INTRODUCTION

Stripodot

by Olga Shkuta

The thing I love most about knitted socks is the heel. There is, of course, the stitch pattern on the main body, and edges, and toes, and that is all very nice. To me, however, the real star of any sock is the heel, just like in these Stripodot socks.

This pattern came from a heel construction that I recently came up with – HG heel. The HG heel uses short rows and has a gusset placed at the back of the leg, where the heel flap would usually be. I had knitted several single color variations of this heel and then I came up with Stripodots. I love the two-color version! The Stripodot socks have a pretty, but uneventful dotted main body, and, just the way I like it, a very distinguished and unusually flashy striped heel – the star of the sock, complemented nicely by the striped ribbing.

These socks are knitted top-down, although this heel construction works beautifully both ways, so if you prefer to go toe-up, just start from the toe, and approximately 3 inches before you reach the desired foot length, start the heel. No need to flip the instructions or anything, just follow the instructions as they are.

For sample socks I used solid color yarns. One solid-color and one self-striping yarn should also make a nice combination.

photos: Olga Shkuta

SIZE

Women’s S[M, L]

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Foot circumference: 7[8, 9] inches/ 17.5[20, 22.5] cm
Foot/leg length: adjustable to fit; in pattern as shown, leg measures 3 inches/7.5 cm to top of heel – although note that heel is slightly longer than a standard flap and gusset construction.

Choose a size with half an inch/1 cm of negative ease in the foot circumference

MATERIALS

Yarn
Regia 4-ply [75% wool, 25% polyamide, 210m/230yd per 50g skein];
[MC] 02205 Plum; 1 ball
[CC] 01991 Light Grey; 1 ball

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below - every knitter's gauge is unique]
US #3/3.25 mm needles for small circumference in the round

Notions
3 stitch markers
yarn needle

GAUGE

34 sts/34 rounds = 4 inches/10 cm in dotted pattern, after blocking

PATTERN NOTES

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

Twisted German Cast on: This is also known as the Old Norwegian Cast on. You can find a good video tutorial here.

German Short-rows: You can find an excellent tutorial here.

CDD: Slip 2 sts together (as if for k2tog), k1, pass 2 slipped sts over stitch just knit. 2 sts decreased.

Double increase:
Insert needle into the st below the st on the needle, so that there are two strands of yarn on the left needle. Twist this doubled st, and without dropping the st off the needle work either (k1 with CC, YO with MC, k1 with CC) or (k1 with MC, YO with CC, k1 with MC) as instructed by the pattern, then drop st off the needle. 2 sts increased. You can find a tutorial here.

DIRECTIONS

Cast-On and Ribbing

With CC, and using German twisted cast-on, CO 62[68, 74] stitches.

Distribute sts across needles as you prefer and join for working in the round.

Round 1: With CC, [K1, sl 1 wyib] around.
Round 2: With MC [Sl 1 wyib, p1] around.

Repeat Rounds 1-2 14 more times.

Next round, increase: With CC, k1, yo, k to end of round. 63[69, 75] sts.
Next round: With CC, p1, p1tbl, p to end of round.

Leg Pattern
Round 1: [K1 CC, k1 MC] to last st, k1 CC.
Round 2: [K1 MC, k1 CC] to last st, k1 MC.

Repeat Rounds 1-2 7 more times, work Round 1 one more time. If you wish a longer leg, work more rounds before you start the heel.

Note: this heel construction makes for a slightly taller heel than the usual heel flap. The sample as shown measures 3 inches/7.5 cm long at this point.

Heel:
Right sock only, setup for heel: Work 32[34, 38] sts in pattern. This is the new start of round.

Rearrange your stitches or place markers in preparation for the next step: the first 31[35, 37] sts form the heel, the remaining 32[34, 38] sts form the instep.

From here, Instep sts will be worked in the dot pattern as set: an MC-stitch should be worked with CC, a CC-stitch should be worked in MC.

Top part of the heel
Round 1: Work 15[17, 19] sts in pattern as set, place marker, work double increase with CC, MC, CC, place marker, work in pattern as set to end of round. 2 sts increased for heel between markers.
Rounds 2-4: Work to marker in pattern as set, k1 CC, k1 MC, k1 CC, work in pattern as set to end of round.

Round 5: Work to marker in pattern as set, k1 CC, work double increase with MC, CC, MC, k1 CC, work in pattern as set to end of round. 2 sts increased for heel between markers.
Rounds 6-8: Work to marker in pattern as set, (k1 CC, k1 MC) twice, k1 CC, work in pattern as set to end of round.

