When my friend and her husband decided to pull up their Midwestern roots and move their two small children to Connecticut, I knew she had a huge challenge ahead of her. I made her these socks, so that even from hundreds of miles away, I could give her some comfort on those days when the toddler decides to color his bedroom walls while the baby screams at the top of her lungs. Handmade socks can make anything better.

The design alternates diamonds with cable decorations and ones with a plain purl background. The final result is reminiscent of ornate cathedrals, thus the name.

SIZE
Women’s S/M [Women’s M/L, Men’s] Shown in size  Women’s M/L

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Around ball of foot 7.5 [8.5 9.5] inches

MATERIALS
Yarn
Schaefer Yarn Company Anne [60% merino wool, 25% mohair, 15% nylon; 560 yd/512 m per skein]; color: Julia Child; 1 skein.

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
1 set US #1/2.25mm double-point needles
OR
1 32 inch or longer US #1/2.25mm circular needle for magic loop method

Notions
Cable needle
Stitch marker
Stitch holder - optional
Tapestry needle

GAUGE
34 sts/46 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch

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

C2F: Cable 2 Front - Slip stitch to cable needle, hold to front, k1, k1 from cable needle
C2B: Cable 2 Back - Slip stitch to cable needle, hold to back, k1, k1 from cable needle
C2PF: Cable 2 Purl Front - Slip stitch to cable needle, hold to front, p1, k1 from cable needle
C2PB: Cable 2 Purl Back - Slip stitch to cable needle, hold to back, k1, p1 from cable needle

Cathedral Cable Leg Pattern
Note: In Rounds 15 and 23 the final cable runs one stitch into the following round.  Depending on how your stitches are distributed, you will likely want to shuffle a stitch from the start of the first needle of the round to the end of the last needle to make this easier. 
Round 1: [P1, k1, p1, k2] 14 [16, 18] times.
Round 2: [P1, k1, p1, k2] 14 [16, 18] times.
Round 3: [P1, k1, p1, C2F] 14 [16, 18] times.
Round 4: [P1, k1, p1, k2] 14 [16, 18] times.
Round 5: [P1, k1, p1, k2] 14 [16, 18] times.
Round 6: [P1, k1, p1, k2] 14 [16, 18] times. 
Round 7: [P1, k1, p1, k2] 14 [16, 18] times.
Round 8: [P1, k1, p1, k2] 14 [16, 18] times. 
Round 9: [P1, k1, C2PB, C2PF, k1, p1, k2] 7 [8, 9] times.
Round 10: [P1, k2, p2, k2, p1, k2] 7 [8, 9] times.
Round 11: [P1, C2PB, p2, C2PF, p1, C2F] 7 [8, 9] times.
Round 12: [P1, k1, p4, k1, p1, k2] 7 [8, 9] times.
Round 13: [C2PB, p4, C2PF, k2] 7 [8, 9] times.
Round 14: [K1, p6, k3] 7 [8, 9] times.
Round 15: K1, [p6, C2PF, C2PB] 7 [8, 9] times. Note: the last cable overlaps the first stitch of Round 16.
Round 16: P7 k2 [p8, k2] 6 [7, 8] times.
Round 17: [P8, C2F] 7 [8, 9] times.
Round 18: [P8, k2] 7 [8, 9] times.
Round 19: [P8, k2] 7 [8, 9] times.
Round 20: [P8, k2] 7 [8, 9] times.
Round 21: [P8, C2F] 7 [8, 9] times.
Round 22: [P8, k2] 7 [8, 9] times.
Round 23: P1, [p6, C2B, C2F] – 7 [8, 9] times. Note: the last cable overlaps the first stitch of Round 24.
Round 24: P7, k2 [p8, k2] 6 [7, 8] times.
Round 25: [C2PF, p4, C2PB, k2] 7 [8, 9] times
Round 26: [P1, k1, p4, k1, p1, k2] 7 [8, 9] times.
Round 27: [P1, C2F, p2, C2B, p1, C2F] 7 [8, 9] times
Round 28: [P1, k2, p2, k2, p1, k2] 7 [8, 9] times.
Round 29: [P1, k1, C2PF, C2PB, k1, p1, k2] 7 [8, 9] times
Round 30: [P1, k1, p1, k2] 14 [16, 18] times.
Round 31: [P1, k1, p1, C2F, p1, k1, p1, C2F] 7 [8, 9] times
Round 32: [P1, k1, p1, k2] 14 [16, 18] times.

