the creative process. I simply wanted to move stitches around in an unusual way. Cables are all about literally moving stitches around, and I wanted to move those literally minded cables in a more subtle way. The cables in these socks smoothly move from point A to point B without disturbing a hair on their delicate little heads. There is nothing hard about these socks. I gave them a piquant rating because they require attention, not because they require the services of a knitting genius. If you can knit socks, you can knit these socks. There may be a skill or two that is new to some knitters, but I promise that it’s all neat and orderly and makes sense in the end. Start at the cuff with some ribbing, add in some cables and stockinette, and once you’ve got that rhythm down you start with paired increases and decreases to get those cables to swirl around to the front. They merge into a single cable pattern that runs down the top of the foot, and which is flat enough to avoid being too bulky to fit comfortably into your shoes. What are you waiting for? Stop reading and get knitting!
photos: Rebekkah Kerner


SIZE
To fit an average woman’s foot

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Leg length: 9.75 inches from lower edge of heel flap to to top of cuff Foot length: to fit

MATERIALS
Harrisville New England Knitters Shetland [100% wool; 197 yd per 50 g skein]; color: Lilac; 2 Note: I used approx. 45 g per sock for 8.75 inch feet. If you have very long feet, plan on buying 3 skeins. Recommended needle size: 1 set US #0/2.0 mm double-point needles 1 set US #1/2.25mm double-point needles [always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique] Cable needle Stitch markers Row counter (optional) Tapestry needle

GAUGE
36 sts/56 rows = 4 inches in stockinette st

PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here]
Instructions for the Long-Tail Cast On can be found here. Instructions for grafting can be found here. C4B: Slip next 2 sts to cable needle and hold to back of work; k2, k2 from cable needle. C4F: Slip next 2 sts to cable needle and hold to front of work; k2, k2 from cable needle. RLI (Right Lifted Increase): Use the right needle to pick up the stitch below the next stitch on the left needle. Place it on the left needle, then knit into it. 1 stitch has been increased. LLI (Left Lifted Increase): Use the left needle to pick up the stitch 2 rows below the last stitch on the right needle. Knit into this stitch. 1 stitch has been increased. 2x2 Rib (Worked in the round over a multiple of 4 sts): Round 1: [K2, p2] to end. Repeat this round for 2x2 Rib. Leg Cable 1 (Worked over 10 sts): Rows 1-3: P2, k6, p2. Row 4: P2, C4F, k2, p2. Rows 5-7: P2, k6, p2. Row 8: P2, k2, C4B, p2. Leg Cable 2 (Worked over 10 sts): Rows 1-3: P2, k6, p2. Row 4: P2, k2, C4B, p2. Rows 5-7: P2, k6, p2. Row 8: P2, C4F, k2, p2. Instep Pattern (Worked over 16 sts): Row 1: P2, k12, p2. Row 2: P2, k2, C4F, C4B, k2, p2. Row 3: P2, k12, p2. Row 4: P2, k4, C4F, k4, p2. Rows 5-7: P2, k12, p2. Row 8: P2, k4, C4F, k4, p2. Row 9: P2, k12, p2. Rows 10: P2, k2, C4B, C4F, k2, p2. Row 11-13: P2, k12, p2. Row 14: P2, C4F, k4, C4B, p2. When working second sock, work Rows 4 and 8 of Instep Pattern as follows: Row 4: P2, k4, C4B, k4, p2. Row 8: P2, k4, C4B, k4, p2.


