Maximix Knee Socks By Susan Luni
With a name inspired by one of our recent U.s. winter storms, Maximix Knee Socks are designed to combat the cold. Knit from the toe up to allow for maximum use of available yarn, these socks feature a wedge toe, a warming stranded sunburst pattern on the instep, and a short-row heel. A bit of corrugated ribbing starts the leg that uses a heavier-weight yarn to make the knitting quicker and the socks warmer. It all ends with a contrasting rolled cuff that may hold a bit elastic--because we all need a little help staying up sometimes. This pattern is written for dpns and intendedforknitters experiencedinknittingsocks from the toe up and in stranded knitting.
Materials: MC: Heavy fingering weight yarn, such as Collinette Jitterbug (100% merino, 400 yds/366 m per 150 gram hank), 1 hank in color: Monet; CC1: sport-weight sock yarn, such as Collinette Jitterbug, (older put up: 320 yds/292 m per 110 gram hank), 1 hank in color: Velvet Damson (dk-weight yarn may be substituted but will increase size); CC2 and CC3: small amounts of other sock yarn in two colors that contrastwithMc. Gauge: 28 sts/32 rows = 4"/10 cm. in stockinette stitch on smaller needles. Needles: size US #2 (2.75 mm) dpns, and US #2.5 (3.00 mm) dpns, or size needed to obtain correct gauge. Size: 7.5"/19 cm. foot circumference. Ribbed lower leg will stretch to fit up to 9"/23 cm. comfortably. Ribbed upper leg, worked in sport-weight yarn with larger needles, will stretch to fit up to 14"/36 cm. calf circumference. Notions: tapestry needle; stitch marker, if needed to mark beginning of round. Maximix Knee Socks by Susan Luni Abbreviations dpns: Double pointed needles. CC: Contrast color; CC1=contrast color 1; CC2=contrast color2, etc. k: Knit. k2tog: Knit two stitches together. K3tog: Knit three stitches together. kfb: Increase 1 stitch by knitting into the front and back of a stitch. m1s: Make one increases. m1l: Make one left--with left needle tip, lift strand between needles from front to back. Knit lifted loop through the back. m1r: Make one right--with left needle tip, lift strand between needles from back to front. Knit lifted loop through the front. MC: Main Color. N: Needle; N1=Needle 1; N2=Needle 2, etc. p: Purl. royo: Reorient yarn over. RS: Right side. sl: Slip stitch. ssk: Slip 1 knitwise, slip 1 knitwise, knit these two slipped stitches together through the back loops. ssp: Slip 1 knitwise, slip 1 knitwise, purl these two slipped stitches together through theback loops. sssp: Slip 1 knitwise, slip 1 knitwise, slip 1 knitwise, purl these three slipped stitches together through the back loops. st(s): Stitch(es). tbl: Through the back loop. Ws: Wrong side. yo&k: Yarn over and knit - with yarn in front of needle, bring yarn over the needle to the back, knit the first stitch of the row. yo&p: Backwards yarn over and purl - with yarn behind needle, bring yarn over needle to the front, purl first stitch.
Notes:
This pattern features a short-row heel that uses yarn overs to secure the gaps between rows. Another type of heel may be substituted as long as the color sequence is maintained. The heel should be worked in CC1, alternating CC1 with MC across the first and last rows of the heel.
Toe
With CC1, using 2 dpns, cast on 16 sts, 8 on each needle, using Judy's magic cast on. (For more information, follow this link to the article at Knitty.com) Judy Becker's video tutorial for this cast on is available online at http://www.youtube.com/user/JudyBeckerKnits. Maximix Knee Socks by Susan Luni Using two additional dpns, knitting 4 sts onto each needle, knit 8, k8 tbl. Use 5th dpn to continue knitting in the round. Round 1: (Increase round) K1, m1l; knit until one st remains on N2, m1r, k2, m1l; knit until 1 st remains on N4, m1r, k1. (Optional: substitute kfb for m1s on first round for easierknitting.) Round 2: Knit. eat Rounds 1 and 2 six more times, then round 1 once more. (48 sts) Next round: K1 with MC, k1 with CC1, repeat around. Break CC1. With MC, knit 4 rounds. With MC, repeat Round 1 (increase round). (52 sts) With MC, knit 4 rounds. Increase 2 sts as follows: K1, m1l, knit until 1 st remains on N2, m1r, knit to end of round. (54 sts, 28 in instep, 26 in sole) Begin charts. Using CC2 and MC, work 27 rounds of the Instep Chart on N1 & N2 and 27 rounds of the Sole Chart on N3 & N4. Break CC2. With MC, knit until foot is 2.5"/6 cm. less than desired length. Increase 2 sts as follows: N1 & N2—knit; N3 & N4—k1, M1l, k until 1 st remains on N4, m1r, k1. (56 sts)
Heel
Heel is worked with CC1 on 30 sts. (28 sole sts plus 1 instep st on each side of heel) Heel setup: N1 & N2--with MC, knit; N3 & N4—(k1 with MC, k1 with CC1), repeat to end of round. Drop MC. Turn and begin short rows with CC1 as follows: First Half: Row 1: Yo&p, p28, turn. Row 2: Yo&k, k27, turn. Repeat these last two rows, working each row 1 stitch shorter than the last, until 11 plain stitches remain in center of heel. The final row of the first half of the heel is: Yo&k, k5 to center of heel Maximix Knee Socks by Susan Luni
Second Half:
Continuing on the same row as the final row of the first half: Row 1: K6 to first yo, royo, k2tog, turn. Row 2: Yo&p, p11 to first yo, sssp, turn. Row 3: Yo&k, k12, royo twice & k3tog. Repeat these last two rows, working each row one stitch longer than the last, until all heel stitches have been worked. The last row is: With CC1, yo&p, (p1 with MC, p1 with CC1), repeat to last yo. Royo and p2tog with next st. Break CC1. Leg Begin working in rounds again. With MC, royos & k2tog with 1st instep stitch. Knit across instep to last st on N2, sssk last instep st with yos in heel, knit to end of round. Knit 8 rounds. Begin corrugated ribbing Round 1: (K1 with MC, k1 with CC3), repeat to end of round. Round 2: K1 with MC, (p2 with CC3, k2 with MC) repeat to end of round, end p2 with CC3, K1 with MC. Repeat Round 2 eight times more. Break CC3. With MC, k1, (p2, k2) 13 times, end p2, k1. Repeat last round until leg measures 7"/18 cm. from heel. Break MC. With CC1 and larger needles, continue ribbing as in last round until leg is 14"/36 cm. or desired length. Break CC1. With CC3, knit 7 rounds.
Finishing
Bind off loosely. Weave in ends. Optional: Sew hem down on outside of sock, leaving 1"/2.5 cm. free to insert elastic. Insert length of elastic cut 2"/5 cm. longer than will fit comfortably around leg below knee. Sew or tie ends of elastic together. Finish sewing downhem. Block as desired.
Maximix Knee Socks, Instep Chart
Maximix Knee Socks, Sole Chart
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