Ash Socks Jenny Blackburn
These socks are named after my wonderful boyfriend who gets a lot of the socks I knit. Since Ash is a unisex name, it makes sense to name these unisex socks after him. Or you could see it as a tribute to the volcano causing so much travel disruption at the moment! The men's size are knit in a sport weight yarn using 2.75mm needles and the women's are knit using fingering weight yarnand2.5mm needles. The pattern is written with doublepointed needles in mind, but is easily converted to magic loop or two-circular knitting. Instructions are for a topdown sock with a heel flap, but it should be pretty easy to take the stitch pattern and use it with your favourite sock construction. (The example shown in the picture is the men's size in Colinette Jitterbug colourway 'tapis')
Gauge
Women's medium-sized socks: 9sts and 13 rows per inch squared. Men's medium-sized socks: 6.5 sts and 12 rows per inch squared Glossary $\mathsf{C O}=$ Cast on $\mathsf{K}=\mathsf{K}\mathsf{n i t}$ $\mathsf{K}2\mathsf{t}0\mathsf{g}=\mathsf{K}\mathsf{n}\mathsf{i}\mathsf{t}\,2$ together (decrease) $\mathsf{K W}=$ Knitwise $\mathsf{P}=\mathsf{P}\mathsf{u}\mathsf{r}|$ $P2{\mathsf{t o g}}=\mathsf{P u r l}\;2$ together (decrease) $\mathsf{p w}=$ Purlwise $S|=S||p$ ssk $=$ Slip slip knit (decrease) sts $=$ Stitches
Pattern
When reading this pattern, instructions in red are the women's size. Those in blue are the men's size. Follow the instructions for the size you are making throughout. Where there are no coloured words, the instructions are the same for both sizes. Cuff Using 2.5mm (2.75mm) needles (or whichever needles you need to get gauge): CO 60sts Distribute the stitches between four double-pointed needles so that there are 15 sts oneachneedle. Work in K1P1 ribbing $({}^{\star}\mathsf{K}\mathsf{1},\mathsf{P}\mathsf{1}\,^{\star}$ repeat to end of round) for 15 rounds. Start cuff pattern. Cuff Pattern Work cuff pattern for three repeats and then repeat rows 1-5 once more. To make the sock longer, add additional repeats. The pattern is both written out and shown as a chart.
Cuff Pattern Written Instructions
(see page 3 for charted instructions) Rounds 1-5: Knit all stitches Rounds 6-15: $^{\star}\mathsf{K}6$ (P1,K1) 4 times, $\mathsf{P}\mathsf{1}^{\star}$ repeat instructions between the asterisks four times per round. Repeat these rounds three times for the cuff and then rows 1-5 once more.
Cuff Pattern Chart
Chart is read from right to left and from bottom to top. Each chart row should be repeated four times per round. Repeat the whole chart three times, then rows 1-5 oncemore.
Heel Setup K3 sts, turn and P30sts (by knitting three stitches before turning, the heel flap will be centred at the back of the leg). These 30sts will make the heel flap. Leave the remaining 30sts on hold for now. They will later form the top of foot. Heel Working back and forth on the 30sts of the heel flap, repeat the following two rows until the heel flap measures 2.5" (3") or 6.5cm (8cm). Row 1: \*Sl1st kw, $\mathsf{K}1^{\star}$ repeat instructions between asterisks to end of row. Row 2: Sl1st pw, P29
Heel Turn
When the heel flap is the appropriate length, follow the instructions below, still working back and forth to turn the heel. Row 1: K17, K2tog, K1, turn work Row 2: Sl1pw, P5, P2tog, P1, turn Row 3: Sl1kw, K to one stitch before the gap, K2tog, K1, turn Row 4: Sl1pw, P to one stitch before the gap, P2tog, P1, turn Repeat rows 3 and 4 until no stitches are left unworked. 18sts remain.
Gusset
Knit across the 18 heel stitches and using the same needle pick up and knit a stitch in each long stitch formed by the slipped edge stitches plus one stitch between the flap and the top of the foot. Using a free needle, knit across the stitches left on hold using row 1 of the top of foot pattern (see page 5). Using a free needle pick up and knit the same number of stitches as the left side of the heel flap on the right side of the heel flap. Using the same needle K9 stitches from the heel stitches. The end of the round is now in the centre of the bottom of the foot with the stitches distributed over three needles (one with the 30 top of the foot stitches and two needles for the sides and bottom of the sock).
Gusset Decreases
Resume working in the round. The gusset decreases will reduce the total number of stitches on the needles back to the 60 that the sock started with. Repeat the following two rounds until 60 sts remain (15sts on the first needle, 30 on the second and 15 on the third): Round 1: Needle 1: K Needle 2: Knit the appropriate row of the top of foot pattern (starting with row 2) Needle 3: K Round 2: Needle 1: K to last three sts, K2tog, K1 Needle 2: Knit the appropriate row of the top of foot pattern Needle 3: K1, ssk, K to end of needle Top of Foot Written Instructions These are the instructions for the 30 top of foot stitches only. Instructions for the whole round can be found on the previous page (see below for charted instructions for top of foot stitches.) Rounds 1-10: K3, (P1, K1) 4 times, P1, K6, (P1,K1) 4 times, P1, K3 Rounds 11-15: K Top of Foot Pattern Chart
Foot
Once you are back to 60sts, repeat the following round until the sock measures around $2^{\ast}$ (2.5") or 5cm (6.6cm) less than the desired length of the foot. End after row 5, 10 or any of rows 11-15. Foot round: Needle 1: K Needle 2: Knit the appropriate row of the top of foot pattern Needle 3: K Toe Repeat the following two rounds until 24sts remain: Round 1: K all sts Round 2: Needle 1: K to last three sts, K2tog, K1 Needle 2: K1, ssk, K to last three sts, K2tog, K1 Needle 3: K1, ssk, K to end Graft the 12 top of foot stitches to the 12 bottom of foot sts using kitchener stitch. Cast on for the second sock.
