by Cassandra Dominick

These socks are named for my little early bird, my daughter. She was born a month early at the end of July. I'd like to think that she was just eager to meet us. She is a delight and slept voraciously in her first month, making it easier to find the time to design these.

The cable repeat in this pattern is adapted from the Caliper Cables pattern by Barbara G. Walker. I fell in love with this pattern when I saw it and knew I had to use it in some knitting. Since socks are my favorite palette for stitching, it seemed like a natural fit.

The pattern is a unisex design with some custom fitting elements and the herringbone cable is written for four different foot widths. A hand painted sock yarn adds an extra highlight to the depth of the design, but these would be stunning in a solid yarn as well. Approximately 400 yards of nearly any solid or semi-solid fingering weight yarn would work well for this pattern. If you are a sock yarn enthusiast like me, you might already have something perfect for this in your stash.

The design uses a heel flap that wraps from the bottom of the heel to the back of the heel for extra cushion and strength, so these socks are both beautiful and durable.

SIZE
XS [S, M, L]
Shown in S size on a woman's size 9 feet.

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Circumference: 6.75 [7.75, 8.75, 10] inches

MATERIALS
Yarn
Anzula Squishy [80% superwash wool, 10% Cashmere, 10% Nylon; 385yd/m per 115g skein]; Lavender: 1 skein

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
US 1.5/2.5 mm needles for working in the round

Notions
yarn needle
stitch markers

GAUGE

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

If you wish to make an extra long leg, you will need more yarn.

Judy's Magic Cast on

Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy BO

M1R: Insert left needle, from back to front, under the horizontal strand which lies between the stitch just knit, and the following stitch; then knit into the front of this loop. 1 stitch increased.

M1L: Insert left needle, from front to back, under the horizontal strand which lies between the stitch just knit, and the following stitch; then knit into the back of this loop. 1 stitch increased.

Herringbone Pattern
Rnd 1: P1[2, 3, 3], *k1, wrapping yarn around needle twice, k 6[6, 6, 8], k1, wrapping yarn around needle twice, p1 [2, 3, 3]; rep from *.
Rnd 2: P1 [2, 3, 3], *drop elongated stitch to front, k3 [3, 3, 4], pick up
dropped stitch and knit it, sl 3 [3, 3, 4] wyib, drop second elongated st to front, sl the same 3[3, 3, 4] sts back to left needle, pick up dropped st and knit it, k 3 [3, 3, 4], p1 [2, 3, 3] ; rep from *
Rnd 3: As Rnd 1.
Rnd 4: As Rnd 2.
Rnds 5 & 6: P1[2, 3, 3], *k8[8, 8, 10], p1[2, 3, 3]; rep from *.

DIRECTIONS
Toe
Cast on 16 sts on each needle with (32 total) using Judy's Magic Cast On for Toe Up Socks.

Arrange sts across needles as you prefer and join for working in the round.

Round 1: K16, k tbl 16.

Round 2: Knit.

The first 16 sts form the instep, the second 16 form the sole.

Increase round: K1, M1R, k to 1 st before end of instep, M1L, k1; k1, M1R, k to 1 st before end of round, M1L, k1. 4 sts increased.

Next round: Knit.

Repeat the last 2 rounds 5[7, 9, 12] more times. 56 [64, 72, 84] sts.

Foot
Note: For the next section, it's helpful if your 28 [32, 36, 42] instep sts are grouped together on the same needle.

Foot round: Work Herringbone pattern across 28 [32, 36, 42] instep sts; k to end of round.

Work in pattern as set until sock when tried on reaches the front of the ankle.

Heel flap
Heel flap setup round: Work across instep sts in pattern as set; k 13[15, 17, 20], k2tog, k to end of round. 27 [31, 35, 41] sts for sole.

Heel flap will be worked only on these sts; it's easiest if you group them together on one needle. Turn so that WS is facing.

Heel flap row 1 [WS]: Sl 1 purlwise, p26[30, 34, 40].
Heel flap row 2 [RS]: Sl 1 knitwise, [k1, sl 1 purlwise] to last 2 sts, k2.
Repeat Heel flap rows 1 & 2 until heel flap is half an inch shorter that total desired foot length, ending with a WS row.

