I made these socks to commemorate our beloved cat Dmitri, who disappeared
last year. He was a beautiful Russian Blue who lived with us for
10 years. He was especially fond of a garter stitch wool "blankie" I made
him using the diagonal garter stitch dish cloth pattern. He was
definitely a "fiber snob"--no acrylic for him. He liked to lie
on my lap in the winter, covered with that blankie, while I knitted. It
never gets very cold in central Florida during the winter, but you couldn't
convince him of that! When he was 8 we got a second cat, and soon learned
that one
blankie wasn't enough. There's no way Dmitri was going to share!
That blankie is the main reason there are garter stitch ridges in this
wool sock. Feel free to leave them out if you wish. The ridges may keep
the pattern from spreading a little, though.
I made the "Just Hanging Out" cat sweater from the Patternworks catalog in Dmitri's memory. I had enough of the plum main color wool left to make these socks to wear with it. Now how about another pair of cat socks with Fair Isle bands? Maybe for next Christmas!
Sized for a woman's medium foot
Materials:
Paton's Classic Wool (worsted weight)-2 100 gm. skeins (223 yds. each)
Woolly Nylon or other strengthening thread
One set each #3 & #5 double pointed needles (or size need
to get gauge)
Gauge:
5¼ sts./inch on #5 needles, in flat stockinette stitch
(5 sts/inch on #5 needles worked circularly in Cat's Paw pattern)
7½ rows/inch on #5 needles worked circularly in stockinette
stitch, (measured on sole of foot)
I've always wished that designers of intricately patterned sweaters would give a plain gauge as well as pattern gauge. So when I finished the first sock I took the same yarn & 2 # 5 needles and did a plain flat stockinette gauge swatch. If your plain gauge matches mine, your pattern gauge should too.
Pattern Stitches:
(both adapted from Barbara Walkers 1st Treasury)
Baby Cable Rib (multiple of 4 stitches)
Round 1: *k2, p2 around
Round 2: *k2, p2 around
Round 3: *k2tog, but leave on left needle, then insert Right needle
between the 2 sts just knitted together & knit the first st again,
then slip both stitches from needle together; p2. Repeat from *around
Round 4: *k2, p2 around
Cat's Paw (multiple of 8 sts)
Round 1: Purl
Round 2: Knit
Round 3: Knit
Round 4: *k2, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, SSK, k1
Round 5: Knit
Round 6: *k 1, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, SSK
Round 7: Knit
Round 8: *k3, yo, sl 1st, k2tog, psso, yo, k2
Round 9: Knit
Round 10: Knit
Using #3 needles, Cast on 52 sts on 3 or 4 needles; join, mark beginning of round & work in Baby Cable Rib for 2½" or desired length of cuff.
Change to #5 needles & stockinette stitch; decrease 4 sts on first round by k11, k2tog to 48 sts. The lace pattern spreads a bit, and I found I needed more stitches on the cuff to fit my apparently-fat leg!
Knit 3 more rounds.
Begin Cat's Paw pattern, repeating the 10 rounds until leg is desired length to top of heel. End after round 3 if possible.
Divide for heel:
Attach reinforcing thread if desired and knit 12 sts, turn, purl 24
sts; put remaining 24 sts on spare needles or holders to be worked later
for instep.
Work in heel stitch as follows for 2 3/8" or desired depth of flap,
ending after row 2.
Row 1: *sl 1, k1; repeat from *across
Row 2: sl 1, purl across
Turn heel:
Row 1 (right side): sl 1, k13, ssk, k 1, turn
Row 2: sl 1, p5, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 3 sl 1, k6, ssk, k1, turn
Row 4: sl 1, p7, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 5: sl 1, k8, ssk, k1, turn
Row 6: sl 1, p9, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 7: sl 1, k10, ssk, k1, turn
Row 8: sl 1, p11, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 9: sl 1, k12, ssk, turn
Row 10: sl 1, p12, p2tog (14 sts on needle)
Knit across 14 heel sts & break reinforcing thread. With same needle
& working down left side of heel flap with right side facing you, pick
up & knit through back loop 12 sts. Pick up running thread at base
of flap, put on instep needle & knit through back loop onto side flap
needle. (I
used a #3 needle to pick up the stitches, then knitted them onto
a #5.)
With another needle work in Cat's Paw pattern across 12 sts of
first instep needle. With third needle work in Cat's Paw pattern
across 12 sts of second instep needle. With fourth needle, pick up running
thread at base of flap & knit through back loop as you did at other
side of flap. Then pick up & knit through back loop 12 sts along right
side of heel flap. Knit 7 sts from heel needle on to this 4th needle. Beginning
of round is now at center of heel.
Needle 1 20 sts
Needle 2 12 sts
Needle 3 12 sts
Needle 4 20 sts
From this point I worked the instep sts (needles 2 & 3) in the Cat's Paw pattern, round 4-10 because I didn't want the garter stitch ridges across the top of my foot. Keep the sole sts (needles 1 & 4) in stockinette).
Gusset Shaping:
Round 1: work to within 3 sts of end of needle 1, k2tog, k1 work across
needles 2 & 3 in pattern work needle 4 as k 1, ssk, knit to end
Round 2: work even
Repeat these 2 rounds, decreasing at end of needle 1 & beginning
of needle 4, until there are 12 sts on each needle (48 sts) (8 decreases)
At this point it's a good idea to check your row gauge on the sole stitches. Work the foot on these 48 sts until the foot length is 2" less than the desired length of your sock. I like my socks about 3/4-1" less than my actual foot length. Toe shaping will take 14 rounds. End foot on round 4, 6 or 7 if you can.
Toe:
Attach reinforcing thread if desired and switch to stockinette stitch.
Round 1: Needle 1: knit to 3 sts from end k2tog,
k1
Needle 2: k1, ssk, knit to end
Needle 3: knit to 3 sts from end k2tog, k1
Needle 4: k1, ssk, knit to end
Round 2: knit
Repeat these 2 round until there are 6 sts on each needle (24 sts)
Then repeat Round 1 3 more times, until 3 sts on each needle
(12 sts).
Knit stitches from needle 1 onto needle 4; slip stitches from needles 2 & 3 onto another needle (6 sts on each needle). Weave together with kitchener stitch, cut yarn & finish off ends.