SOCKS – SHORT OVERVIEW OF THE PIECE
The piece is worked in the round with double pointed needles, from the leg to toe.
To make room for the heel, stitches are increased towards the heel while working the sock and, when the heel has reached the correct length and breadth, heel-stitches are decreased while working towards the toe. These increases/decreases form a diamond shaped heel.
LEG
Cast on 40-40-44-44-48-52-56 stitches with double pointed needles size 3.5 mm and 1 strand of each colour (2 strands). Knit 1 round.
Continue with rib in the round (purl 2 and knit 2) for 10-12-14-16-18-20-20 cm. Now work the heel and foot.
HEEL AND FOOT
Stitches are increased for the heel on each side of 10-10-10-10-10-18-18 stitches under the foot. The heel stitches are worked in stocking stitch and rib is continued across the remaining stitches. Insert 1 marker between the first 2 purled stitches on the round (mid-under foot) and allow this marker to follow your work onwards.
INCREASE 1:
Work until there are 5-5-5-5-5-9-9 stitches left before the marker, increase 1 stitch by using the left needle to pick up the strand between 2 stitches from the previous round, pick up the strand from the front and then knitting through the stitch-loop which lies on the back of the needle, knit 10-10-10-10-10-18-18 (marker sits in the middle of these stitches), using the left needle pick up the strand between 2 stitches from the previous round, pick up the strand from the back then knit through the stitch-loop which lies on the front of the needle (2 increased stitches). Work to end of round (to the marker).
On the next round, continue the stocking stitch and rib but finish when there are 6-6-6-6-6-10-10 stitches left before the marker. Now increase as follows:
INCREASE 2:
Using the left needle, pick up the strand between 2 stitches from the previous round, pick up the strand from the front then knit through the stitch-loop which lies on the back of the needle, knit 12-12-12-12-12-20-20 (marker sits in the middle of these stitches), using the left needle pick up the strand between 2 stitches from the previous round, pick up the strand from the back then knit through the stitch-loop which lies on the front of the needle (2 increased stitches). Work to end of round (to the marker).
CONTINUE INCREASING
Increase every 2nd round as above a total of 6-6-6-6-6-6-6 times, with 2 more knitted stitches under the foot each time you increase = 52-52-56-56-60-64-68 stitches on the round, and 26-26-26-26-26-34-34 knitted stitches under the foot (= heel-stitches), including 2 knitted stitches on each side from the rib.
Work 1 round of rib and stocking stitch, finish the round mid under foot. Insert 1 measuring-marker in the middle of the heel-stitches. IMPORTANT: This marker is used to measure the foot and must stay in place.
DECREASE 1:
Now decrease as follows:
Work until there are 12-12-12-12-12-16-16 stitches left before the marker under the foot, slip 1 stitch knit-wise, knit 1, pass the slipped stitch over the knitted stitch, knit 20-20-20-20-20-28-28 (marker under the foot sits in the middle of these stitches), knit 2 together (2 decreased stitches). Work to end of round (to the marker under the foot). NOTE! You decrease in the next-outermost knitted stitch on each side of the rib, so the 2 knitted stitches continue along the decreases.
On the next round, work until there are 11-11-11-11-11-15-15 stitches left before the marker and decrease as follows:
DECREASE 2:
Slip 1 stitch knit-wise, knit 1, pass the slipped stitch over the knitted stitch, knit 18-18-18-18-18-26-26 (marker sits in the middle of these stitches), knit 2 together (2 decreased stitches). Work to end of round (to the marker under the foot).
CONTINUE DECREASING
Decrease every 2nd round as above a total of 11-10-11-11-10-10-10 times, with 2 fewer knitted stitches under the foot each time you decrease = 30-32-34-34-40-44-48 stitches. Continue with stocking stitch across the 4-6-4-4-6-14-14 stitches under the foot and rib across the remaining stitches.
FOOT
Work until the foot measures 10-11½-12½-14-15-16½-17½ cm from the measuring-marker on the heel, measured under the foot.
There is 4-4-4-4-5-5½-6 cm left to finished length; try the sock on and work to desired length before decreasing for the toe.
TOE
Knit 2 rounds. Insert 1 marker in each side of the sock with 15-16-17-17-20-22-24 stitches both on top of and underneath the foot (2 markers). Knit , AT THE SAME TIME on the first round, begin decreasing for the toe on each side of both markers – read DECREASE TIP (4 decreased stitches). Decrease like this every 2nd round a total of 3-3-3-3-4-5-5 times, then every round 2-2-3-3-3-3-4 times = 10-12-10-10-12-12-12 stitches. Cut the strand, thread it through the remaining stitches, tighten and fasten well.
The foot measures approx. 14-15½-16½-18-20-22-23½ cm from the measuring-marker. NOTE! The foot is 1-1½-1½-2-2-2-2½ cm shorter than the foot measurements given under SIZES, as it will stretch when worn.
