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Knitty�: little purls of wisdom
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spacer photos: Teemu Hirsimäki

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I always fall in love with handpainted sock yarns – on the skein. Knit up, the colors usually obscure patterns, and there's a limit to how many pairs of plain stockinette socks one can knit.

These socks feature a stitch pattern simple enough not to be obscured by color variations, but rather to show both colors and pattern. A perfect simple knit (or wear) for a lazy Sunday.

 

SIZE

S [M, L, XL] (shown in size L)

 
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Leg circumference, unstretched: 7 [8, 9, 10] inches. To be worn with approximately 1 inch negative ease.

Foot size: adjustable
 
MATERIALS
spacer Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock [80% superwash wool, 20% nylon; 215 yards per 57 gram skein]; 207: Envy; 2[2, 2, 2] skeins

Recommended needle size:
spacer 1 set of 5 US #1/2.25 mm double-point needles
OR
spacer1 24 inch or longer US #1/2.25mm circular needle
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]

spacer Tapestry needle
spacer Stitch holder [optional]
spacer Stitch markers [optional]

 
GAUGE

32 sts/48 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch in the round

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

Stitch pattern is scaled for each size. Refer to Chart 1[2, 3, 4] for size Small[Medium, Large, Extra large]. Pattern is worked alike for both socks.

chart

chart

DIRECTIONS
heartALT
Leg
Cast on 56[64, 72, 80] stitches on double-pointed needles. Join for knitting in the round, taking care not to twist. Place marker for the beginning of the round if you find it helpful.

Twisted rib round: [K1 tbl, p1] to end. Repeat this round for 1 inch.

Begin lace pattern, using chart 1[2, 3, 4] as appropriate. Work 3 full repeats of pattern.

Heel Flap
The heel is worked back and forth on half the stitches.  The other stitches – the instep sts – will be held until the heel is complete. 

Row 1 [RS]: Sl 1, k 27[31, 35, 39]. 28[32, 36, 40] stitches.
Turn work. Slide the rem sts to a holder if you wish while you work the heel.
Row 2 [WS]: Sl 1, p 27[31, 35, 39].  Turn work.

Repeat these two rows 13[15, 17, 19] more times, until you have worked a total of 28[32, 36, 40] rows. There will be a chain of 14[16, 18, 20] slipped stitches on the edge of the heel flap.

Heel Turn
Row 1 [RS]: Sl 1, k 16[18, 20, 22], SSK, k1, turn work.
Row 2 [WS]: Slip 1, p7, p2tog, p1, turn work.
Row 3, [RS]: Sl 1, k8, SSK, k1, turn work.
Row 4, [WS]: Sl 1, p9, p2tog, p1, turn work.
Row 5, [RS]: Sl 1, k10, SSK, k1, turn work.
Row 6, [WS]: Sl 1, p11, p2tog, p1, turn work.
Row 7, [RS]: Sl 1, k12, SSK, k1, turn work.
Row 8, [WS]: Sl 1, p13, p2tog, p1, turn work.
Row 9, [RS]: Sl 1, k14, SSK, k1, turn work.
Row 10, [WS]: Sl 1, p15, p2tog, p1, turn work.  18 sts rem.
For size S, move to next step, “Reestablish round”, at this point.

Sizes M, L & XL only:
Row 11, [RS]: Sl 1, k16, SSK, k1, turn work.
Row 12, [WS]: Sl 1, p17, p2tog, p1, turn work. 20 sts rem.
For size M, move to next step, “Reestablish round”, at this point.

Sizes L & XL only:
Row 13, [RS]: Sl 1, k18, SSK, k1, turn work.
Row 14, [WS]: Sl 1, p19, p2tog, p1, turn work. 22 sts rem.
For size L, move to next step, “Reestablish round”, at this point.

Size XL only:
Row 15, [RS]: Sl 1, k20, SSK, k1, turn work.
Row 16, [WS]: Sl 1, p21, p2tog, p1, turn work.  24 sts rem.

Reestablish round
Knit the heel stitches. With the same needle, pick up and knit 14[16, 18, 20] slipped stitches along the heel flap edge, using the slipped stitches as a guide. Work across the instep stitches - those that were on hold while you worked the heel - in pattern according to chart as established.

With another needle, pick up and knit 14[16, 18, 20] slipped sts along the other side of the heel flap edge, using the slipped stitches as a guide. With this same needle knit 9[10, 11, 12] sts from the heel sts. The start of the round is at the center of the heel. There are now 46 [52, 58, 64] sts for the sole and 28[32, 26, 40] sts for the instep.

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Gusset and foot
For the gusset and foot, the sole stitches are always knit, and the instep stitches are worked in pattern according to chart as established.  Place markers if you find it helpful.

Gusset decrease round: Knit until 3 stitches before the instep, k2tog, k1. Work in pattern across instep sts; k1, SSK, k to end.
Work 2 rounds even.
Repeat the above three rounds until 56[64, 72, 80] stitches remain

Continue in pattern as established until the foot from back of heel measures approximately 1.5[1.5, 2, 2] inches less than desired finished length. It is possible to start toe shaping at any point of pattern repeat, but I recommend working a full pattern repeat if at all possible for the foot size desired.

Toe
The toe is worked in stockinette stitch.
Decrease round: K until 3 stitches before the instep, k2tog, k2, SSK; knit until 3 sts remain on the instep, k2tog, k2, SSK, k to the end of the round.
Repeat the above two rounds until 8[9, 10, 11] stitches remain on each needle.

Continue, working every round as a decrease round until 2 stitches remain on each needle. Break yarn. Thread yarn through the remaining 8 stitches and pull tight to close.

FINISHING

Weave in ends. The socks can be worn without blocking, but the stitch pattern will benefit from being blocked lightly.

 
ABOUT THE DESIGNER
designernameBlank Kristel Nyberg lives and knits practically buried in her substantial stash and in the toys of her children in a messy (because housework is a waste of perfectly good knitting time) home in southern Finland.

She only blogs in Finnish, but writes about her projects in English on Ravelry by the surprisingly chosen username Kristel.