Knitty: little purls of wisdom
Hidden Purls
Title
beauty shot

Tangy

Store-bought bread? Not for this household. I’ve been baking bread for the past year. White, wheat, challah, or brioche, no matter what the variety the process has been rewarding on multiple levels. You may be wondering what bread has to do with a sock pattern. Well, the inspiration for this design is wheat.

Winnowing is the process of separating the desired from the undesired using wind or air. In order to harvest wheat grain, threshed wheat was tossed in the air and winds would carry the chaff away, leaving the heavier wheat berries to fall to the ground.

Winnowing illustration: Encyclopaedia Biblica, a 1903 publication which is now in the public domain.

Winnow has panels of wheat heads traveling up the front and back of the sock and airy lace fans along the sides. I liked the fan stitch pattern as-is, so all of the sizing is accomplished in the wheat panels.
Feel free to vary the length of the leg to suit your taste as well as the yarn available. The pattern repeat for the leg is 16 rounds, but the leg can be lengthened or shortened in 4-round increments.

spacer photos: William F. Walker, Janice Kang

SIZE
M[L] (shown in size M with 4.5 repeats of Chart A for the Leg)

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FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Circumference: 9[10] inches slightly stretched
Foot length: adjustable to fit

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MATERIALS
Yarn

spacer Louet Gems Fingering Weight [100% superwash merino; 185yds/169m per 50g skein]; color: Cherry Red; 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 of 5 US #1/2.25mm double-point needles
OR
spacer 1 US #1/2.25mm 32 inch or longer circular needle for magic loop method
OR
spacer 2 US #1/2.25mm shorter circular needles for two-circulars method

Notions
spacer Yarn needle
spacer 2 stitch markers – one should be removable (split ring or safety pin style)

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GAUGE

34 sts/44 rounds = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
42 sts/44 rounds = 4 inches in pattern stitch

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

Slip sts as if to purl unless otherwise instructed.

Work each row of Chart A twice per round.

While working the gusset and foot, the first st of Chart B is marked with a split ring marker. As the project gets longer, move the marker closer to the needles while keeping the marker on the first st of Chart B.

K3tog: Knit 3 together.

SK2P: Slip 1 st as if to knit, k2tog, pass slipped st over. 2 sts decreased.

S2KP2: Slip 2 sts together as if to k2tog, k1, pass 2 slipped sts over. 2 sts decreased.

Special symbols on chart:

DL: While working gusset, S2KP2; after completing gusset decrease rounds, SSK.

DR: While working gusset, S2KP2; after completing gusset decrease rounds, k2tog.

L: While working gusset, SSK; after completing gusset decrease rounds, k1.

R: While working gusset, k2tog; after completing gusset decrease rounds, k1.

Rib St (worked over 64[72] sts):
Medium size only: [K2, (p1, k1) 3 times, (p1, k2) 3 times, (p1, k1) 2 times, (p1, k2, p1, k1) 2 times, p1] repeat to end of round.
Large size only: [K2, (p1, k1) 3 times, (p1, k2) 3 times, (p1, k1) 2 times, p1, k2, p2, k2, (p1, k1) 2 times, p1, k2, p1] repeat to end of round.

spacerCharts
The charts for this pattern are very large. Each fits on a letter-sized page.
Click the chart name below and print the resulting page.

Choose the appropriate versions of Charts A and B for the size you are making.
MediumLarge

DIRECTIONS

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Cuff
CO 64[72] sts. Divide across your needles as you prefer, and join for working in the round. Note or mark beginning of round.

Work Rib St until cuff measures 1 inch from CO edge.

Leg
Work rows 1-16 of Chart A 4 times. Each Chart row will be worked twice across round.

Note: If you change the length of the leg, end the leg after completing a round that contains row 4, 8, 12, or 16 of Chart A. Make note of the last row worked.

Heel Flap
Set-up: Remove start of round marker if you have one in place, k5. Turn work.

Note: The heel flap is worked flat across 31[35] sts which may be consolidated onto one needle.  Rem 33[37] sts will be held for instep.

Row 1 [WS]: Sl1, p30[34]. Turn work.

Row 2 [RS]: (Sl1, k1) 15[17] times, k1. Turn work.

Repeat last 2 rows 15[17] more times.

Work Row 1 once more.

Note: If you have a large instep, you may wish to work a longer heel flap to add height to the foot of the sock. If you do this, be sure to pick up more gusset sts and work more gusset decrease rounds accordingly.