Cathedral Cable Foot Pattern
Round 1: K2, [p1, k1, p1, k2] 6 [8, 8] times.
Round 2: K2, [p1, k1, p1, k2] 6 [8, 8] times.
Round 3: C2F, [p1, k1, p1, C2F] 6 [8, 8] times.
Round 4: K2, [p1, k1, p1, k2] 6 [8, 8] times.
Round 5: K2, [p1, k1, p1, k2] 6 [8, 8] times.
Round 6: K2, [p1, k1, p1, k2] 6 [8, 8] times.
Round 7: C2F, [p1, k1, p1, C2F] 6 [8, 8] times.
Round 8: K2, [p1, k1, p1, k2] 6 [8, 8] times.
Round 9: K2, [p1, k1, C2PB, C2PF, k1, p1, k2] 3 [3, 4] times.
Round 10: K2, [p1, k2, p2, k2, p1, k2] 3 [3, 4] times.
Round 11: C2F, [p1, C2PB, p2, C2PF, p1, C2F] 3 [3, 4] times.
Round 12: K2, [p1, k1, p4, k1, p1, k2] 3 [3, 4] times.
Round 13: K2, [C2PB, p4, C2PF, k2] 3 [3, 4] times.
Round 14: K2, [k1, p6, k3] 3 [3, 4] times.
Round 15: K1, [C2PB, p6, C2PF] 3 [4, 4] times, k1.
Round 16: K2, [p8, k2] 3 [3, 4] times.
Round 17: C2F, [p1, k1, p1, C2F] 6 [8, 8] times.
Round 18: K2, [p8, k2] 3 [3, 4] times.
Round 19: K2, [p8, k2] 3 [3, 4] times.
Round 20: K2, [p8, k2] 3 [3, 4] times.
Round 21: C2F, [p1, k1, p1, C2F] 6 [8, 8] times.
Round 22: [P8, k2] 2 [3, 3] times.
Round 23: K1 [C2PF, p6, C2PB] 3 [4, 4] times, k1.
Round 24: K2 [k1, p6, k3] 3 [3, 4] times.
Round 25: K2 [C2PF, p4, C2PB, k2] 3 [3, 4] times.
Round 26: K2 [P1, k1, p4, k1, p1, k2] 3 [3, 4] times.
Round 27: C2F [P1, C2F, p2, C2B, p1, C2F] 3 [3, 4] times.
Round 28: K2 [P1, k2, p2, k2, p1, k2] 3 [3, 4] times.
Round 29: K2 [P1, k1, C2PF, C2PB, k1, p1, k2] 3 [3, 4] times.
Round 30: K2 [P1, k1, p1, k2] 6 [8, 8] times.
Round 31: C2F [P1, k1, p1, C2F, p1, k1, p1, C2F] 6 [8, 8] times
Round 32: K2 [P1, k1, p1, k2] 6 [8, 8] times.

Chart: Click for the charts; they will print on one letter-sized page.

DIRECTIONS
Ribbing
Cast on 56 [64, 72]. Distribute evenly across your needles and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist. Place marker if desired.

Ribbing round: [P1, k1] across round.
Work as established until ribbing measures 1 inch.

Increase round: [P1, k1, p1, k1, m1] 14 [16, 18] times.  70 [80, 90] stitches total.

Leg
Work 2 full repeats of the Cathedral Cable pattern.

Heel Flap
Next row, set up for heel flap [RS]: Sl1, [k1, p1, k2, p1] 7 [7, 9] times, k1, p1, turn. 38 [38, 48] sts. Place remaining [32, 42, 42] sts on a holder if desired – you will return to these once the heel is completed.

Heel flap row 2 [WS]: Sl1, [p1, k1, p2, k1] 7 [7, 9] times, p2.

Heel flap row 3 [RS]: Sl1, [k1, p1, C2F, p1] 7 [7, 9] times, k1, p1.

Heel flap row 4 [WS]: Sl1, [p1, k1, p2, k1] 7 [7, 9] times, p2.

Heel flap row 5 [RS]:Sl1, [k1, p1, k2, p1] 7 [7, 9] times, k1, p1.

