I love knitting socks. They are my go-to-project if I run out of knitting ideas or if I don't feel like continuing one of my other projects. These socks were knitted as a Christmas present for my Mum. They got quite a few likes on my social media - so I thought it'd be a good idea to write down how I did them. Since the stitch pattern looks a bit prickly, I called them Cactus Socks.
These socks are based on the Generic Sock Toe-Up, Slip-Stitch Heel, Sock Formula by Sarah Keller (here's the Ravelry-Link) - but adapted to my size, with a stitch pattern for the main part of the sock that is carried over the heel as well - plus my favorite techniques for sock knitting.
This is NOT a complete knitting pattern in different sizes, but a description how I did it - especially the stitch pattern and carrying it through on the heel flap. If you want to knit them in another size, please use Sarah Kellers pattern to calculate your numbers.
Size and Gauge
The instructions are for a women's size 38 to 39 (i.e. 24 to 24,7 cm total foot length).
For other sizes, use the methods described in Sarah Kellers pattern (Generic Sock Toe-Up, Slip-Stitch Heel, Sock Formula by Sarah Keller (here's the Ravelry-Link)) - but make sure that the stitch count after the toe can be devided by 8.
Here, 19 rows of stockinette gave 5cm in height and 16 sts (stockinette) gave 5 cm in width. But If you've knitted socks before, you'll know which total stitch count to aim for.Any stitch count that can be devided by 8 is fine.
Materials
- about 60 grams of fingering weight yarn - I used Larneras Yarn Co Barefoot Fingering (here's a link to the yarn's Ravelry page)
- 2.5 mm needles - I used Addi Crasy Trios, but dpns or circulars with magic loop will work as well
Techniques and Abbreviations
- Judy's Magic Cast-On is a technique that gives you live stitches on both sides of your needle - it is generally used for toe-up socks (e.g. in this pattern), but it can be used for other purposes as well. Here's a written description (from Knitty) and here's a YouTube-video by Cat Bordhi and another YouTube-video by Very Pink Knits.
- Shadow Wrap Short Rows: as shown in this YouTube video by Lee Meredith. A video by Miriam Felton that shows how to do a heel with shadow wraps can be found here on YouTube. However, I pick up the stitches in a different manner.
- Knitting the Shadow Wraps: In a knit row (i.e. you're knitting on the outside of your socks), you knit up to the stitch where you want to turn, and then knit into the stitch in the row below, i.e. you insert the right hand needle from the front into the stitch below (1 on picture below) the next stitch and pull your working yarn through (2 on picture below). Then you put the loop onto the left hand needle (creating a double stitch from the stitch below) - keeping the yarn on the back (3 on picture below). Then you turn and your yarn is now in front, tighten it to make sure that all stitches have the same size and start to purl in the opposite direction. This sequence (knitting int the stitch below and turning) will be called kbelow in the pattern.
- If you're in a purl row, you purl into the stitch of the row below, i.e. insert the right hand needle from the back into the stitch below and draw your yarn through and put the stitch onto your left hand needle - creating a double stitch. The yarn is in front while you're doing this. Turn your work. The yarn is now on the back of your knitting. Make sure that the stitch is as tight as the other stitches on your needles and start knitting in the opposite direction. This sequence will be called pbelow in the pattern.
- Picking up the double stitches: When you come to a double stitch you can simply knit / purl it as one. This can create quite thick stitches and small holes that might be uncomfortable and not really neat. That's why (on the knit side, outside of the sock) I knitted the double stitch as follows: slip the first loop of your triple stitch as if to knit and slip the second stitch of the triple stitch as if to knit. Slip these two stitches together back onto the left hand needle (i.e. each of the stitches is turned now). Now knit them together through the back loop - similar to an ssk.
- On the purl side I worked the triple stitch like a normal purl 3 together.
- To avoid holes it is quite important to draw your second loops quite tight when turning.
- kbf: a stitch that mirrors a kfb, there are different ways to do this - here's one YouTube video by Mostly Knitting that shows this. However, my preferred method is this: shown in a YouTube short by strickhexx (in German). Both methods give the same result.
- Picking up stitches from the gap: a method to avoid holes after finishing the heel flap
- m1k: make 1 knit stitch
- m1p: make 1 purl stitch
- sssk: slip slip slip knit (a left leaning double decrease)
- k3tog: knit 3 together (a right leaning double decrease)
Instructions
Sock 1
Toe
do a magic CO of 2x10 stitches
Round 1: k10, place marker, k10
Rounds 2 - 5: k1, kfb, k to 2 bef marker, kbf, k1, slip marker, k1, kfb, k to 2 bef marker, kbf, k1 (-> 2x18 sts)
Round 6: k all
Round 7 = Round 2 (-> 2x20 sts)
Round 8: k all
Round 9 = Round 2 (-> 2x22 sts)
Round 10: k all
Round 11 = Round 2 (-> 2x24 sts)
Rounds 12 - 13: k all
Round 14 = Round 2 (-> 2x26 sts)
Rounds 15 - 16: k all
Round 17 = Round 2 (-> 2x28 sts)
Foot
Round 1: * k1, p1, k2 rep from * to marker, slip marker, k to end
Round 2: * k2, p1, k1 rep from * to marker, slip marker, k to end
Repeat rounds 1 - 2 23 more times - the stitches before the marker are on the upper side of the foot, the stitches after the marker are on the sole
A chart for this stitch pattern (4 stitches, 2 rows) can be found below.
