The
story behind these socks is this: almost thirty years ago I noticed fluffy sock cuffs peeking over the
tops of Keith Somers’ work boots. A
tree nurseryman in Tillsonburg, Ontario, Keith told me his mother had taught
him to knit and he had been making socks all his life. He liked the brushed acrylic and nylon yarn
(Nina, Diana) that was popular then, said it lasted well, and he found the
pastel colors cheerful. I asked for the
pattern. It was in his head. He agreed to try to write it out and a week
or so later I got a letter from him with the instructions. I tweaked them a bit then to make sense of
them (I’d never knit socks before) and the following is my version. They knit up quickly and I have made many
pairs over the years, experimenting with different yarns, combinations, styles.
The ones shown here were meant to be worn with sandals in Victoria’s (comparatively) mild winters.
The different colors for each sock were by choice and by fun. I did not do a rib for the cuff but after the sock was made used a large crochet hook, picked up stitches around the top of the sock, and did a very loose single crochet for four or five rows.
Each
sock takes one 50 gr ball of wool, single strand in double knitting, double
strand in 4 ply. #4 Can set of four dbl
pointed needles
Gauge 8
sts to 2 inches (approx)
Finger
cast on 28 sts on a #4 (Can) dbl pointed needle.
1st
row K2 P2 across.
Distribute on
three needles, 12, 8, 8
Taking care to
not twist the first row, using fourth needle, join stitches and begin to work
in the round: K2 P2 ribbing for cuff (2” for crew style, 4” for short cuff, 6”
for tall cuff etc.)
Knit plain to
required length (distance from bottom of cuff to top of ankle)
Change to 14,
7, 7 on the three needles
On the 14 sts
K1 Slip 1 across and then purl back. Do
this for 2 ½ inches ending with a knit row.
Turn heel like
this:
Purl 7 P2tog P1 Turn
K3 K2tog K1 Turn
P4 P2tog P1 Turn
K5 K2tog K1 Turn
P6 P2tog P1 Turn
K7 K2tog Do not turn
With spare
(fourth) needle pick up 9 sts knitwise along edge following from the last row.
There are 7
sts on each of the next two needles: put these all on one needle (14 sts)
With spare
needle knit across these 14 sts.
With spare
needle pick up 9 sts along next edge. Onto this same (9sts) needle knit the next 4 sts from the 8 sts needle
(13 sts). Slip the remaining 4 sts.
onto the needle holding the 9 sts. (13 sts.) Think of this now as a triangle with 13 sts. on each side and 14 sts.
along the bottom.
You are
presently at the top of the triangle. Knit once around (40 sts.)
Decrease for
heel gusset as follows:
Knit 10 (along
the 13 sts. side) K2tog K1 (12 sts.)
Knit across the
14 sts.
Now (along the
other 13 sts. side) K1 K2tog K10 (12
sts.)
You are now at
the top again.
Knit one round
plain.
On next round
decrease as before (11sts. 14 sts. 11 sts.)
Knit one round
plain.
Decrease in
this manner until there are 7sts. 14 sts. 7 sts.
Knit plain to
desired length (foot size less toe length; I try on the sock at this point and
when only half my toes show then I start to decrease: I like roomy toes!)
To decrease
for toe:
Decrease 4 sts
in next round (K2tog – twice on the 14 st row, once on the 7 st rows) Knit one row plain. Decrease 4 sts. as
before. Knit one row plain. Continue until 12 stitches remain. Cast off. Sew up toe seam