Heel flap row 6 [WS]: Sl1, [p1, k1, p2, k1] 7 [7, 9] times, p2.
Repeat Rows 3-6 until heel flap measures 2.5 [2.75, 3] inches, ending with a WS row. 

Turn Heel
Heel turn row 1 [RS]: Sl1, k19 [19, 25], SSK, k1, turn.
Heel turn row 2 [WS]: Sl1, p3 [3, 5], p2tog, p1, turn.
Heel turn row 3 [RS]: Sl1, k4 [4, 6], SSK, k1, turn
Heel turn row 4 [WS]: Sl1, p5 [5, 7], p2tog, p1, turn.
Heel turn row 5 [RS]: Sl1, k6 [6, 8], SSK, k1, turn
Heel turn row 6 [WS]: Sl1, p7 [7, 9], p2tog, p1, turn.
Heel turn row 7 [RS]: Sl1, k8 [8, 10], SSK, k1, turn
Heel turn row 8 [WS]: Sl1, p9 [9, 11], p2tog, p1, turn.
Heel turn row 9 [RS]: Sl1, k10 [10, 12], SSK, k1, turn
Heel turn row 10 [WS]: Sl1, p11 [11 13], p2tog, p1, turn.
Heel turn row 11 [RS]: Sl1, k12 [12, 14], SSK, k1, turn
Heel turn row 12 [WS]: Sl1, p13 [13, 15], p2tog, p1, turn.
Heel turn row 13 [RS]: Sl1, k14 [14, 16], SSK, k1, turn
Heel turn row 14 [WS]: Sl1, p15 [15, 17], p2tog, p1, turn.
Heel turn row 15 [RS]: Sl1, k16 [16, 18], SSK, k1, turn
Heel turn row 16 [WS]: Sl1, p17 [17, 19], p2tog, p1, turn.
Sizes Women’s S/M and Women’s M/L, proceed to Gusset.

Men's size only:
Heel turn row 17 [RS]: Sl1, k- [-, 20], SSK, k1, turn
Heel turn row 18 [WS]: Sl1, p- [-, 21], p2tog, p1, turn.
Heel turn row 19 [RS]: Sl1, k- [-, 22], SSK, k1, turn
Heel turn row 20 [WS]: Sl1, p- [-, 23], p2tog, p1, turn.
Heel turn row 21 [RS]: Sl1, k- [-, 24], SSK, turn
Heel turn row 22 [WS]: Sl1, p- [-, 24], p2tog, turn.

20 [20, 26] heel stitches remain.
K 10 [10, 13]. Place marker for start of round. Gusset
Gusset setup round: K10 [10, 13]. Pick up 15 [16, 17] sts along the edge of the heel flap.
Place a second marker to denote start of instep sts. [K2, p1, k1, p1] 6 [8, 8] times, k2. This is the first round of the foot chart. Place a third marker to denote end of instep sts. Pick up 15 [16, 17] sts along the edge of the heel flap between the instep and the heel. K to end of round. 82 [94, 102] sts.  32 [42, 42] for instep, and 50 [52, 60] on the sole. 

Gusset decrease round: K to 3 sts before second marker, SSK, work instep sts as per Foot chart to third marker, slip marker, k1, k2tog, k to end of round.
Even round: Work in established pattern, continuing to follow the Foot chart for the instep sts.

Continue working the Foot chart, alternating decrease and even rounds until 70 [80 90] sts remain.

Foot
Work in pattern as established until sock measures 2 inches less than full foot length from back of heel.
Remove existing markers on the final round.
Setup for toe: K17 [22, 27], pm, k33 [38, 43], pm, k2, pm, k33 [38, 43], pm, k1.

Toe
Toe decrease round: K1, slip marker, SSK, k to 2 stitches before second marker, k2tog, slip marker, k2, slip marker, SSK, knit to 2 stitches before fourth marker, k2tog, slip marker, k1.
Normal round: Knit.

Alternate decrease and even rounds until toe measures 2 inches. You should have 22 [32, 42] sts left.

Close the toe with Kitchener stitch.

FINISHING
Weave in ends and block, if desired.

Shana Kreikemeier lives in Kansas City with her quirky dachshund, Pico. She makes a living by helping people find beauty schools, and she makes a life out of fabric and yarn.

You can find more of her knitting and quilting patterns at needyl.com