To my surprise (and probably to yours as well!), I did actually finish the first sock over the weekend. It came out beautifully - in my quite biased opinion - and is just about perfect according to my definition of perfect socks :) The ribbing keeps the sock up and un-slouched, but is not snug and is very flexible and soft. The foot is plain with no patterning to cause problems between shoe uppers and foot tops. Of course I make socks for myself, primarily and so I make them to suit my preferences. If you decide to make these socks, by all means make them to your preferences. Continue the patterning down onto the foot, substitute a short row or an after-thought heel or change the style of the toe to suit yourself. Adaptation is half the fun here :)
Leaves and Vines Socks
(chart below)
Materials
Sport weight wool, around 350 yards
4 size 2 double pointed needles (or two circulars, or one long one - whatever suits you)
Tapestry needle
Terms
K - Knit
P - Purl
K-P-K - Knit 1, Purl 1, Knit 1 into next stitch (double increase)
SSK - Slip, slip, knit (or slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over)
K2tog - Knit 2 together
YO - Yarn over
CDD - Slip 2 stitches together, knitwise. K1 and then pass the slipped stitches over (centered double decrease).
Cast on 60 stitches (20 stitches on each of three needles) and join, being careful not to twist.
Round 1: *K2, P3; repeat from * around
Round 2: *K2, P3; repeat from * around
Round 3: *K2, P3; repeat from * around
Round 4: *K2, P1, K-P-K into next stitch, P1, K2, P3; repeat from * around
Round 5: *K2, P1, K3, P1, K2, P3; repeat from * around
Round 6: *K2, P1, K1, YO, K1, YO, K1, P1, K2, P3; repeat from * around
Round 7: *K2, P1, K5, P1, K2, P3; repeat from * around
Round 8: *K2, P1, SSK, YO, K1, YO, K2tog, P1, K2, P3; repeat from * around
Round 9: *K2, P1, K5, P1, K2, P3; repeat from * around
Round 10: *K2, P1, SSK, K1, K2tog, P1, K2, P1, K-P-K, P1; repeat from * around
Round 11: *K2, P1, K3, P1; repeat from * around
Round 12: *K2, P1, CDD, P1, K2, P1, K1, YO, K1, YO, K1, P1; repeat from * around
Round 13: *K2, P3, K2, P1, K5, P1; repeat from * around
Round 14: *K2, P3, K2, P1, SSK, YO, K1, YO, K2tog, P1; repeat from * around
Round 15: *K2, P3, K2, P1, K5, P1; repeat from * around
Round 16: *K2, P1, K-P-K, P1, K2, P1, SSK, K1, K2tog, P1; repeat from * around
Round 17: *K2, P1, K3, P1; repeat from * around
Round 18: *K2, P1, K1, YO, K1, YO, K1, P1, K2, P1, CDD, P1; repeat from * around
Round 19: *K2, P1, K5, P1, K2, P3; repeat from * around
Round 20: *K2, P1, SSK, YO, K1, YO, K2tog, P1, K2, P3; repeat from * around
Round 21: *K2, P1, K5, P1, K2, P3; repeat from * around
Round 22: *K2, P1, SSK, K1, K2tog, P1, K2, P1, K-P-K, P1; repeat from * around
Round 23: *K2, P1, K3, P1; repeat from * around
The red rectangle indicates the repeat
Round A: *K2, P3, K2, P1, SSK, K1, K2tog, P1; repeat from * around
Round B: *K2, P3, K2, P1, K3, P1; repeat from * around
Round C: *K2, P3, K2, P1, CDD, P1; repeat from * around
Round D: *K2, P3; repeat from * around
Round E: *K2, P3; repeat from * around
Round F: *K2, P3; repeat from * around
Knit the first stitch on needle 1 onto needle 3. Move 11 stitches from the beginning of needle 2 onto the end of needle 1. Move 6 stitches from the beginning of needle three onto the end of needle two. You should now have the following:
Needle 1: 30 stitches
Needle 2: 15 stitches
Needle 3: 15 stitches
Heel Flap
We’ll be knitting back and forth on the 30 stitches on needle 1.