//increases for heel gusset, i.e. continue stitch pattern on front and increase on sole
Round 49: * k1, p1, k2 rep from * to marker, slip marker, k1, kfb, k to 2 bef marker, kbf, k1
Round 50: * k2, p1, k1 rep from * to marker, slip marker, k to end
Repeat rounds 49 -50 nine more times, now there are 28 sts before the marker (front) and 48 sts after the marker (sole)
During the last round, place a stitch marker after 24 stitches of the sole stitches (i.e. after the half of the sole stitches, this marker will be called MM (middle marker))
//turning the heel
Round 69: * k1, p1, k2 rep from * to marker, slip marker,
k to MM, k 8, m1k, k1, kbelow, p to MM, p8, mk1p, p1, pbelow
k to MM, k 6, m1k, k1, kbelow, p to MM, p6, mk1p, p1, pbelow
k to MM, k 4, m1k, k1, kbelow, p to MM, p4, mk1p, p1, pbelow
k to MM, k 2, m1k, k1, kbelow, p to MM, p2, mk1p, p1, pbelow
k to end of round
You have now added an additional 8 sole stitches.
//heel flap
Round 70: * k2, p1, k1 rep from * to marker, slip marker,
(a) k to MM, k13, ssk, turn, sl1, p to MM, p13 p2tog, turn
(b) sl1, * k1 p1 k2 rep from * to 2 bef last ssk, k1, p1, ssk, turn,
sl1, * p1, k1, p2 rep from * to 2 bef last p2tog, p1, k1, p2tog, turn
repeat (b) until there are only 28 sts left of the sole stitches
finish the round by: sl1, * k1 p1 k2 rep from * to 3 bef last ssk, k1, p1, k1
Cuff
There will be a gap between the sole stitches and the front of the sock. To avoid a hole, pick up 1 or 2 stitches from the gap.
Round 71: * k1, p1, k2 rep from * to marker, slip marker,
there will be a gap here too, so again, pick up 1 or 2 stitches from the gap,
k1, p1, k2 rep from * to 5 or 6 bef end (depending on how many stitches you picked up from the gap), k1, p1, k1, sssk (or ssk if you only picked up 1 stitch from the gap)
Round 72: * k2, p1, k1 rep from * to marker, slip marker,
k3tog (or k2tog if you only picked up 1 stitch), k1, p1, k1, * k2, p1, k1 rep from * to end
Round 73: * k1, p1, k2 rep from * to end
Round 74: * k2, p1, k1 rep from * to end
Repeat round 73 to 74 until your cuff is as long as you want it (I knitted a total of 28 cuff rows)
Ribbing
Ribbing-Round: * k1, p2, k1 rep from * to end
Knit at least 11 Ribbing rounds then bind off in pattern - using a stretchy bind off
Since the stitch pattern is quite small, it will look symmetrical enough if you knit two socks as described above. However, I wanted them to be really (REALLY!) symmetrical, so I mirrored the stitch pattern for the second sock. This requires also a few other adjustments - that are described below.
Sock 2
Toe: see sock 1
Foot
Round 1: * k2, p1, k1 rep from * to marker, slip marker, k to end
Round 2: * k1, p1, k2 rep from * to marker, slip marker, k to end
Repeat rounds 1 - 2 23 more times
//increases for heel gusset
Round 49: * k2, p1, k1 rep from * to marker, slip marker, k1, kfb, k to 2 bef marker, kbf, k1
Round 50: * k1, p1, k2 rep from * to marker, slip marker, k to end
Repeat rounds 49 -50 nine more times, now there are 28 sts before the marker (front) and 48 sts after the marker (sole)
During the last round, place a stitch marker after 24 stitches of the sole stitches (i.e. after the half of the sole stitches)
//turning the heel
Round 69: * k2, p1, k1 rep from * to marker, slip marker,
k to MM, k 8, m1k, k1, kbelow, p to MM, p8, mk1p, p1, pbelow
k to MM, k 6, m1k, k1, kbelow, p to MM, p6, mk1p, p1, pbelow
k to MM, k 4, m1k, k1, kbelow, p to MM, p4, mk1p, p1, pbelow
k to MM, k 2, m1k, k1, kbelow, p to MM, p2, mk1p, p1, pbelow
k to end of round
//heel flap
Round 70: * k1, p1, k2 rep from * to marker, slip marker,
(a) k to MM, k13, ssk, turn, sl1, p to MM, p13 p2tog, turn
(b) sl1, * p1, k3 rep from * to 2 bef last ssk, p1, k1 ssk, turn,
sl1, * k1, p3 rep from * to 2 bef last p2tog, k1, p1, p2tog, turn
repeat (b) until there are only 28 sts left of the sole stitches
finish the round by: sl1, * p1, k3 rep from * to 3 bef last ssk, p1, k2
Cuff
There will be a gap between the sole stitches and the front of the sock. To avoid a hole, pick up 1 or 2 stitches from the gap.
Round 71: * k2, p1, k1 rep from * to marker, slip marker,
there will be a gap here too, so again, pick up 1 or 2 stitches from the gap,
k2, p1, k1 rep from * to 5 or 6 bef end (depending on how many stitches you picked up from the gap), k2, p1, sssk (or ssk if you only picked up 1 stitch from the gap)
Round 72: * k1, p1, k2 rep from * to marker, slip marker,
k3tog (or k2tog if you only picked up 1 stitch), p1, k2, * k1, p1, k2 rep from * to end
Round 73: * k2, p1, k1 rep from * to end
Round 74: * k1, p1, k2 rep from * to end
Repeat round 73 to 74 until your cuff is as long as you want it (I knitted a total of 28 cuff rows)
Ribbing: see sock 1
Chart
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| Stitch Pattern Chart |