DIRECTIONS
CUFF Using Long-Tail Cast On and smaller needles, CO 72 sts. Divide sts between needles and join to begin working in the round, being careful not to twist. Work in 2x2 Rib until work measures 1.25 inches. UPPER LEG Switch to larger needles, and continue as follows: Next Round: [K2, p2] 9 times, k26, [p2, k2] twice, p2. Repeat this round twice more. Next Round: [K2, p2] 6 times, k2, work Row 4 of Leg Cable 1, k26, work Row 4 of Leg Cable 2. This round sets pattern for upper leg. Continue in pattern as set for 36 rounds more, working Rows 5-8 of Leg Cable patterns once, then Rows 1-8 four times. LOWER LEG Note: A row counter is recommended for the lower leg. In this section, sts will be increased at center back of leg and decreased at center front of leg, which will cause the cables to move from the sides of the leg towards the center front. The rounds in which these increases and decreases are woorked will be called Shaping Rounds; these rounds will be worked with increasing frequency as the sock progresses towards the ankle, so that the cables move in graceful curves. The number of sts will not change in this section. Round 1 (set-up round): [K2, p2] 3 times, k1, place marker, k1, [p2, k2] 3 times, work first row of Leg Cable 1, k13, place marker, k13, work first row of Leg Cable 2. Note: In the rows that follow, work increased sts at back of leg in stockinette st. The stockinette st panel at center front, which currently contains 26 sts, will be referred to as 'front panel'. The stockinette st panel which will form as sts are increased in the center back rib will be referred to as 'back panel'. Round 2 (Shaping Round): Work in pattern to first marker, LL1, slip marker, RLI, work in pattern to 2 sts before second marker, ssk, slip marker, k2tog, continue in pattern to end of round. 24 sts in front panel, 4 sts in back panel. Rounds 3-7: Work in pattern. Round 8: Work Shaping Round. 22 sts in front panel, 6 sts in back panel. Rounds 9-12: Work in pattern. Round 13: Work Shaping Round. 20 sts in front panel, 8 sts in back panel. Rounds 14-17: Work in pattern. Round 18: Work Shaping Round. 18 sts in front panel, 10 sts in back panel. Rounds 19-21: Work in pattern. Round 22: Work Shaping Round. 16 sts in front panel, 12 sts in back panel. Rounds 23-25: Work in pattern. Round 26: Work Shaping Round. 14 sts in front panel, 14 sts in back panel. Rounds 27-29: Work in pattern. Round 30: Work Shaping Round. 12 sts in front panel, 16 sts in back panel. Rounds 31-32: Work in pattern. Round 33: Work Shaping Round. 10 sts in front panel, 18 sts in back panel. Rounds 34-35: Work in pattern. Round 36: Work Shaping Round. 8 sts in front panel, 20 sts in back panel. Rounds 37-38: Work in pattern. Round 39: Work Shaping Round. 6 sts in front panel, 22 sts in back panel. Over Rounds 40 and 45, the purl rib at each side of the back stockinette st panel will be changed to stockinette st. Round 40: [K2, p2] twice, k2, p1, k24, p1, continue in pattern to end of round. Round 41: Work in pattern. Round 42: Work Shaping Round. 4 sts in front panel, 26 sts in back panel. Round 43: Work in pattern. Round 44: Work Shaping Round. 2 sts in front panel, 28 sts in back panel. Round 45: [K2, p2] twice, k34, continue in pattern to end of round. Round 46: Work in pattern to first marker, LL1, slip marker, RLI, work in pattern to 2 sts before second marker, p2tog tbl, slip marker, p2tog, continue in pattern to end. No sts remain in front panel, 36 sts in back panel. Round 47: Work in pattern. Round 48: Work as for Round 46. 