Row 1: (RS) * Sl1, K1; repeat from * across.
Row 2: (WS) * Sl1, Purl across
Repeat these two rows 14 more times for a total of 30 rows (adjust for your own heel length - this is just an average that works most of the time), ending with a WS (wrong side) row.
Turning the heel
Row 1: K20, SSK, turn
Row 2: Sl 1, P10, P2 tog, turn
Row 3: Sl 1, K10, SSK, turn
Repeat rows 2 and 3 until all the side stitches have been accumulated. You should be ready for a RS (right side) row and have 12 stitches on your needle.
Knit one row.
The Gusset
Pick up 15 stitches down the side of the heel flap. With another needle, knit all the stitches from needles 2 and three onto one needle. With another needle, pick up 15 stitches going up the other side of the heel flap and, with the same needle, knit 6 stitches off the end of needle one.
You should have the following:
Needle 1: 21 stitches
Needle 2: 30 stitches
Needle 3: 21 stitches
The beginning of your round is now the point between needle 3 and needle one. Proceed this way:
Round 1: Needle 1: Knit to 3 stiches before end, K2 tog, K1. Needle 2: Knit across. Needle 3: K1, SSK, Knit to end.
Round 2: Knit around on all needles.
Repeat rounds 1 and 2 until you are back to 15 stitches on needles 1 and 3 and a total of 60 stitches all around.
Foot
Knit the foot plain until the length is about 2.5” shorter than your actual foot.
Round 1: Needle 1: Knit to 3 stitches before end of needle, K2tog, K1. Needle 2: K1, SSK, Knit to three stitches before end of needle, K2tog, K1. Needle 3: K1, SSK, Knit to end.
Round 2: Knit around
Repeat these two rounds until to have a total of 32 stitches: 8 on needle one, 16 on needle 2 and 8 on needle three.
Then repeat round 1 only four more times. There remain 16 stitches. Arrange these stitches for grafting - or your favorite form of toe closure and finish off. Weave in ends,
Wear in health, hapiness and warmth!
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It’s bee-yoo-tee-full. :-)
Beautimous!!!! :) Nice job Robbyn!
Very nice indeed!!
Opal, Lisa, Ev - Thanks so much! I am diligently working on the second sock. The pattern has been added to the sidebar under Knitting Patterns so please, help yourselves if you’re so inclined :)
Very pretty and thanks for the pattern. Lovely chart too—what do you use to make charts? I am trying to learn how to write lace charts—particularly the placement of “no stitch” indicators and repeats.
Rob - I used Microsoft Word, table function, with the Comic Sans MS font. As the font doesn’t have standard knit symbols (not that there actually are standard symbols yet), I pick something else to stand in - like the 3 for the knit-purl-knit into one stitch and the A for the centered double decrease.
As a chart reader, I find that as long as the symbols have a key, I don’t have any trouble following them no matter what they are.
now that is a happy foot!!
thanks for the pattern and the info about the fit- i am one of those who seldom venture from the already-trodden path into anything original, but, on the rare occasion that i do, i regrettably and almost always fail to write down what i did thinking ‘i’ll remember’- one phone call or a trip to the kitchen and i’ve already forgotten- i guess this is why there are always more followers than leaders which is probably the way some cosmic force has planned-
stay happy-
Barb - Well, I didn’t have to remember the leaf pattern; it’s the same one used in the Dana Victoria mitts - so I had something to copy it from :) The rest is just Standard Sock 101.
That does look like a very happy foot. Nice job!! I love the color. I am going to have to experiment with the Paas dyes.
Maureen - That dye lot was actually done with Wilton’s icing dyes (the procedure is here: Ibis).
I imagine something quite similar couls be achieved with Easter egg tablets using red/pink and orange, say, 2 red to one orange tablet for roughly 3 ozs of yarn.
But I haven’t tried that yet :)
oh sweetie, that is one great looking sock, and one happy looking foot! wish I was around more, esp for chatters, missing you
Nat - Thanks kiddo. Since you’re an expert sock maker yourself, that means quite a lot. We miss you at Chatters too but know you’ve got more important stuff to do right now :)
Still - you never know what possibilities may turn up around the next corner!
