DAYLONG SOCKS, CUFF DOWN
THE SOCKPATTERNWITHTHEPRINCESSFOOT
by Susan Luni After a daylong shopping trip, I wished for a pair of socks with princess soles that put the smooth side of the stockinette stitch against my sore feet. I had knit princess-soled socks as gifts, but I did not like purling the soles. That's when I started turning my socks inside out after knitting the heel flap. I knit the heel turn, sole and toes and continued the pattern down the instep. Once done, I turned the sock right side out again, putting the purl bumps to the outside and the smooth knit side against the sole of my foot. Without any extra purling, I had knit a sock with princess sole, a princess heel and a princess toe— altogether, a regal foot. This basic pattern produces a pair of socks that are stretchy, soft and smoothsoled, simple enough to knit up quickly, pretty enough for a gift, especially for someone whose feet are sensitive or have a hard road to walk. Materials: Misti Alpaca Hand Paint Sock (50% Alpaca, 30% Merino, 10% Nylon, 10% Silk; 437 yds/400 m per 100 gram hank) color: C04, Taos; 1 hank. Gauge: 32 sts/44 rows = 4"/10 cm. in stockinette stitch 48 sts/44 rows = 4"/10 cm. in unstretched 2x2 ribbing 24 sts/44 rows = 4"/10 cm. in stretched 2x2 ribbing Needles: size US #1.5 (2.5 mm). set of 5 dpns, or size needed to obtain correct gauge. Size: 7"/18 cm. (8"/20 cm., 9"/23 cm.) foot circumference--will stretch to fit 9"/23 cm. (10"/25 cm., 11"/28 cm.) comfortably. Notions: tapestry needle; stitch marker, if needed to mark beginning of round. Abbreviations dpns: Double pointed needles. K: Knit. k2tog: Knit two stitches together. Copyright Susan Luni Designs 2014 all rights reserved
Daylong Socks, Cuff Down by Susan Luni
N: Needle; N1=Needle 1; N2=Needle 2, etc. p: Purl. p2tog: Purl two stitches together. RS: Right side. sl: Slip. ssk: Slip 1 knitwise, slip 1 knitwise, knit these two slipped stitches together through the back loops. st(s): Stitch(es). tbl: Through the back loop. WS: Wrong side.
Notes:
A skilled beginner can knit this simple pattern. More experienced knitters will be able to use this technique to make any patterned pair of socks more comfortable by the addition of a purl-free princess sole. To add a princess sole to another cuff-down sock pattern, knit the leg according to pattern, then flip the sock inside out at the heel. The foot can be knit in ribbing, stockinette, or in the pattern. (See step 4 below.) If the pattern is continued down the instep to the toe, it must be worked from the wrong side, reversing the stitches. Almost any pattern can be worked from the wrong side, even cables and lace. To reverse the stitches, substitute knits for purls and p2tog and ssp for k2tog and ssk, etc. Even cable crossings can be reversed. However, the simplest method is to work the entire foot in plain stockinette. This produces the most comfortable sock, one that won't produce strange patterns on your foot when you wear it with a shoe that covers your instep. This pattern, step-by-step: 1. Work the leg of the sock in pattern. 2. Work the heel flap and heel turn, switching from stockinette to reverse stockinette on the second row of the heel turn. 3. Turn the sock inside out after the heel turn is worked. Once it is turned inside out, you are working on the wrong side. All features that are usually placed on the inside of the sock, such as picking up stitches and weaving in ends, are now placed on the outside. Stitches are picked up for the gusset and purled, placing the bumps for the picked up stitches on the outside, which is the wrong side of the sock. Gusset decreases are placed against a set of two purl stitches. These will be knit stitches on the inside, the right side of the sock, once the sock is completed and turned inside out. 4. The instep is worked in ribbing. From the outside, the wrong side, the instep is worked as p2, k2, across, ending with p2. Once the sock is
Daylong Socks, Cuff Down by Susan Luni
turned inside out, the instep will be a k2, p2 ribbing. The entire sole, from the heel turn to the toe, is worked in knit stitches on the outside. Once the sock is completed and turned right side out, the fabric is reversed and the entire sole will be reverse stockinette.
PATTERN Lea
CO 56(64, 72) sts, using twisted German or any other stretchy cast on. Jeny's Stretchy Slipknot Cast-On (curiousknitter.blogspot.com) is an alternative. Join to knit in the round. Round 1: [K2, p2] repeat to end of round. Repeat round 1 until work measures 7"/18 cm. or desired length.
