The Captain's Steps
A sock pattern designed in honor of a dear friend, Captain Robert Etheridge, recently retired after more than three decades of service as a dentist in the United States Navy. When I saw how the pattern spirals up the legs of the socks, I was reminded of a classic black-and-white movie, “Captain January", and of a very young Buddy Ebsen dancing up the spiraling stairway of a lighthouse with a very little Shirley Temple.
Size:
Ladies' Medium/Men's Small (Ladies' Large/Men's Medium) Gauge: 8 stitches per inch over stockinet stitch
Materials:
Your choice of knitting needles as needed to obtain the correct gauge 100gm sock yarn Socks shown knit were knit two at a time on two 2.25mm circular needles using Patons Kroy Sock in color 54046 Flagstone.
Begin:
Use your favorite stretchy method to cast on 64(72) stitches, dividing as necessary on your needles to form a circle. Be careful not to twist your stitches! Work 15-20 rounds of K1, P1 rib for cuff, or until your desired length is reached. Begin leg pattern asfollows:
Pattern, multiple of 4 stitches:
Round 1 and all odd rounds: K Round 2: \* K2, P2 \* repeat Round 4: K1, \*P2, K2 \* repeat from \* to \*, end with K1 Round 6: \* P2, K2 \* repeat Round 8: P1, \*K2, P2 \* repeat from \* to \*, end with P1 Repeat these 8 rounds until desired length, ending with an odd row. Begin heel flap, working over 32(36) stitches while the remaining 32(36) stitches rest. Eye-of-Partridge heel flap: Row 1: \* Sl 1, K1 \* repeat from \* to \* across Row 2: SL 1, P across Row 3: Sl 1, \* Sl 1, K1 \* repeat from \* to \* across Row 4: P across Repeat these four rows until heel flap is as long as the measurement from the top of the wearer's ankle bone to the floor, ending with a K (right side) row. @ Becky Yoder BusyBeeDesigns 2013
Dutch heel turn:
The Dutch, or band, heel turn is worked by dividing the heel flap stitches roughly into thirds, then working the decreases in only the outer thirds while working the center third even. For example, on a 72-stitch sock the heel flap is generally worked over 36 stitches, so the Dutch hee/ would be divided thus: 12, 12, 12 stitches, while on a 64-stitch sock the heel flap is worked over 32 stitches so the Dutch heel would be divided 11, 10, 10 or 11, 10, 11, depending on the width of the wearer's heel. This pattern is written using the 10, 12, 10 count for the smaller size and the 12, 12, 12 count for the larger size. Working over 32 (36) stitches of heel flap while remaining stitches rest: Row 1: SI 1, P20 (23), P2tog, turn Row 2: Sl 1, K10 (12), SSK, turn Row 3: SL 1, P12 (12), P2tog, turn Repeat rows 2 and 3, working back-and-forth over the heel flap stitches, until all stitches have been worked.
Set up for gusset decreases:
Pick up and knit one stitch in every chain-stitch along left side of heel flap, work in pattern across instep stitches. Pick up and knit one stitch in every chain-stitch along right side of heel flap, K across heel stitches, K left side of flap, work in pattern across instep. Ready to begin gussets.
Gusset:
Round 1: K1, SSK, knit across needle(s) to 3 stitches from opposite side of heel, K2 tog, K1, work in pattern across instep stitches. Round 2: Work all stitches as presented, keeping in pattern across instep. Repeat these two rounds until gusset decrease is complete 64(72) stitches. Continue foot, working instep in pattern and sole in stockinet stitch, until the foot is approximately 2.5" from desired finished length. Begin toe shaping.
Toe shaping:
Round 1: K1, SSK, knit across until 3 stitches from the other side of the sole, K2tog, K1. Repeat for the instep. First round completed. Round 2: K all stitches Repeat rounds 1 and 2 until 18 stitches remain on instep and 18 stitches on the sole, for a total of 36 stitches. Repeat round 1 until 8 stitches remain on instep and 8 on sole, for a total of 16 stitches. Graft remaining stitches together, work in loose ends, and now cast on your second sock!