Size Small Only:
Row 9 [RS]: Sl 1 knitwise, sl 1 purlwise, [k1, sl 1 purlwise] 9 times, ssk, turn.

Row 10 [WS]: Sl 1 purlwise, p19, p2tog, turn.

Size Medium Only:
Row 9 [RS]: Sl 1 knitwise, sl 1 purlwise, [k1, sl 1 purlwise] 9 times, ssk, k1, turn.
Row 10 [WS]: Sl 1 purlwise, p20, p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 11 [RS]: Sl 1 knitwise, [k1, sl 1 purlwise] 10 times, k1, ssk, turn.
Row 12 [WS]: Sl 1 purlwise, p20, p2tog, turn.

Size Large Only:
Row 9 [RS]: Sl 1 knitwise, sl 1 purlwise, [k1, sl 1 purlwise] 10 times, ssk, turn.
Row 10 [WS]: Sl 1 purlwise, p [22], p2tog, turn.
Row 11 [RS]: Sl 1 knitwise, [k1, sl 1 purlwise] 11 times, k1, ssk, turn.
Row 12 [WS]: Sl 1 purlwise, p[24], p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 13 [RS]: Sl 1 knitwise, sl 1 purlwise, [k1, sl 1 purlwise] 12 times, ssk, turn.
Row 14 [WS]: Sl 1 purlwise, p[25], p2tog, turn.

After heel turn complete, 19[21, 23, 27] sts rem, and RS is facing.

Final row, sizes XS and M only [RS]: Sl 1 knitwise, [k1, sl 1 purlwise] 8 [-, 10, -] times, k1, sl 1 purlwise.
Final row, sizes S and L only [RS]: Sl 1 knitwise, sl 1 purlwise [k1, sl 1 purlwise] -[9 , -, 12] times, sl 1 purlwise.

Gusset
Gusset setup round: Place marker. Pick up and knit sts along the left side of the heel, 1 for every slipped stitch of the heel flap plus 1 extra to close up the gap; work across instep sts in pattern as set; pick up and knit the same number of sts along the right side of the heel flap. Place a second marker; knit across heel sts. Slip second heel marker, k to end of first set of picked up sts.

Gusset round 1: Work across instep sts in pattern as set, k1, ssk, k to first marker, slip marker [sl 1 purlwise, k1] to 1 st before marker, sl 1 purlwise, slip marker, k to 3 sts before instep, k2tog, k1. 2 sts decreased on sole.
Gusset round 2: Work across instep sts in pattern as set, k1, ssk, k to 3 sts before instep, k2tog, k1. 2 sts decreased on sole.
Gusset round 3: Work across instep sts in pattern as set, k1, ssk, k to first marker, slip marker [sl 1 purlwise, k1] to 1 st before marker, sl 1 purlwise, slip marker, k to 3 sts before instep, k2tog, k1. 2 sts decreased on sole.
Gusset round 4: Work across instep sts in pattern as set; k to end of round.
Gusset round 5: Work across instep sts in pattern as set, k1, ssk, k to first marker, slip marker [sl 1 purlwise, k1] to 1 st before marker, sl 1 purlwise, slip marker, k to 3 sts before instep, k2tog, k1. 2 sts decreased on sole.

Repeat Gusset rounds 4 & 5 until you have 29[33, 37, 43] sts on sole.

Work even as set until you have completed Rnd 5 of the Herringbone pattern.
Final round: Work Rnd 6 of Herringbone pattern across instep sts, k14[16,18,21], k2tog, k to end of round. 28 [32, 36, 42] on sole.

Leg
Leg round: Work Herringbone pattern around.
Work as set until the sock is 1.5 inches shorter than desired length.

Ribbing round: [K1, p1] around.
Work ribbing as set for 1.5 inches.

BO using Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off.

FINISHING
Weave in all ends and block.

Cassandra Dominick is a PhD student at the University of Arkansas studying counselor education, but knitting occupies her mind at least as often or more.

She maintains a blog here and you can find more of her designs on Ravelry.