Daylong Socks, Cuff Down by Susan Luni
Heel
Knit 13 (17, 21) sts, turn, sl1, purl 27 (31, 35) sts. This centers the heel flap on the end of the round, with a knit stitch at each end. Continue heel flap: Row 1: (Sl1, k1) repeat across flap, turn. Row 2: Sl1, purl remainder of flap, turn. Repeat these two rows until the heel flap measures 2(2.25, 2.5) inches or about 28(32, 36) rows. Begin heel turn.
Heel Turn
Row 1: (RS) Sl1, k15(17, 19), ssk, k1, turn. Row 2: (WS) Sl1, k5, ssk, k1. (reversing the stockinette pattern) Row 3: (RS) Sl1, p6, p2tog, p1. Row 4: (WS) Sl1, k7, ssk, k1. Row 5: (RS) Sl1, p8, p2tog, p1. Row 6: (WS) Sl1, k9, ssk, k1. Continue in this manner, stopping one stitch before the gap between the stitches and decreasing over the next two stitches. Final rows (WS) Sl1, k13(15, 17), ssk, k1. (RS) Sl1, p14(16, 18), p2tog, turn. (WS) Sl1, k14(16, 18), ssk. There will be 16(18, 20) sts remaining on the heel. Turn sock inside out by reaching inside the leg, grasping the cuff and pulling the sock through the needles. Working from the wrong side, pick up and purl 14(16, 18) sts along the heel flap. Pick up an additional st between the heel flap and the instep. This additional stitch will be worked as a purl from the wrong side. Combined with the single knit stitch on the side of the instep, it will complete the ribbed pattern for the foot. Work instep stitches in pattern, starting with p1, k2, p2, ending with p1 for 29 (33, 37) sts total. Pick up a stitch between the end of the instep and the heel flap. Purl it. Pick up and purl 14 (16, 18) stitches on heel flap. Knit 8 (9, 10) sts on heel. Place marker for beginning of the round. Stitch count: 74 (84, 94) total, 44 (50, 56) sts total in heel, 30 (34, 38) sts total in instep. Best arrangement, if knitting on 4 dpns, is 24 (27, 30) sts on N1 (half the heel sts plus the first 2 purls of the instep), 14 (16, 18) sts on N2 and N3 for the instep and 22 (25, 28) sts on N4 for the other side of the heel. All st counts in instructions below start at the beginning of the round. Daylong Socks, Cuff Down by Susan Luni Next round: K8 (9, 10), k14 (16, 18) tbl, knit instep sts in pattern, k14 (16, 18) tbl, k8 (9, 10). Begin gusset decreases: Round 1: K20 (23, 26) or to last 2 sts before instep, k2tog, work instep stitches in pattern, ssk, k20 (23, 26) or to beginning of round. Round 2: Knit all sole and gusset stitches and work instep in pattern. Repeat rounds 1 and 2, decreasing 2 sts every odd-numbered round, until 56 (64, 72) sts remain.
Foot
Continue knitting in even rounds without decreases, working the sole in knit sts and the instep in pattern. When foot measures 2.25"/6 cm. less than desired length, begin toe.
Toe
Move 1 purl st on either side of instep to sole needles. 28 (32, 36) sts for sole, 28 (32, 36) sts for instep. Round 1: (setup round) K17 (19, 21), (k2, p2), repeat across instep until 4 sts remain, k4, k14 (16,18). Round 2: (decrease round) K across sole to 4 sts before beginning of instep sts, k2tog, k2. Begin instep sts with k2, ssk, (k2, p2) across to 4 stitches before sole sts, k2tog, k2. Begin sole sts with k2, ssk, knit to end of round. Round 3: Work in pattern. Repeat rounds 2 and 3 until 36 sts remain. Work one more row in pattern, then continue next rounds as follows. Next round: K5, k2tog, k4, ssk, k10, k2tog, k4, ssk, k5. 32 sts remain Next round: Knit all sts. Next round: K to 4 sts remain, k2tog, k4, ssk, k until 4 sts remain, k2tog, k4, ssk, k to end of round. Repeat last round until 16 sts remain. Transfer sts on N2 to N3. Transfer sts from N4 to N1 - 8 sts on each needle.
FINISHING
Graft these stitches together to close toe. Weave in ends on knit side of foot. Turn sock right side out. Block as desired.
