Spring In Your Step Socks
Yarn: knit Picks Stroll Tonal (75% Superwash merino wool, 25% Nylon) 462 yards/100 grams Gauge: 9 stitches = 1 inch in stockinette stitch Materials: Set of 4 US Size 1 Double-pointed needles, stitch markers
Size: To fit Women's 7-9 shoe size, medium width Techniques: reverse heel-flap with short-row heel turn, wrapped stitches, closed toe cast-on, pick up and knit a stitch, bar increase, make one (backward loop increase) Abbreviations: kfb - knit into front and back of one stitch (bar increase); M1 - make one (backward loop increase) Description: Toe-up construction, incorporating simple 12-row 6 stitch repeat lace pattern that calls to mind fuchsias in bloom. Pattern starts at end of toe and continues along top of foot and leg. Heel construction is reverse heel flap/short row-turned/gusset. Pattern is aimed at the knitter with experience knitting socks, and assumes knitter is familiar with working from charts and cast-ons beginning from the toe (e.g. Turkish cast-on, short-row cast-on, Judy's magic cast-on, etc.) Lace pattern is easily executed and memorized but intricate enough to hold the experienced knitter's interest.
Instructions:
Toe: Using long-tail cast-on method and casting on very loosely, cast on 12 stitches to one needle. Turn work. Work a stitch into the first stitch on the needle, then, picking up both "legs" (i.e. whole stitch) of the chain cast-on stitches, pick up and knit them. You will now have 12 stitches each on two needles. Redistribute stitches onto 3 dpns so that needle 1 has 12 stitches, and needles 2 and 3 have 6 stitches each. Place marker and join for knitting in the round. Round 1 (inc) : knit into front and back of first stitch (kfb), knit to second to last stitch, kfb, k1. Needle 2: kfb in first stitch, knit to end of needle. Needle 3: Knit to second to last stitch on needle, kfb, k1. Round 2: Knit plain (no increases). Repeat rounds 1 and 2 until there are 60 stitches in total: 30 on needle 1, and 15 each on needles 2 and 3. Foot: Needle 1: work row 1 of chart pattern. Needles 2 and 3, knit all stitches. Continuing chart pattern only on instep stitches (needle 1) and working needles 2 and 3 in stocking stitch (knit all stitches each round), complete 4 repeats of chart (approximately 6 inches from caston). On last round after you have completed all instep stitches, continue to knit all stitches on needle 2. The beginning of round will now be at middle of bottom foot stitches. This is now needle 1, instep stitches will be needle 2, and needle 3 will be second half of bottom of foot. Heel Increases: Round 1: knit to second to last stitch, kfb, k1. Continue chart pattern across instep stitches (needle 2), needle 3: kfb in first stitch, knit to end of needle. Round 2: knit plain (no increases), keeping the instep stitches in pattern. Repeat these two rounds until you have increased 11 stitches each on needles 1 and 3 (you should now have 26 stitches on each of these needles), ending with an increase round. Heel Turn: Move the increase stitches you have just completed to each end of needle 2, separating them from the instep stitches with stitch markers in the following manner: Needle 1 - Knit first 15 stitches, then place them on needle 3. Knit the remaining 11 stitches on needle 1. Knit instep stitches in pattern (needle 2). Place a stitch marker at beginning of needle 2 and move the stitches from needle 1 onto needle 2. Knit first 11 stitches on needle 3. Place a stitch marker at end of needle 2 and place the 11 stitches you have just finished knitting onto the end of needle 2. You will now have all the stitches on 2 needles: 30 on needle 1, the instep stitches on needle 2 (with increased stitches on either end separated by stitch markers.) You will be working the heel turn on needle 1 only, in rows. To make knitting these stitches easier, transfer half the stitches on needle 2 to a third needle. Row 1: Knit to second to last stitch on needle 1, wrap this stitch, and turn. Row 2: Purl to second to last stitch, wrap this stitch and turn. Row 3: Knit to within 2 stitches of first wrapped stitch, wrap this stitch and turn. Row 4: Purl to within 2 stitches of first wrapped stitch, wrap this stitch, then turn. Repeat these last two rows until you have 10 stitches on either end of needle unworked (wrapped) and have 10 stitches in the center worked (not wrapped). Gusset and heel flap: Row 1: Knit to last stitch on needle 1, picking up and knitting the wraps with the stitch they belong to, knit last stitch together with first increase stitch on needle 2, turn. Row 2: slip 1, purl to last stitch, again picking up the wraps and knitting them together with their corresponding stitch. Purl last stitch together with first increase stitch from needle 2, turn. Row 3: \*slip 1, k1, rep from \* to last stitch, knit last stitch together with first increase stitch from needle 2, turn. Row 4: slip 1, purl to last stitch, purl last stitch together with first increase stitch from needle 2. Repeat last two rows until you have knitted all the increase (gusset) stitches together with the heel stitches. You should now have the same number of heel stitches you started with (30). The beginning of round is now the needle containing the instep stitches. Divide the bottom of foot stitches onto 2 needles and place instep stitches together on one needle. The needles are now numbered: 1, instep stitches; 2, right half of sole; 3, left half of sole. Leg: Round 1: Knit instep stitches (needle 1) in pattern to last stitch. Pick up left leg of stitch in row below at the gap between needles 1 and 2. Place on needle 1. Pick up right leg of stitch next to stitch just picked up and place on needle 1. Purl last stitch of needle 1 together with these two new stitches. Note: when picking up the right and left leg of stitches in the gap, do not knit them. Place each leg on needle 1 as a stitch in itself. Begin chart pattern on needles 2 and 3, making sure to begin with the same pattern row as on needle 1. Continue in pattern on all three needles until you have completed 4 pattern repeats from the heel flap (approximately 4 inches). Repeat rows 1 thru 10 of lace chart pattern. Decrease round: P2 together, \*K3, P2, P2 together, rep from \* ending with P2. Cuff: Round 1: P1,\* K3, P3 rep from \* ending with P2. Repeat round 1 fourteen more times (approximately 1 % inches). Increase round: P1, \* K3, M1 by casting on one stitch using backward loop method, P3. Repeat from \* ending with P2. Bind off loosely. Finishing: Weave in ends and block lace gently.
