Here, at long last - and, I might add, at VERY long length! - is the sock pattern I've been promising people. I am amazed at how long this is... longer, I think, than the sock itself. First, though, a couple of notes:
1. The sock pattern as written fits my fairly standard size 7 1/2 (US) foot. (Sorry, I don't know what the equivalent European size is!) I was going to include details on how to size your socks to fit any foot, but this is *so* long that I will send that at a later date as Part Two. This pattern is written based on the 37th sock (i.e., the first of the nineteenth pair!) that I have knitted for myself, so it's been fairly well "tweaked". For one thing, it got somewhat bigger after I realized to my dismay that, superwash or not, Socka sock yarn *will* shrink just a *bit* in the wash!
2. Although I understand the point of those patterns that have you divide up the stitches on the various needles according to what they will become (i.e., heel, instep, etc.), I personally don't work that way and I think it ultimately leads to confusion. So you won't see any such dividing in my pattern! Also, I use five dpns, and always work a few extra stitches from the next needle before starting to use the needle I just finished knitting from in order to avoid ladders of loose stitches between needles.
3. Feel free to use any combination of needles that makes you comfortable. There are those who swear by five double-pointed needles, or four dpns, or one or two 11-inch circulars.
4. This pattern makes a very plain, ribbed top (with a fairly deep rib for turning over into a nice cuff) sock. Embellishments can, of course, be added, and I have some suggestions about that which I'll include in the next posting as well.
Materials:
Two 50gm balls of Socka (either Socka Colour or regular, solid colour
Socka) wool (205 metres). You can also use Fortissima wool, variegated
or solid. Other wools may or may not yield the right firmness of fabric
- if I'm not mistaken, Nylamb and Blauband, for instance, are very slightly
finer and may make somewhat floppy socks if knitted at this gauge. I also
use a firmer gauge for Socka Cotton and Socka Cotton Colour.
Knitting needles size 2.5 mm, OR SIZE TO GET GAUGE.
Gauge:
8 sts = 1 inch, and 11.25 rows = 1 inch. Row gauge is not all that
important; if your row gauge is different from mine, just adjust where
I list numbers of rows. Stitch gauge *is* important, obviously - not just
for sizing, but also because you want a *tight* fabric for socks.
Pattern:
Cast on 56 stitches. Use a nice loose, stretchy cast-on; I swear by
the two-needle cast on described in June Hemmons Hiatt's book _Principles
of Knitting_. I will not even begin to try to describe it; it needs pictures.
It makes a lovely cast-on for the top of a sock, though, with plenty of
stretch.
If you feel uncomfortable at the prospect of trying to determine the beginning of the row without a marker, place a marker (but give it a try - it's really very easy to follow a stitch column from the beginning on up to your needle to tell where the row starts! and then you don't have to slip the marker every row).
Join, being careful not to twist, and rib k2 p2 to desired length. I work about 65 rows, for about 5.75 inches.
*Work 10 rows stockinette In the next row, decrease one stitch by k2tog at the beginning of the row and one stitch at the end of the row by SSK - this will be the center back of the ankle.*
Repeat once between *. 52 stitches.
Work 7 rows stockinette.
Description of the Heel (read this first, then see the actual instructions): The heel flap is worked on half the stitches, or 26 stitches, with thirteen from the beginning of the row and thirteen from the end, thus putting the decreases at center back. The flap is worked in heel stitch, and then the heel is turned, and stitches picked up along the sides for the gusset. Heel turning is really not as difficult as people think; you're simply turning the direction of knitting to form a right angle so that the sock fits your right-angled foot! You do this with short rows - and it's *so* much fun to watch the tube on your needles suddenly become foot-shaped! :)
Starting at the beginning of the row, knit 13 sts. Stop. Slip any remaining stitches on the left-hand needle to the next needle. This leaves you with one empty needle.
Turn work. Slip first stitch as to knit. Purl 25 stitches. Stop. Slip any remaining stitches on the left-hand needle onto the next needle.
If you were working with five needles, this will leave you with the 26 instep stitches divided in some fashion between two needles, the 26 heel stitches on a third needle, and two needles empty. Set aside one of the empty needles (but don't lose it!! <bg>). You are going to work back and forth on the heel flap.
Turn work; right side (stockinette side) is now facing you. Working a total of 16 slip stitch rows, or 32 rows altogether, work as follows: NOTE: The first stitch of every *knit* row in the heel flap and heel turn are SLIPPED AS IF TO KNIT. The first stitch of every *purl* row in the heel flap and heel turn are SLIPPED AS IF TO PURL.
