Jazz up your basic ribbed socks by adding a bit of cabling.
Finished Measurements:
Pattern written for women’s size 8 (US) socks, but it’s easily adaptable to fit other sizes. If you want to make the foot wider or narrower, then increase until you have a multiple of 3 sts plus 2.
Materials:
Size 1 double pointed needles
2 skeins Sensations Soles & More in Green/Blue
Cable hook, or if you’re feeling adventurous, I recommend watching this video to learn how to cable without the hook. It’s really convenient for knitting on the go with limited supplies, especially with this pattern where you’re only holding one stitch to the front or back.
Yarn Substitute: Stroll
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Abbreviations:
K – knit
P – purl
Sl – slip unworked stitch from left needle to right needle
SSK – slip unworked stitch from left needle to right needle knitwise. Slip a second unworked stitch from the left needle to the right needle knitwise. Slip those two unworked stitches separately back to the left needle purlwise. Knit those two stitches together in the back of the stitches (decrease).
K2tog – knit two stitches together (decrease).
P2tog – purl two stitches together (decrease).
Inc – knit into the front and back of the same stitch (increase).
Cn – cable needle
C2F – slip one stitch onto cn and hold to the front, K1, K1 from cn
C2B – slip one stitch onto cn and hold to the back, K1, K1 from cn
Wavy Cable Rib Pattern:
This pattern repeats throughout the sock, working it around the entire sock at the ankle and above, but only the top of the foot. (Stepping on cable bumps can be quite uncomfortable!)
Row 1: P2, *K2, P1.* Repeat from * to * until end.
Row 2: P2, *C2F, P1.* Repeat from * to * until end.
Row 3: P2, *K2, P1.* Repeat from * to * until end.
Row 4: P2, *C2B, P1.* Repeat from * to * until end.
Instructions:
Toe Shaping
Using provisional cast on method, cast on 8 stitches
Round 1: P across
Round 2: K across
Round 3: P across
Round 4: K across
Remove live stitches from scrap yarn and place them on a double pointed needle. You should have 16 sts on two needles (8 sts per needle). Begin knitting in the round.
Round 5: *K2, Inc, K1 (add a needle) K1, Inc, K2.* Repeat from * to * (12 sts)
Round 6: Needle 1 – K2, Inc, K across needle
Needle 2 – K across needle to last 3 sts, Inc, K2
Needle 3 – K2, Inc, K across needle
Needle 4 – K across needle to last 3 sts, Inc, K2
Repeat Round 6 until you have 32 sts total (8 sts per needle)
Round 7: K across
Round 8: Needle 1 – K2, Inc, K across needle
Needle 2 – K across needle to last 3 sts, Inc, K2
Needle 3 – K2, Inc, K across needle
Needle 4 – K across needle to last 3 sts, Inc, K2
Repeat Round 7 and Round 8 until you have 64 sts total (16 sts per needle)
Foot:
For all foot rounds, work the Wavy Cable Rib Pattern across Needles 1 and 2 and work the stockinette stitch across Needles 3 and 4. In other words, you will work the cable pattern over the top of the foot and stockinette stitch over the bottom of the foot.
Work until the sock is the length from the toe to the bend of your ankle at the top of your foot.
Heel Flap:
Turn so WS is facing and Work Needles 3 and 4 ONLY (31 sts)
Leave Needles 1 and 2 unworked
Row 9: Sl1, P across.
Row 10: Sl1, K across.
Repeat Rows 9 and 10, 11 more times (12 repeats total, 24 rows total).
Heel Shaping:
Row 11: Sl1, P16, P2tog, P1, turn. Leave remaining sts unworked. Continue in this manner.
Row 12: Sl1, K3, K2tog, K1, turn.
Row 13: Sl1, P4, P2tog, P1, turn.
Row 14: Sl1, K5, K2tog, K1, turn.
Row 15: Sl1, P6, P2tog, P1, turn.
Row 16: Sl1, K7, K2tog, K1, turn.
Row 17: Sl1, P8, P2tog, P1, turn.
Row 18: Sl1, K9, K2tog, K1, turn.
Row 19: Sl1, P10, P2tog, P1, turn.
Row 20: Sl1, K11, K2tog, K1, turn.
Row 21: Sl1, P12, P2tog, P1, turn.
Row 22: Sl1, K13, K2tog, K1, turn.
Row 23: Sl1, P14, P2tog, P1, turn.
Row 24: Sl1, K15, K2tog, turn.
Row 25: Sl 1, P15, P2tog, turn.
Begin working in the round again.
Row 26: K across heel flap, pick up and K 12 sts along first side of the heel. Work in Wavy Cable Rib Pattern across the two needles left unworked during the heel flap. Pick up and K 12 sts along second side of the heel. On the same needle, K 8 sts from the heel flap, leaving 9 heel flap stitches, splitting the sts from the heel flap between the two needles with the picked up sts. The needle starting with the 9 heel flap stitches is now the start of the round.
Gusset Shaping (decrease)
Repeat Round 27 and Round 28 until there are 64 sts total (16 sts per needle).
Bind off using the Icelandic Bind-Off for a stretchy finish. Video tutorial available here.
