I created a version of these cables for a valentine project,
but I liked knitting them so well I had to adapt them to something
new, and a quick-knitting light-worsted sock was just the thing.
The cheery heathered green rescues them from a sentence of February-only
appearances, and all the wee little cables will give you an easy
way to practice cabling without cables.
The afterthought heel is quick and painless to knit and smooth
and comfy to wear. You simply knit in some waste yarn to hold
the place for your heel, then continue working the rest of the
sock as a tube. Afterwards, pick out the waste yarn and you're
ready to knit your heel with simple paired decreases on both
sides of your new hole. You'll avoid the gaps on either side
of the waste yarn row by lifting up a stitch on either side of
each row and working it together with its neighbor (think of
it as a simultaneous pickup and decrease).
Foot/leg length: adjustable to fit (shown with 8.75-inch foot,
6-inch leg)
MATERIALS
Yarn Valley
Yarns Northampton [100% wool; 100g/247yd
per 100g skein]; color: Green Heather; 1 [2] skeins
NOTE: I got a S/M pair from one skein, but
there’s very
little to spare, so keep an eye (or
scale) on your yarn. You can always
work the heels before finishing the
cuffs and skip the last 4 rounds to
use less yarn.
Recommended needle size [always use a needle
size that gives you the gauge
listed below -- every knitter's
gauge is unique] 1
set US #3/3mm DPNs OR 1 long US #3/3mm circular needle for magic loop method OR 2 shorter US #3/3mm circular needles for two-circulars method
Notions removable
stitch markers or safety pins yarn needle cable needle (optional, see pattern notes on how to work cables without)
GAUGE
24 sts/35 rounds = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]
CO 18 stitches (9 for each side/needle)
with your favorite toe-up cast-on.
Place a marker for start of round and one for the center of
the round.
Round 1: Knit. Round 2: Kfb, k to 1 st before
center of round, kfb twice, k to last
st of round, kfb. Round 3: Knit.
Repeat the last 2 rounds until you have 50[58] sts.
Foot Foot setup round: Work appropriate
size of Setup Chart to center of round;
knit to end of round.
Continue as established to end of Setup
Chart.
Foot rounds: Work appropriate size of Main Chart to
center of round; knit to end of round.
Continue as established to end of Main Chart, and work chart
rows 1-10 once more. At this point, try on your sock to
find where your heel should start — see the diagram at
right for reference.
Think of where your heel’s footprint begins and you’ll
have the right spot.
Continue in pattern until you’ve reached the spot where
the bottom of your heel begins. Work your Heel Placeholder as
below and then continue in pattern.
Heel Placeholder Note: This is simply a row of waste yarn
knit across your back needle stitches to
hold the position of the future heel.
Later, you’ll remove
the waste yarn, pick up those stitches,
and work the heel.
To insert the heel placeholder, work the first
half of the round in pattern with working yarn, then knit across
the second half of the round with waste yarn. Then return
to your working yarn, knit across those stitches again and continue
in pattern until you’ve finished your current chart repeat.
As you continue, you’ll have a tube sock until you unravel
that waste yarn and work your heel.
Once the current chart repeat is complete, start the Leg.
Leg Leg round: Work Main Chart
twice around.
Continue until two full repeats of Main
Chart are complete, or until leg is desired length.
Cuff Cuff round: Work Cuff Chart
twice around.
Continue until Cuff Chart is complete,
then BO loosely in pattern. Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy
Bind-Off is
helpful.
Afterthought Heel
Carefully unravel the placeholder row,
transferring live stitches to your
needles. You should have 50[58] sts. Place
removable stitch markers or safety pins in the fabric to mark
the start and the center of the round.
Snugger second row stitch (preferred):
…versus
looser edge stitch:
Note: On the first round, work
across and lift up the stitches from the
gap and work them together with the existing
heel stitches to close up that gap
where the waste yarn sat.
When you go to
lift the stitches in the gap, grab the
stitch just below the edge instead of the
uppermost strand, because it closes the
gap more snugly. -->
With RS facing, join yarn at start of stitches on sole side
yarn and knit to one stitch before the
center of the round. Slip that stitch
purlwise. Lift the sides of one of the
stitches in the gap (as per the photos
at right) with your left needle, then
transfer the slipped stitch back onto
your left needle and knit the two together through
the back loop.
With left needle, lift the side of another stitch in the gap
and ssk that together with the first stitch of the second half
of the round.
Knit to 1 st before the end of the round. Slip that stitch purlwise.
Lift the sides of one of the stitches in the gap with your left
needle, then transfer the slipped stitch back onto your left
needle and knit the two together through the back loop.
With left needle, lift the side of another
stitch in the gap and ssk that together
with the first stitch of the next round. Knit to end of
round.
Note:
See photos below for before and
after images of closing the gap.
Round 1: [SSK, k to 2 sts before marker, k2tog] repeat
to end of round. Round 2: Knit.
Repeat the last two rounds until 18 sts rem, ending after Round
1.
before closing the gap
after the gap is closed
FINISHING
Graft heel closed and weave in ends.
ABOUT THE DESIGNER
Nikol Lohr lives and works at The
Harveyville Project with her partner, 2 cats, 7 sheep, and
6 hens.
