Cabled Socks
Adorable cabled socks that cuddle your feet in good old fashioned squishy-ness. Mine did not use a full ball of yarn, which is good for all you folks out there with feet larger than size 6 1/5 - 7.
Yarn: Knitpicks “Essential”
Content: 75% Superwash Wool/25% Nylon
Needles: Size 1US, 2.25mm
Gauge: 14 sts per inch in cable pattern unstretched, 10 sts per inch in pattern stretched. These socks are on the tighter side of sock gauge, so if yours is a little looser it should be fine for a less fitted sock. The purls between the cables really open up once you put them on, but I tend to knit really tight.
Leg: Cast on 64 sts. Join, work in k2 p2 ribbing for 12 rounds.
Increase Round: *m1, k2, m1, p2*, repeat for round.
Stitch Pattern: *C4B, p2*, repeat for round. Work three rounds plain (knitting the knits and purling the purls, or “as they lay”). Note: If you work on dpn’s, like I do, you might want to set your round up so that each needle will end with purls and not with a cable. It’s a lot easier to work a cable when they are not the last stitches on the needle! Repeat these four rows until you have 17 cables or until you feel like you’re done with the leg, ending with a cable round.
Heel Shaping: Start your first needle by slipping the last purl stitch from your previous round back onto your working needle. Do not work it again, you are merely making your last stitch your new first stitch for the heel flap. Work across the next 8 cables as they lay, end with p1. You should now have 8 cables on your first needle, plus a purl stitch on either side, (these stitches form the heel flap), and the other 8 cables, plus a purl stitch on either side, on your other needles. Feel free to adjust the stitches however you see fit, but we will only be working the heel flap for the time being. Work heel back and forth, turning after every row.
Next Row: Slip the first stitch purlwise and work across the remaining stitches as they lay .
Decrease Row: Slip the first stitch, *k2tog 2 times, p2* for row, ending with a p1. 32 stitches on the working needle.
Remainder of flap: Slipping the first stitch of every row, work in stockinette (purl this row, then knit the next) until you have 17 slipped stitches on either edge of your heel flap, or 32 more rows, ending with a purl row.
Short-row Shaping: Slip 1, k17, SSK, k1, TURN.
Row 2: Slip 1, p5, p2tog, p1, TURN.
Row 3: Slip 1, k6, SSK, k1, TURN.
Row 4: Slip 1, p7, p2tog, p1, TURN.
Continue working the short rows as established until all of the stitches have been incorporated into the heel shaping. The last two rows will end with the decreases.
Next Row: On your first needle, knit across the first 8 sts. Change to a new needle and knit the remaining 8 sts. Using the same needle that contains the last 8 sts, pick up 17 stitches from the side of your heel flap. On a new needle, work across the 8 cables (plus a purl stitch on either side), as they lay. Using your last needle, pick up 17 stitches on the other side of the heel flap and then knit the remaining 8 stitches from the short row shaping. You should have 25 sts on your first needle, the 8 cables (plus a purl stitch on either side) on your second needle, and 25 sts on your third needle.
Gusset: The gusset of these socks will be worked on needles 1 and 3 while the cable pattern should be maintained on needle 2. Every OTHER round you will perform the gusset decreases as described below, and AT THE SAME TIME remembering to work the cables on every FOURTH round. You have currently completed round TWO of the cabling pattern.
Decrease round: Knit on first needle to last three sts, k2tog, k1. Work second needle according to cable pattern. On third needle, k1, ssk, knit to end of needle.
Continue working the cable pattern on the top of the foot and the gusset decreases on the back of the foot as established until you have 16 sts on needles 1 and 3. Work even until sock is 3 inches less than desired length, ending with a cable round.
Next Round: Work needle one plain, on needle two p1,*k2tog 2 times, p2* repeat for remaining stitches on needle two, ending in p1, work third needle plain.
Next Round: Knit all stitches. Work in stocking stitch until sock is 2 inches less than desired length.
Toe Decreases: Work to three stitches from end of needle 1, k2tog, k1. k1, ssk at beginning of needle two, work to three stitches from end of needle 2, k2tog, k1. k1, ssk at beginning of needle 3.
Next round: Work plain. Note: My toes are the type that end abruptly, so I happen to never work this plain round when decreasing for the toe, rather I decrease every round. You may want to try this version for your own socks, I find that they fit better and I don’t get a weird elf-toe happening. If you want to try this, knit an extra inch or so into the foot length before starting the toe decreases and leave out the plain round in between!
Continue working these two rounds until 16 sts remain. *k2tog, repeat for TWO entire rounds. Cut yarn, weave through stitches and secure.
Well, what are you waiting for? Put them on!