Heel Turn
Row 1 [RS]: Sl1, k17[19], SSK, k1. Turn work.

Row 2 [WS]: Sl1, p6, p2tog, p1. Turn work.

Row 3 [RS]: Sl1, k7, SSK, k1. Turn work.

Row 4 [WS]: Sl1, p8, p2tog, p1. Turn work.

Row 5 [RS]: Sl1, k9, SSK, k1. Turn work.

Row 6 [WS]: Sl1, p10, p2tog, p1. Turn work.

Row 7 [RS]: Sl1, k11, SSK, k1. Turn work.

Row 8 [WS]: Sl1, p12, p2tog, p1. Turn work.

Row 9 [RS]: Sl1, k13, SSK, k1. Turn work.

Row 10 [WS]: Sl1, p14, p2tog, p1. Turn work.

Row 11 [RS]: Sl1, k15, SSK, k1. Turn work.

Row 12 [WS]: Sl1, p16, p2tog, p1. Turn work.

Large size only:
Row 13 [RS]: Sl1, k17, SSK, k1. Turn work.

Row 14 [WS]: Sl1, p18, p2tog, p1. Turn work.

All sizes:
19[21] heel turn sts remain.

Gusset
Note: The instep stitches are worked from Chart B. See the table below for which row to start with.

Last row worked from Chart A

First row worked from Chart B

Row 4

Row 5

Row 8

Row 9

Row 12

Row 13

Row 16

Row 1

Note: The gusset decreases are integrated into the patterning worked across the instep.  Rows 1, 5, 9 and 13 of the chart have decreases at each end. When a gusset decrease round falls on one of those chart rows, a double decrease is worked at the start and end of the instep sts rather than a standard single decrease.  When a gusset decrease round falls on chart rows 3, 7, 11 and 15 a single decrease is worked in place of the knit stitch normally worked.  See chart and pattern notes for details.  Once the gusset decreases are complete, single decreases are worked at each end of chart rows 1, 5, 9 and 13; and on chart rows 3, 7, 11 and 15, a knit stitch is worked at both ends.

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Round 1: Sl1, k18[20], pick up and knit 19[21] sts along the side of the heel flap; slip the last picked-up stitch to the left needle, S2KP2, mark the resulting st with a removable stitch marker— (this is the first st of Chart B) continue with the second st of Chart B (refer to table above for which row to work) ending with stitch 32[36] of the chart; sl2, pick up 1 st at the top of heel flap and place it on the left needle, sl2 from the right needle back to the left needle, S2KP2—you just worked stitch 33[37] of Chart B; pick up and knit 18[20] sts along the side of the heel flap, k10[11], pm for beg of rnd if desired.
Sole/gusset: 55[61] sts, instep: 33[37] sts. 88[98] sts total.

Round 2: Knit up to but do not work marked st; work 33[37] sts in established pattern from Chart B; k to end of rnd.

Round 3: Knit until there is 1 unworked st before the marked st; work 33[37] sts in established pattern from Chart B; k to end of rnd. 2 sts decreased.

Repeat Rounds 2 and 3 until 33[37] sole sts remain. 66[74] sts total.

Foot
Note: The first and last stitches of the odd rows of Chart B have different definitions for this section of the sock. Refer to the chart key.

Foot round: Knit up to but do not work marked st; continue instep in established pattern from Chart B, k to end of rnd.

Repeat Foot round until foot is approximately 2 [2.25] inches shorter than desired length from back of heel

Toe
Remove beg of rnd marker, knit up to but do not work marked st. This is the new beg of rnd. Place a marker or rearrange your sts as you desire. 33[37] instep sts and 33[37] sole sts, 66[74] sts total.

Round 1: K1, SSK, k27[31], k2tog, k1, pm for center of round, k1, SSK, k until 3 sts rem in rnd, k2tog, k1. 4 sts decreased.

Round 2: K all sts.

Round 3: K1, SSK, k to 3 sts before center marker, k2tog, k1, slip marker, k1, SSK, k until 3 sts before end, k2tog, k1. 4 sts decreased.

Repeat Rounds 2 and 3 10[12] more times until 18 sts remain.

Graft the toe closed.

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FINISHING
Weave in ends, block if desired.

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ABOUT THE DESIGNER

designernamespacer Janice knits, spins, and bakes in her home in Northern California. In her spare time she also sings backup in a band—her fellow band members often see her knitting during down time at rehearsal and soundcheck.

You can follow Janice on her blog and view her projects and patterns on Ravelry.

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