Materials:

Yarn:

Knit Picks Sock Landscape (192 yards/50 g), 100% wool, color 23477: Rocky Mountain Dusk, 2 skeins.

Yarn Substitute:

Dale of Norway Sisik (148 yards/50 g), wool/mohair/acrylic/rayon, color 154: grey, 2 skeins.

Knitting Needles :

4 size 3 U.S. (3.25 mm) double pointed needles

Notions and Accessories:

Tapestry needle, sock blocker if desired.

Size:

Women’s standard sock, adjustable by foot length

Gauge: 18 stitches x 16 rows

Pattern:

Make Two -

Cuff:

Cast on 42 stitches.  Separate stitches onto 3 needles and join into a round.  Follow rib pattern:

Rows 1 and 2: *K1tbl, K1, P1, K1tbl, P2*, repeat between *s to end
Rows 3 and 4: *K1tbl, P1, K1, K1tbl, P2*, repeat between *s to end

Repeat these 4 rows until you have 5 inches of circular knitting

Heel:

Use the first 20 stitches as the heel.  Place remaining 22 stitches on a spare needle or holder and hold for instep stitches.  Work back and forth on the heel stitches in this manner:

Row 1 (RS): sl 1, *K1, P1, K1tbl, P2, K1tbl*, rep between *s 2 times, K1
Row 2 (WS): sl 1, *P1tbl, K2, P1tbl, K1, P1*, rep between *s 2 times, P1tbl
Row 3 (RS): sl 1, *P1, K1, K1tbl, P2, K1tbl*, rep between *s 2 times, P1
Row 4 (WS): sl 1, *K1, P1tbl, K2, P1tbl, P1*, rep between *s 2 times, K1

Repeat these four rows 9 more times.

Turn Heel:

Knit across 12 stitches, ssk, K1, turn work
Sl 1, P5, P2tog, P1, turn work

Repeat the following two rows until all stitches have been worked, ending with a purl row.

Row 1: Sl 1, knit to 1 stitch before gap, ssk, K1, turn work
Row 2: sl 1, purl to 1 stitch before gap, P2tog, P1, turn work

Heel gusset:

Knit across all heel stitches and with the same needle (needle 1), pick up and knit 10 stitches along the edge of the heel flap.  With another needle (needle 2), knit across held instep stitches.  With another needle (needle 3), pick up and knit 10 stitches across the other edge of the heel flap.  There will be 54 stitches.  The round now begins at the center back heel.  To decrease back to the original set of stitches for the foot, repeat the following two rounds until the stitches are back to 42.:

Round 1: Knit to last 3 stitches on needle 1, K2tog, K1; Follow rib pattern on needle 2; K1, ssk, knit to end of needle 3.
Round 2: Knit.

Foot:

Knit on needle 1; follow rib pattern on needle 2; Knit on needle 3 until the foot measures 1 ½ inches less than your desired foot length.

Toe and Finishing:

Begin toe decreases*:

Round 1: *K5, K2tog*, repeat to end
Rounds 2 and 3: Knit
Round 4: *K4, K2tog*, repeat to end
Rounds 5 and 6: Knit
Round 7: *K3, K2tog*, repeat to end
Rounds 8 and 9: Knit
Round 10: *K2, K2tog*, repeat to end
Round 11: Knit
Round 12: *K1, K2tog*, repeat to end
Round 13: Knit
Round 14: K2 tog to end

Knit across 2 stitches to end. Graft remaining 6 stitches together using the Kitchener stitch.  Block as desired.

*Toe decreases based on Dawn Brocco’s Star Toe, http://www.dawnbrocco.com/

Meet the Designer:

Elspeth McKee is a knitter, librarian and stay at home mom in the Silicon Valley.  She documents her attempts to knit while watching television at http://kniTV.com.