Round 9: Work to marker in pattern as set, (k1 CC, k1 MC) to center stitch, work double increase with CC, MC, CC, (k1 MC, k1 CC) to marker, work in pattern as set to end of round. 2 sts increased for heel between markers.
Rounds 10-12: Work to marker in pattern as set, (k1 CC, k1 MC) to 1 st before marker, k1 CC, work in pattern as set to end of round.

Round 13: Work to marker in pattern as set, (k1 CC, k1 MC) to 1 st before center st, k1 CC, work double increase with MC, CC, MC, k1 CC, (k1 MC, k1 CC) to marker, work in pattern as set to end of round.
Rounds 14-16: Work to marker in pattern as set, (k1 CC, k1 MC) to 1 st before marker, k1 CC, work in pattern as set to end of round.

Repeat Rounds 9-16 two more times. For size S, heel is complete. For size M, work work rounds 9-10 once more, for size L, work rounds 9-14 again, 32[34, 38] rows total. 17[19, 21] sts between the markers for the heel. 47[53, 57] sole sts total.

Bottom part of the heel
This section is worked only on the 47[53, 57] sole and heel stitches. The instep sts can be slipped to a holder if you wish.

We are going in reverse, decreasing all previously increased stitches at the same pace. We will do a double decrease in the center stitch of the heel every 4 rounds, and working short rows to create the turn.

Work the stripe and dot pattern as set. When working the stitches above the decrease, work them in the color set by the decrease.

Row 1 [RS]: Work in pattern as set to marker, work in stripes as set to 1 st before center stitch, CDD with CC, work in stripes as set to marker, slip marker, k1 with both strands of yarn, turn.
Row 2 [WS]: Slip st purlwise to right needle, and pull the working yarns up and over the needle (see the German Short rows tutorial for more information); slip marker, work in striped pattern as set to next marker, slip marker, p1 with both strands of yarn, turn.
Row 3 [RS]: Slip st purlwise to right needle, and pull the working yarns up and over the needle, work in pattern as set to marker, slip marker, work central sts in striped pattern to next marker, slip marker, k1 in pattern as set, k1 with both strands of yarn, turn. In this and all following rows work the doubled stitch from the previous row as a single stitch in dotted pattern. If doubled stitch is MC, work it with CC, if the stitch is CC, work it with MC.
Row 4 [WS]: Slip st purlwise to right needle, and pull the working yarns up and over the needle; work in pattern as set to marker, slip marker, work central sts in striped pattern to next marker, slip marker, p1 in pattern as set, p1 with both strands of yarn, turn.

Continue in pattern as set, keeping the stripe pattern, working the CDD decrease in the center of the heel as set – alternating between CC and MC, and working the short-row turn 1 stitch further out from the marker than the previous turn, until only 1 st rems between the markers.

Remove the markers. 31[35, 37] sts rem on the sole. At this point, you resume working in the round.

Foot:
Continue even in dotted pattern as set, until the sock measures approx. 2 inches / 5 cm less than the total desired length. Ensure that the final round you work starts and ends with MC.

Toe decreases
Note: From beginning of round, you have 31[34, 37] sts, a single center stitch, and 31[34, 37] sts to the end of the round. The instructions are written below referring to this center stitch. You may wish to place a removable marker in the stitch so you can easily identify it: before you start the toe, place the marker in that center stitch, as you work the toe, place the marker in the CDD decrease.

Decrease round, sizes S and L only: Work even in pattern as set to 1 before the center stitch, CDD with CC, work even in pattern as set to 1 st before end of round, CDD with CC. 4 sts decreased.
Decrease round, size M only: Work even in pattern as set to 2 before the center stitch, CDD with CC, work even in pattern as set to 1 st before end of round, CDD with CC. 4 sts decreased.

Repeat the decrease round until 11[9, 11] sts rem.
Cut yarn and pull both yarns though rem sts.

FINISHING

Block and weave in ends.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

Olga lives in Moscow, Russia, and enjoys traditional knitters’ pastimes: knitting socks, taking long car trips, baking angel food cakes, and hanging out with Musia, the black cat.

Olga blogs at Horosho, Gromko (that’s Russian for good and loud) about knitting, baking, the cat, and life in general. You can also find Olga on Ravelry.

Pattern & images © 2017 Olga Shkuta. Contact Olga