Kiertoradalla - On the Orbit
These socks were greatly inspired by Cookie A's Kai Mei pattern. I wanted the lace strip twist around the leg to the foot. My aim was to design a pattern in which the lace strip is completely decreased away before toe.
Yarn
Two skeins of Gjestal Silja Sock Yarn (80 $\%$ wool, $20\;\%$ polyamide; $150\mathrm{~m}\,/\,50\mathrm{~g})$ or any other yarn that fits the gauge.
Gauge
31 sts and 38 rows in stockinette $=10\,\mathrm{cm}$
Needles
Set of 4 double pointed needles, $2{,}5\;\mathrm{mm}$ or suitable to obtain the gauge
Size
Width: small - medium - large Foot length can be easily adjusted by working in stockinette after charts 2A and 2B. If your feet are short and wide, please read the tips at the end of the instructions.
Instructions
Before you start
Please read through the instructions carefully. Note that there are 13 stitches on every row of chart 1. They are to be worked in addition to stitches mentioned in the written instructions. “Before” and “after’ refer to stitch count before and after the whole chart, not just the lace strip part. Right foot sock (charts 1A and 2A)
Cast on 54-60-66 sts. Distribute sts between three needles as follows:
Needle 1: 20-20-20 sts Needle 2: 18-21-24 sts Needle 3: 16-19-22 sts Join to begin working in the round, being careful not to twist. Set up round: k3, pl, k6, pl, k2, 13-15-17 x [p1, k2], pl, k1 Rounds $1\!-\!6:\!\mathrm{k}2$ work rows 1-6 in chart 1A, work the remaining sts as they are (knit the knitted sts, purl the purled sts) Rounds 7-12: k5, work rows 1-6 in chart 1A, work the remaining sts as they are Continue working the established pattern, moving chart 1A 3 sts to the left every sixth round until there are 29-32-35 sts before chart 1A and you have just knitted row 3 of the chart. (Move stitches from needle to another whenever appropriate for convenient working) Slip the first 27-30-33 stitches of the round onto needle and the remaining stitches onto another needle. Work heel flap with the stitches on the first needle.
Heel flap, gusset and instep
Work the stitches on the first needle in stockinette for 24-26-28 rows slipping the first stitch of every row. Start French heel decreases: - row 1 [RS]: sll, k15-17-18, ssk, k1, turn work - row 2 [WS]: sll, p6-5-6, p2tog, p1, turn work - row 3 [RS]: sl1, k7-6-7, ssk, k1, turn work - row 4 [WS]: sll, p8-7-8, p2tog, p1, turn work Continue the established pattern until there are no stitches left to decrease and you have worked wrong side last. (The stitch count between a slipped stitch and a decrease [ssk/p2tog] increase by one on every row.) Using a free needle pick up 12-13-14 sts along the right hand side of the heel flap and knit half of the heel sts onto the same needle $\stackrel{\cdot}{=}$ new needle 2). Using another needle pick up 12-13-14 sts along the left hand side of the heel flap and slip the remaining heel sts onto the same needle ( $\stackrel{\cdot}{=}$ new needle 3). Knit the sts on needle 3. K2, work row 4 of chart 1A and remaining sts as they are on new needle 1. Knit sts on needles 2 and 3. Work sts on needle 1 folowing the established pattern: sts before chart 1A are knitted and sts after chart 1A are worked as they are. Ssk and knit the remaining sts on needle 2. Knit to last 2 sts, k2tog on needle 3. Repeat decreases on every other row until altogether 27-30-33 sts remain on needles 2 and 3. Continue working the established pattern on needle 1 and in stockinette on needles 2 and 3 until there are no stitches left after chart 1A and you have just worked row 4 of the chart. Start working the last 11 sts on needle 1 according to chart 2A and the other sts in stockinette until you have finished chart 2A. Work in stockinette until foot measures approximately $5\;\mathrm{{cm}}$ less than desired length.
Toe
Ssk and knit to last 2 sts, k2tog on needle 1. Ssk and knit sts on needle 2. Knit to last 2 sts, k2tog on needle 3. Repeat the decreases in every other round for 5-6-7 times and in every row until altogether 14-16-18 sts remain. Slip the sts on needle 3 onto needle 2. Graft the sts on needle 1 to sts on needle 2.
Left foot sock (charts 1B and 2B)
Cast on 54-60-66 sts. Distribute sts between three needles as follows: Needle 1: 17-20-23 sts Needle 2: 18-21-21 sts Needle 3: 19-19-22 sts Join to begin working in the round, being careful not to twist. Set up round: k1, pl, 14-16-18 x [k2, p1],k6, p1, k3 Rounds 1-6: work 39-45-51 sts as they are, work rows 1-6 in chart 1B, k2. Rounds 7-12: work 36-42-48 sts as they are, work rows 1-6 in chart 1B, k5 Continue working the established pattern, moving chart 1B 3 sts to the right every sixth round until there are 29-32-35 sts in stockinette left after chart 1B and you have just worked row 2 of the chart. (Move stitches from needle to another whenever appropriate for convenient working.) Work first 27-30-33 sts of the round according to the established pattern. Slip the last 27-30-33 of the round onto one needle and work the heel flap with these sts.
Heel flap, gusset and instep
Work heel flap, gusset and instep like in the right foot sock following the established pattern with chart 1B. As soon as there are no sts left before chart 1B and you have just worked row 4 of the chart, start working the first 11 sts on needle 1 according to chart 2B and the remaining sts in stockinette. After finishing chart 2B, work in stockinette until foot measures approximately $5\;\mathrm{{cm}}$ less than desired length.
Work the toe in the same way as in the right foot sock.
Tips
If your feet are wide, work leg 6 (12) rounds longer than in the instructions. This way lace strip twists more before working the heel and you will be able to finish charts 2A and 2B before toe. The most important thing is to start working heel flap in the same round as mentioned in the instructions (row 3 of the charts 1A and 1B worked just prior to working the heel flap).
Finishing
Block the socks and weave in ends.
knit purl m1 from the string between two sts of previous round by twisting left (ktbl) m1 from the string between two sts of previous round by twisting right (ktfl) $i$ k2tog ssk work sts as they are (knit the knitted sts,purl the purled sts)
