I love looking through stitch dictionaries in my spare time. I have even been known to leave one or two in the bathroom.

When I came across this lace pattern I knew it would make a lovely sock. In the book it is a ten-stitch repeat. That works well for a sixty-stitch sock, but what about larger sizes? By altering the scale of the pattern I was able to design a sock in a multiple of sizes without changing the integrity of the design.

SIZE
Women’s S [M, L, XL] [shown in size M]

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Circumference: 7 [7.5, 8, 8.5] inches, unstretched
Foot Length: Adjustable to fit.

MATERIALS
Yarn
Handmaiden Sea Sock [51% silk, 29% superwash Merino, 20% Seacell; 400m per 100g skein]; color: Beach House; 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 #0/2mm double-point needles
OR
1 US #0/2mm long circular needle for magic loop method
OR
2 US #0/2mm circular needles for two-circulars method

Notions
Yarn needle

GAUGE

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

The patterning on the foot is worked in a slightly unusual manner – instead of dividing the stitches evenly, there is one more stitch in the instep than in the sole – this allows the patterning on the foot to be symmetrical.

DIRECTIONS
Loosely cast on 60[66, 72, 80] sts. Distribute stitches as you prefer and join, being careful not to twist. Mark beginning of round.

Round 1: Work chart row 1 for appropriate size around round.  Note that size XL uses the same chart as for size S.

Work as established following appropriate size. Once 50[56, 62, 50] rounds are complete, continue repeating only chart rows 27-50[29-56, 31-62, 27-50], working until leg is desired length. The socks photographed have legs 7 inches long.

Heel Flap:
Turn so that WS is facing. Heel flap is worked back and forth in rows on 29[32, 35, 39] sts.

Row 1 [WS]: K3, p26[29, 32, 36].

Row 2 [RS]: P3, [k1, sl 1], rep to last 3 sts, k3.

Repeat Rows 1 & 2 15[17, 18, 19] more times. 32[36, 38, 40] rows total. WS will be facing.

This heel flap style creates a garter stitch edge which makes it easy to pick up the gusset stitches along the edge of the heel flap.

Heel Turn:
Row 1 [WS]: Sl 1, p15[18, 19, 21], p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 2 [RS]: Sl 1, k4[7, 6, 6], ssk, k1, turn.
Row 3 [WS]: Sl 1, p5[8, 7, 7], p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 4 [RS]: Sl 1, k6[9, 8, 8], ssk, k1, turn.
Row 5 [WS]: Sl 1, p7[10, 9, 9], p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 6 [RS]: Sl 1, k8[11,10, 10], ssk, k1, turn.
Row 7 [WS]: Sl 1, p9[12, 11, 11], p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 8 [RS]: Sl 1, k10[13, 12, 12], ssk, k1, turn.
Row 9 [WS]: Sl 1, p11[14, 13, 13], p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 10 [RS]: Sl 1, k12[15, 14, 14], ssk, k1, turn.
Row 11 [WS]: Sl 1, p13[16, 15, 15], p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 12 [RS]: Sl 1, k14[17, 16, 16], ssk, k1, turn.

Sizes Small & Medium: 17[20] sts rem. Proceed to GUSSET.

Large  & XL Only
Row 13 [WS]: Sl 1, p17, p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 14 [RS]: Sl 1, k18, ssk, k1, turn.
21 sts rem.

XL Only:
Row 15 [WS]: Sl 1, p19, p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 16 [RS]: Sl 1, k20, ssk, k1, turn.

Pick up and knit 18[19, 20, 21] sts along the side of the heel flap for right gusset. Place marker for start of round. Work across 31[34, 37, 41] instep sts following next row of appropriate chart for size being made and place a second marker for end of instep. Pick up and knit 18[19, 20, 21]sts along the side of the heel flap for left gusset. Knit the 17[20, 21, 23] heel flap stitches and the 18[19, 20, 21] right side gusset stitches. 84[92, 98, 106] sts total. 31[34, 37, 41] on instep, 53[58, 61, 65] on sole. Start of round is at start of instep sts.

Gusset decreases:
Decrease round: Work in pattern to end of instep; k1, SSK; knit to last 3 sts of round, k2tog, k1. 2 sts decreased.

Following round: Work even.

Repeat the above two rounds 11[12, 12, 12] more times until 60[66, 72, 80] sts rem total – 31[34, 37, 41] on instep, 29[32, 35, 39] on sole.

TOE
Setup round: K30[33, 36, 40], place marker for end of instep sts, k to end of round.

Decrease round: K 1, ssk, knit to 3 stitches before second marker, k2tog, k2, ssk, knit to 3 sts before end of round, k2tog, k1. 4 sts decreased.
Round 2: Knit.

Repeat these two rounds [7, 8, 9, 9] times more, until 28[30, 32, 40] sts remain.
Repeat decrease round 3[3, 3, 4] more times until 16[18, 20, 24] sts remain.

FINISHING
Graft toe sts together with Kitchener st. Weave in ends. Block.

Brenda’s designs are fueled by the creative energy of the San Francisco Bay Area. Her artistic vibe and desire to explore new techniques infuses her various creative outlets of cooking, beading, and most of all, knitting. 

You can find more of Brenda’s designs here and here. She's on Ravelry as Beeeepatipaknits and Twitter as bpatipaknits.