Tenement Socks: An Everyday Lace Toe-Up Sock Pattern for Urban Knitting Enthusiasts

This simple lace toe-up sock pattern is perfect for your everyday socks whether you're pounding the city sidewalks, hanging out in your favorite art district, or playing frisbee at the local park. The back and forth movement of the lace alternating with solid stitched columns riffs on the fire escapes on former tenement buildings which are now being remodeled into urban lofts for bright and bold young people who are taking back the tenements in their own style. The pattern includes three sizes and has a simple easy-tomemorize chart and directions to help create a sock that fits yourfoot. The samples were knit in PathWays Sock Yarn colorways Turbulence (wine & lime green) and Houston (light blue).

Knitter's Notes:

Tenement Socks

An Everyday Sock Pattern

Materials:

Yarn: LCK PathWays Sock Yarn Yardage: 385 yards/352 meters Needle Size: 1.5US /2.5mm or size to achieve gauge. Stitch markers, waste yarn, and darning needle. Gauge: 8 stitches= 1 inch/2.54cm This pattern is for personal use only. It is not to be copied or shared without express permission from Lost City Knits. Tenement Socks require just a few measurements to fit your foot, or the foot of a lucky sole who will receive the gift of a hand-knit sock. Measure your foot at its widest to determine your approximate size. While you have the tape measure out, measure your foot along the bottom from toe to heel. You'll need that information later. Here's a handy reference table to jot down all of the pertinent information.

Using two double point or two circular needles cast on sixteen stitches (eight per needle) using either the Figure Eight Cast On or Judy's Magic Cast On. Increase 4 stitches every odd numbered round in the following fashion: NEEDLE One \*k1, M1, knit across until 1 stitch remains, M1, k1\* repeat \*\* for NEEDLE TWO. Continue increasing until you have the full amount of stitches needed for your size as listed below. Small - 54 stitches Medium - 60 stitches Large - 72 stitches Whether you're using dpns, 2 circulars, or magic loop, distribute your stitches per the chart below.

Place a stitch marker after the first stitch on needle one to designate top and bottom of foot. The bottom of the foot will be knit in stockinette. Before beginning the chart on the top of the foot, measure the toe of the sock you've just knit. If the knitted toe is 2 inches, for example, and your entire foot length of foot is 8 inches you'll want to knit the chart on top (and stockinette bottom) for 4 inches. You will be adding an Afterthought Heel which will use approximately the same number of rounds as the toe. Don't forget to add the toe measurement to your reference chart. This pattern is for personal use only. It is not to be copied or shared without express permission from Lost City Knits. Measure your sock as you progress on the foot. When you reach the point where the heel should go (according to the paragraph above) use a piece of waste yarn that contrasts sharply with your working yarn and is of the same weight to knit across the stitches of the bottom of the foot. Now knit into the waste yarn with your working yarn across the bottom of the sock and continue pattern on the top stitches (and stockinette for the bottom) for approximately eight rounds. These eight rounds will give you adequate room above the heel to knit a smooth fabric over the ankle bone. Begin knitting leg of sock. You'll have 9 repeats around for the small sock, 10 for the medium sock, and 12 for the large sock. Knit the leg of the sock for approximately 6 inches (or length that suits you) ending on an odd number row. Knit 15 rounds of \*k2, p1\* ribing on the small size. On the medium and large size knit ribbing after slipping one stitch (only once), then knit \*p1, k2\* for remainder of rounds. The ribbing should align with the purl columns of the lace pattern. Bind off using Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off. (link below) Cut yarn leaving a six inch tail Using your dpns (or circs) pick up the front leg of each stitch above and below the waste yarn which you inserted for the Afterthought Heel. Using a darning needle or extra dpn remove waste yarn. With your remaining sock yarn (or a contrasting yarn, if you prefer) knit into the picked up stitches one round, picking up two stitches in each corner. Knit two moreroundseven. Begin decreasing 4 stitches every other round in this manner: Bottom of foot - k1, ssk, knit until three stitches remain on bottom of foot, k2tog, k1 Top of foot - k1, ssk, knit until three stitches remain on bottom of foot, k2tog, k1 Knit one round even. Continue until there are 20 stitches total on needles (10 on top, 10 on bottom), ending on a decrease round - not an even round. Kitchener remaining stitches. r tap dancing shoes and go for a city stroll! It's okay if you dance a little. We won't te Tutorials Reference: Judy's Magic Cast On knitty.com/ISSUEspring06/FEATmagiccaston.html Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall09/FEATjssbo.phpwww.knitty.com/ISSUEfall09/ FEATjssbo.php Knitgirllls Afterthought Heel http://www.theknitgirllls.com/wordpress/../tutorial series-afterthought-heel/www..theknitgirllls.com/wordpress/..tutorial-series afterthought-heel/

STITCH GLOSSARY