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).

SIZE
Women’s S/M [L] (shown in size S/M)

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Foot circumference: 7.5 [8.75] inches, relaxed

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)

DIRECTIONS
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.

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.

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.

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.

FINISHING
Graft heel closed and weave in ends.

Nikol Lohr lives and works at The Harveyville Project with her partner, 2 cats, 7 sheep, and 6 hens.

She’s the author of Naughty Needles, the founder of Yarn School. She blogs at The Thrifty Knitter, and is cupcake on ravelry and QueenieVonSugarpants on flickr.