Knitty: little purls of wisdom
Hi how are you
Title
beauty shot

Tangy

No matter your relationship interests or status, everyone craves a little bit of passion and danger...and there's nothing more passionate and dangerous than a vampire boyfriend.

The entwined gothic heart cable appears on the front and the back of the sock. The cable design flows organically from the customized ribbing, down the leg and along the top of the foot. I've also kept the cable flowing down to the heel -- engineered carefully so that the heel features a full repeat of the heart -- because heel stitch would look boring beside such patterning! And the toe finishes after a full heart motif also.

And on the sides... it looks like a simple 2-over-2 cable, but if you look closely, you can see two tell-tale eyelet holes.

My vampire boyfriend is Spike; our editor's is Lestat (but only the book version), and the co-owner of one of our LYSs is all about Edward. My test knitter professes an odd fondness for Nosferatu, and the other Knitty tech editor crushes on David Bowie's character in The Hunger. Not forgetting Angel and Bill, of course - there are plenty of sexy vampires to go around.

spacer model: Cheryl Fay spacer photos: Sarah Fay

SIZE
Women's S[M, L]

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FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Circumference: 7[7.5, 8] inches
Leg and foot length: To fit

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MATERIALS
Yarn

spacer Colinette Jitterbug [100% wool; 320yd/293m per 100g skein]; color: Vatican Pie; 1[2, 2] skeins


Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
spacer 1 set US #1.5/2.5mm double-point needles
OR
spacer 2 US #1.5/2.5mm circular needles, 24 inches or longer
OR
spacer 1 32 inch long US #1.5/2.5mm circular needle for magic loop method

Tools
spacer Split ring marker or safety pin
spacer Cable needle
spacer Stitch markers
spacer Yarn needle

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GAUGE
30 sts/46 rounds = 4" in stockinette stitch
36 sts/46 rounds = 4" in pattern stitch

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

You may find it easier to work at least the leg section using two circular needles or the magic loop technique, as cable crosses are worked over most of the stitches of both the front and back of the leg.

Note that the bitemark cable repeat is worked over an uneven number of rounds. There are two even rounds between the second eyelet and the cable turn. It makes working the pattern a little more challenging, but after much experimentation, I found that it looked best.

Because of the cable crossings, these socks aren't as elastic as some. Make sure you match gauge and choose the right size to fit.

C4B: Slip next 2 sts to cable needle and hold to back of work; k2 from left needle, k2 from cable needle.
C4F: Slip next 2 sts to cable needle and hold to front of work; k2 from left needle, k2 from cable needle.
C4BP: Slip next 2 sts to cable needle and hold to back of work; k2 from left needle, p2 from cable needle.
C4FP: Slip next 2 sts to cable needle and hold to front of work; p2 from left needle, k2 from cable needle.
C3BP: Slip next st to cable needle and hold to back of work; k2 from left needle, p1 from cable needle.
C3FP: Slip next 2 sts to cable needle and hold to front of work; p1 from left needle, k2 from cable needle.

Triple Decrease:
Slip next 2 sts together, knitwise, as if to work a k2tog. K2tog, then pass both slipped sts together over [k2tog] just worked. 3 sts decreased.

ssp:
Slip next 2 sts knitwise, one at a time, to right needle. Slip them both, purlwise, back to left needle. Purl them together through their back loops.

s2pp:
With yarn held to back of work, slip next 2 sts purlwise to right needle. P next st, then pass slipped sts, together, over st just purled.

chart keychart key

chart
chart

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DIRECTIONS

1 across spacer
LEG
CO 60[64, 68] sts. Divide sts between needles and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist. After several rounds have been worked, place split ring marker or safety pin in work to indicate beginning of round.

Ribbing:
Round 1: *P5[6, 7], [k4, p2] twice, k4, p5[6, 7], work Round 1 of Bitemark Cable; repeat from * once more.

Round 2: *P5[6, 7], k4, p2, C4B, p2, k4, p5[6, 7], work next round of Bitemark Cable; repeat from * once more.

Round 3: *P5[6, 7], [k4, p2] twice, k4, p5[6, 7], work next round of Bitemark Cable; repeat from * once more.

Rounds 4-5: Work as for Round 3.

Round 6
: Work as for Round 2.

Rounds 7-8:
Work as for Round 3.
Round 9:
*P5[6, 7], m1p, [k4, p2] twice, k4, m1p, p5[6, 7], work next round of Bitemark Cable; repeat from * once more. 64[68, 72] sts.

