Heel Huggers Sock
Designed by Chan Moore This pattern was inspired by Lisa Risager's Summer Socks pattern, and by my clever friends with different favorite cuffs on footies.
Materials: 200 yards fingering sock yarn #1 US circular needle(s) (This pattern is written for two circs or Magic Loop.) Waste yarn in contrasting color, similar weight
Instructions:
Using Magic Cast-on (See http:/www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhBISOAhhQY or Knitty http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring06/FEATmagiccaston.html), cast on 24 stitches. Round 1 & all odd rounds: Knit.
Round $^{2\,\&}$ all even rounds until there are 60 stitches: Increase 4 stitches per round. The method I use is K1, M1, knit to one stitch before the end of the needle, M1, K1, repeat on second needle. Photo courtesy of GMarie Once you have a total of 60 stitches, knit all rounds until you are about 3 inches from the total length of the foot. You are now ready to knit onto the waste yarn to create the hole for the cuff portion of the sock in the afterthought heel style.
Begin the heel set-up:
Knit 3 stitches, then knit 24 stitches onto waste yarn, and return those 24 stitches (on the waste yarn) to the left needle and knit them with the working yarn. Ilike to tie off the two ends of my waste yarn in a bow to assure nothing slips away. Continue knitting to the end of the round. Knit 10 rounds.
Heel decreases:
Odd rows: K1, SSK (slip two stitches one at a time as if to knit, then knit those two stitches together), knit until 3 stitches remain on that needle, Ktog (knit two stitches together), K1, and repeat on the second needle. Even rows: knit. Photo courtesy of GMarie When 24 (total) stitches remain, graft heel together. DON'T PANIC! You now have a tube, all sewn together. CAREFULLY snip the waste yarn and remove it. You will have 23 stitches on one side and 24 on the other. I place those stitches on dpns and "tink" the waste yarn out, stitch by stitch, correctly turning each stitch as I go. Cuff:
Pick up stitches in the corners to avoid gaps, then knit one row of picked up stitches onto each needle. Decrease so that there are only 24 stitches on each needle while following the pattern below: Knit five rounds. Knit five rounds in 3x3 rib, which is knit 3, purl 3. If you wish to add pompoms on the cuff, bind off in pattern. Otherwise, use the picot bind-ff. (Se Knitty again.. scroll down http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall06/FEATfall06TT.html) For the roll top cuff, do the ribbing as written above. Knit five rows, then change to a needle one size bigger and knit two more rows, go up one more needle size, knit two more rows and then cast off with a bigger needle yet. Because the finish is stockinette, it will automatically roll.
