Socks, socks, socks


So, in the interest of helping out anyone else who a) would like to try socks also, b) has a toddler somewhere to knit for and c) is a little frightened by sheer number of patterns, let alone 'turning a heel'...

Here's the pattern my friend Ling sent me, slightly modified for my own yarn and monster foot Maddie...

My socks were made with Lornas Laces in Desert Flower - one skein this far has gotten me two socks and hopefully the third since my first original didn't quite work out... Socks were knit on 2 addi turbo 2.5cm x 40cm circulars, this pattern is for dpns or 2 circulars, knit from top down to toes.

1.Cast on 50 stitches in picot cast on:
Using Knitted Cast-on, *CO 5 sts, BO 2 sts, slip st rem on right needle back to left needle, repeat from *

2. Work 2x2 ribbing for 10 rows.

3. Switching to stockinette, knit 30 rows for the leg (or until it seems long enough)

4. Heel Flap:
Knit 13 sts, turn
Row 1: sl first st, p24 turn (move the rest of st to spare needles)
Row 2: sl first st, knit 24, turn
Work row 1& 2 for 12 rows

5. Shape heel
Row 1: sl first st, p13 st, p2 tog, p1 turn
Row 2: sl first st, knit 5, ssk, k1 turn
Row 3: sl first st, p6 p2tog p1 turn
Row 4 sl first st k7 ss2 k1 turn
Continue until all the st in the heel flap are included (14 st on the needle)

6.Gusset
-pick up 7 st knitwise down side of heel flap, place marker.
-Knit 24 st from cuff, place marker, pick up 7 st from other side of heel flap.

7.Gusset shaping
Row 1: k to within 3 st of marker, k2tog, k1 and knit to next marker, k1 ssk, k to end of round
Row 2: knit row
Repeat until 50 st remain

8. Foot
Knit 30 rows
**or to the measurement of the foot before the toes (so basically from just after the heel to just before the toes.

9. Toe shaping
Row 1: k to 3 st before first marker, k2tog k1, k1 ssk, knit to 3 st before next marker k2tog, k1, k1 ssk knit to end
Row 2: knit
Repeat until 18 st remain.

10. Graft toes using kitchener st. Then you are done!!!

*** I should say here I still haven't quite got the kitchener stitch down pat. I do some other version of it, so if you don't know what kitchener stitch is then I can't help you. Sorry...

I hope Ling doesn't mind that I've put her pattern up. It's really a very basic sock but if you're anything like me then you might NEED basic. Ling said she frogged her first attempt about 7 times before finishing it but I'm way too lazy for that. Hence the ill fitting first sock. hmm. I should have tried it on Maddie when she was awake - using two circs allows for that but again, I was too lazy. Story of my life I'm afraid...