Slip stitch row: Slip 1. Knit 1, slip 1 as if to purl across; end knit 1. Purl row: Turn work. Slip 1. Purl across.
It is very easy to count those slip stitch rows. Stop when you have 16 of them.
Time to turn the heel! Your last row should have been a Purl row. Turn the work so the right side is facing you.
Slip 1. Knit 14 sts (this is two past the center stitch). SSK, knit 1, turn.
Slip 1. Purl 5 sts (again, two past center stitch). P2tog, purl 1, turn.
Slip 1. Knit 6 sts. SSK, knit 1, turn.
Slip 1. Purl 7 sts. P2tog, purl 1, turn.
Slip 1. Knit 8 sts. SSK, knit 1, turn.
Slip 1. Purl 9 sts. P2tog, purl 1, turn.
Slip 1. Knit 10 sts. SSK, knit 1, turn.
Slip 1. Purl 11 sts. P2tog, purl 1, turn.
Slip 1. Knit 12 sts. SSK, knit 1, turn.
You have reached the last stitch on the knit side. Slip 1. Purl 13 sts. P2tog, purl 1, turn.
You have reached the last stitch on the purl side. Slip 1, and knit across the 15 remaining stitches.
Note that you are always knitting or purling the *slipped* stitch of the previous row together with an *unworked* stitch. This prevents short-row holes that you normally have when working short rows (or that are avoided by wrapping).
If you're turning a heel with a stitch count that doesn't work out evenly so that SSK, knit 1 and P2tog, purl 1 finish the stitches off, it doesn't matter - it's okay for the last stitches of the rows to be worked just SSK and P2tog.
Pick up the gussets: With the right side facing you, as it will be having just knitted back across the heel, pick up and knit 18 stitches along the side of the flap. These are the slipped stitches from the beginning of each heel flap row. Each stitch is picked up by lifting, with the left needle, the outermost loop of each slipped stitch and knitting into the back of the loop to twist it. There are eighteen stitches picked up, not sixteen (the number of slip stitch heel flap rows) because there's extra rows, with their slipped stitches, from the heel turning; the last stitch picked up should be from the stitch in the "corner" where gusset and instep stitches meet. This prevents the infamous gusset hole. DO NOT pick up the thread *between* stitches in that corner - that *creates* the hole! - instead, pick up the side of the stitch.
Place a marker.
Knit across the 26 instep stitches. (Note that at some point here, to divide stitches more or less evenly around your needles, you'll be bringing back that fifth dpn I told you not to lose!)
Place a marker.
Pick up and knit eighteen stitches for the other side of the heel flap, remembering that this time the *first* stitch picked up is the "corner" stitch.
*Knit one row even. Next row: work to three stitches before first marker; K2tog, knit 1, slip marker; knit around to second marker, slip marker, knit 1, SSK. Knit to end of row.*
Repeat these two rows until the number of stitches is back to the original number before the heel flap - 52 stitches. Leave the markers in place.
Work to about two inches short of desired length, or 44 rows from the last gusset decrease.
Shape toe: *Work to 2 stitches before first marker; K2tog, slip marker, SSK; work to 2 stitches before second marker; SSK, slip marker, K2tog; work to end of row. Knit one row even.*
Repeat these two rows until 20 stitches remain. Break yarn. Distribute stitches between two needles, with top of foot on one needle, and bottom of foot on the other.
Weave toe: Thread yarn tail into tapestry needle. The needle with the yarn coming from its last stitch should be furthest away from you, with the other needle facing you, and the two needles held together.
*Insert tapestry needle into first stitch on near needle as if to knit. Pull yarn through and remove stitch from needle. Insert tapestry needle into next stitch on near needle as if to purl. Pull yarn through, but leave stitch on needle. Insert tapestry needle into first stitch on far needle as if to purl. Pull yarn through and remove stitch from needle. Insert tapestry needle into next stitch on far needle as if to knit. Pull yarn through, but leave stitch on needle.*
Repeat between * until all stitches are finished off. Pull yarn through to inside and weave in. Weave in cast-on tail.
Put it on! :) and make another one.
Copyright 1996, Grace L. Judson. This pattern may not be reproduced for sale, but may be distributed in electronic or hard copy format, in its entirety without editing, as long as no compensation, financial or otherwise, is involved, and as long as this copyright notice is included. . E-mail: KnitCat@aol.com