38 sts in back panel. Round 49: Work in pattern. Round 50: Work in pattern to first marker, LL1, slip marker, RLI, work in pattern to 2 sts before second marker, ssk, slip marker, k2tog, continue in pattern to end. Cables at front are now touching; 40 sts in back panel. Rounds 51-52: Work in pattern. You will have just worked Round 4 of Leg Cable patterns. HEEL FLAP Work first 10 sts of next round. Slip following 36 sts to one needle; heel flap will be worked back and forth over these sts. Hold remaining 36 sts on needles for instep. Work heel flap as follows, slipping all slipped sts purlwise. Row 1 [RS]: [Sl 1, k1] 18 times. Turn work. Row 2 [ WS]: Sl 1, p35. Turn work. Row 3 [RS]: Sl 1, [sl 1, k1] 17 times, k1. Turn work. Row 4 [WS]: Sl 1, p35. Turn work. Repeat these 4 rows 9 times more, then work Row 1 once more. 41 rows have been worked. TURN HEEL Row 1 [WS]: Sl 1, p20, p2tog, p1. Turn work. Row 2 [RS]: Sl 1, k7, ssk, k1. Turn work. Row 3 [WS]: Sl 1, p8, p2tog, p1. Turn work. Row 4 [RS]: Sl 1, k9, ssk, k1. Turn work. Row 5 [WS]: Sl 1, p10, p2tog, p1. Turn work. Row 6 [RS]: Sl 1, k11, ssk, k1. Turn work. Row 7 [WS]: Sl 1, p12, p2tog, p1. Turn work. Row 8 [RS]: Sl 1, k13, ssk, k1. Turn work. Row 9 [WS]: Sl 1, p14, p2tog, p1. Turn work. Row 10 [RS]: Sl 1, k15, ssk, k1. Turn work. Row 11 [WS]: Sl 1, p16, p2tog, p1. Turn work. Row 12 [RS]: Sl 1, k17, ssk, k1. Turn work. Row 13 [WS]: Sl 1, p18, p2tog, p1. Turn work. Row 14 [RS]: Sl 1, k19, ssk, k1. 22 sts. GUSSET In this section, sts will be arranged on 3 needles, which will be designated Needles 1 through 3. Using new needle (Needle 1), pick up and k 1 st in each slipped st along adjacent edge of heel flap and 1 st in gap between top of flap and held sts of instep. 24 sts on Needle 1. Using next needle (Needle 2), work held sts of instep as follows: [k2, p2] twice, k2, work first row of Instep Pattern, [k2, p2] twice, k2]. 36 sts on Needle 2. Using next needle, pick up and k 1 st in space between last instep st and top of heel flap, and 1 st in each slipped st along remaining edge of heelp flap, then k first 11 sts of heel. 35 sts on Needle 3. Slip remaining 11 sts to Needle 1. 106 sts: 35 sts each on Needles 1 and 3, 36 sts on Needle 2. This point (bottom center of heel) is now beginning of round. Round 1: K11, k24 tbl; work sts on Needle 2 in pattern as set; k24 tbl, k11. Round 2: K to last 3 sts on Needle 1, k2tog, k1; work sts on Needle 2 in pattern as set; k1, ssk, k to end of round. Round 3: K to end of Needle 1; work sts on Needle 2 in pattern as set; k to end of round. Repeat Rounds 2 and 3 sixteen times more. 72 sts: 18 sts each on Needles 1 and 3, 36 sts on Needle 2. FOOT Continue in pattern, working sts on Needles 1 and 3 in stockinette st and sts on Needle 2 in pattern, until work measures 1.75 inches less than desired length. TOE K 1 round. Decrease Round: K to last 3 sts on Needle 1, k2tog, k1; k1, ssk, k to last 3 sts on Needle 2, k2tog, k1; k1, ssk, k to end of Needle 3. 4 sts decreased. Repeat these 2 rounds 6 times more. 44 sts: 11 sts each on Needles 1 and 3, 22 sts on Needle 2. Work Decrease Round 7 times more. 16 sts: 4 sts each on Needles 1 and 3, 8 sts on Needle 2. K all sts from Needle 1 onto Needle 3. Graft sts on Needle 2 to sts on Needle 3. SECOND SOCK When working second sock, notice differences in Rows 4 and 8 of Instep Pattern [see Pattern Notes].

FINISHING
Weave in ends and block socks.
ABOUT THE DESIGNER
Rebekkah grew up reading Playbills and fantasizing about writing her bio in the third person. Now that that day is here, she cannot brag about her role in The Music Man or her bit parts on Law & Order, but she can tell you that she is a knitwear designer. She currently enjoys life in New Hampshire. Her fibery doings can be found here.
Pattern & images © 2008 Rebekkah Kerner. Contact Rebekkah