Chocolate Moose Socks
By Becky Greene
Size: Women's average Yarn: Berroco Utra Alpaca Fine, I skein steel-cut oats (MC), 1 skein poting soil (CC) Needles: Size 2 (2.75mm) Gauge: 16 sts = 2 inches in St st
Notes:
This sock pattern is knit top down on DPNs. Feel free to convert to any preferred method. After the heel is knit, the rest of the pattern is a basic sock. Feel free to knit the gusset decreases and toe in any favorite technique. For a wider/narrower leg, add or subtract sts in a multiple of 5 for the leg pattern. Be careful. however, when you get to the heel, which is worked over 30 sts. You can add more MC sts on either side of the deer motif to compensate for extra sts if necessary. This sock can also be knit as a single color sock with texture. To do so, substitute purl stitches for the CC sts when working from the charts. Cuff: With MC, Co 64 sts. Join to work in the round, being careful not to twist stitches. Rnds 1-15: \*k2, p2; rep from \* to end. 16: k around, inc I st. (65 sts). First 30 sts are heel sts, last 35 sts are instep sts. Start working from chart. Dark squares on chart are worked with CC white squares with MC. Work the 16 rows a total of four times, or for desired leg length.
Heel: Worked over first 30 sts. First 3 and last 3 sts are a garter st edge. Moose motif is knit in intarsia.
Row l: k7, work row I of heel chart, k7, turn. Row 2: k3, p4, work row 2 of heel chart, p4, k3, turn. Continue in this manner, until all rows of chart are finished.
Turn Heel:
Row l: k17, ssk, kl, turn. Row 2: sll, p5, p2tog, pl, turn Row 3: sll, k to I st before gap, ssk, kl, turn. Row 4: sll, p to I st before gap, p2tog, pl, turn. Repeat rows 3 and 4 until all heel sts are knit. With needle I, k across heel sts, pick up I st in each garter ridge plus I more in the corner between heel flap and instep sts. With needle 2, knit across instep, dec I st; with needle 3, pick up I st in corner and 1 st in each garter ridge. Work across first 9 sts to center of heel. Rearrange sts so there are 32 instep sts (shift one stitch on each end to the sole sts).
Gusset decreases:
Knit tolast sts ne ktog,kl; wrk acsall instp s nee 2); ne , , ssk end of rnd. Next rnd: k. Rep last 2 rnds until there are 16 sts on needles I and 3, 64 sts total. Work even in St st until foot is correct length (approximately 2 inches shorter than foot length).
Toe decreases:
Rnd 1: Kto last 3 sts on needle 1, k2tog, kl; on needle 2, kl, sk, k to last 3 sts on needle, k2tog, k; on needle 3, kl, ssk, k to end of rnd. Rnd 2: k. Repeat last two round until there are 16 sts left (4 each on needles I and 3, 8 on needle 2). K across needle I and kitchener ends together.