Next Round: *P1[2, 3], work Round 1 of Heart  Cable, p1[2, 3], work next round of Bitemark Cable; repeat from * once more.
This round sets pattern for leg. Continue in pattern as set until work measures approx. 6.5[6.5, 6.25] inches or desired length, ending with Round 4[2, 20] of Heart Cable.

HEEL FLAP
Set-up Row [RS]: P1[2, 3], work Row 5[3, 1] of Modified Heart Cable, p1[2, 3].
Heel flap will be worked back and forth over these 28[30, 32] sts; all other sts are held on needles for onstep.

Continue working sts of heel flap in pattern until you have completed Row 26 (a WS row) of Modified Heart Cable. (Note that you will not work Row 27 of chart when working heel flap.)

1 across spacer
TURN HEEL
Row 1 [RS]: K19[20, 21], ssk. Turn work.
Row 2 [WS]: Sl 1, p10, p2tog. Turn work.
Row 3 [RS]: Sl 1, k10, ssk. Turn work.
Repeat Rows 2-3 6[7, 8] times more, then work Row 2 once more. 12 heel sts remain.

GUSSET
With RS facing, k 12 sts of heel; pick up and k 14[15, 16] sts along adjacent edge of heel flap, place marker; work all sts of instep in pattern, place marker; pick up and k 14[15, 16] sts along remaining edge of heel flap; k first 6 sts of heel. This point (center of heel) will now be beginning of round.  76[80, 84] sts: 36[38, 40] sts for instep, 40[42, 44] sts for sole and gusset.

Redistribute sts on needle(s) as desired. For ease of working heart cable, place all instep sts on one needle.

Set-up Round: K6, k13[14, 15] tbl, p1 tbl; work all sts of instep in pattern; p1 tbl,  k13[14, 15] tbl, p1 tbl, k6.

Gusset Decrease Round: K to 3 sts before first marker, k2tog, p1, work in pattern to next marker, p1, ssk, k to end of round. 2 sts decreased.
Next Round: K to 1 st before first marker, p1, work in pattern to next marker, p1, k to end of round.
Repeat these 2 rounds 5 times more. 64[68, 72] sts: 36[38, 40] sts for instep, 28[30, 32] sts for sole.

1 across

FOOT
Continue in pattern, working Heart and Bitemark cables as set, until work measures approx. 2 inches less than desired length, ending between Rounds 9 and 20 of Heart Cable.
Note last round of Heart Cable worked.

TOE
As you shape the toe, switch to working Modified Heart Cable chart, beginning with round number that follows last round of Heart Cable worked. (For example, if you ended with Round 20 of Heart Cable, begin with Round 21 of Modified Heart Cable). Once Round 27 of Modified Heart Cable is complete, work sts of instep in reverse stockinette st (p all sts), continuing Bitemark Cables as set.

Toe Decrease Round: K to 3 sts before first marker, k2tog, p1; work sts of Bitemark Cable in pattern, ssp, work in pattern to 6 sts before next marker, p2tog, work sts of Bitemark Cable in pattern, p1, ssk, k to end of round. 4 sts decreased.
Work 3 rounds in pattern.

Work Toe Decrease Round. Work 2 rounds in pattern.
Repeat these 3 rounds once more.

Work Toe Decrease Round. Work 1 round in pattern.
Repeat these 2 rounds twice more.

Work Toe Decrease Round 4[5, 6] times more. 21 sts.
Note: Sts on needles will appear as follows, counting from beginning of round: 3 k sts, 1 p st, 4 sts of Bitemark Cable, 5 p sts, 4 sts of Bitemark Cable, 1 p st, 3 k sts.

Next Round: K1, k2tog, p1, k2tog, ssk, p1, s2pp, p1, k2tog, ssk, p1, ssk, k1. 13 sts.

Break yarn, leaving a tail approx. 8 inches long. Use yarn needle to draw tail through remaining sts, and pull tight.

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FINISHING
Weave in ends and block. You don't need any special tools; just get the socks wet, roll them in a towel to wring them out, and put them on. Take them off again immediately, and hang them to dry.

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ABOUT THE DESIGNER

designernamespacer Kate is Knitty's technical editor for socks. She loves a good vampire story almost as much as she loves sock knitting. (Ask her about Spike and Angel as an allegory for the Lennon-McCartney relationship...)

You can see more of her work at wisehildaknits.com.

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