Eckstein Socks

Recently, at a departement store I saw a pair of socks with a heel at a right angle. The claim was that it would be more comfortable to wear because there'd be no crease at the instep. Well, I wanted to try this myself - especially whether they really fitted better. It took me only two attempts to get the shaping right - and even though the socks look a bit strange, they fit rather well.
So, here's the pattern: a pair of socks knitted cuff-down with a right angled heel.

As with most of my sock patterns, I assume that you already have a certain knowledge of how to knit socks. So, this is NOT a stitch-by-stitch and row-by-row pattern.


This work by Knitting and so on is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.






Materials

• about 50 to 70 grams of fingering weight yarn - a bit more if you like your shaft to be longer (the yarn I used is called Schöller+Stahl Sockina Color, here's the link to the yarn's page on Ravelry)
• 2.5 mm knitting needles - I used Addi Crazy Trios, but you can also use long circulars (with the Magic Loop method) or dpns
• 2 stitch markers
• a tapestry needle to weave in ends

Techniques

• Shadow Wrap Short Rows - as used for the heel: 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.

• In this pattern you'll be asked to kbelow/pbelow into a stitch that is already a double stitch, i.e. creating a triple stitch.
• Picking up the double / triple 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 triple stitch as follows: slip the first loop of your triple stitch as if to knit (1 on picture below). Slip the second stitch of the triple stitch as if to knit - and do the same with the third stitch (2 on picture below). Slip all three 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 (3 on picture below).

• 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 and third loops quite tight when turning.

• Grafting in stockinette stitch (also called Kitchener Stitch): a way to seamlessly join two rows of live stitches - as shown in this YouTube video by WEBS America's Yarn Store.

Gauge and Sizes
In stockinette stitch, I had 21 rows for 5cm in height and 15 stitches for 5 cm in width.
With my gauge, a heel (size 36-39) is 8 cm high and wide. Therefore, it's about 0.25 cm less for sizes 32-35, and about 0.25cm more for sizes 40-43.

Here are the stitch counts for the sizes given:

shoe size	total number of stitches	short rows	stitches w/o short rows (top)	stitches w/o short rows (below heel)
33-35	56 = 2x28	19	4	5
36-39	60 = 2x30	20	4	6
40-42	64 = 2x32	21	5	6

Instructions for sizes are given as follows: sizes 32-35 [sizes 36-39, sizes 40-43]. I.e. the instructions before the brackets are for sizes 32 to 35 and in brackets first for sizes 36 to 39 and then for sizes 40 to 43.

Instructions

Cuff
CO 56 [60, 64] stitches and join in round - the start of a round will be at the back of the calf
Knit 15 rounds of k2p2-ribbing
Knit 20 rounds of stockinette stitch - during the last round place a stitch marker after 28 [30, 32] stitches, i.e. after half the stitches

Heel
R1: k to 5 [5, 6] sts before half, kbelow, p to end, p to 5 [5, 6] sts before half, pbelow, k to end
R2: k to 2 sts before last double stitch, kbelow (i.e. now there are two double stitches next to each other), p to end, p to 2 before last double stitch, pbelow, k to end
Repeat R2 17 [18, 19] more times

Now you have 19 [20, 21] double stitches on each side of your heel and your piece should look similar to the photo on the right.

R3: k to first double stitch, k this stitch, kbelow (now you have a triple stitch), p to end, p to first double stitch, p this stitch, pbelow (another triple stitch), k to end - make sure to draw your (third) loops tight before turning.
R4: k to first triple stitch, k this stitch, kbelow, p to end, p to first triple stitch, pbelow, k to end
Repeat R4 until you have used up all your double stitches. Now you have finished your heel and can go on knitting in rounds again.

You'll encounter two leftover triple stitches in the next round

• work the first one (i.e. that was created on the k-side) as before
• work the second one (i.e. that was created on the p-side) also by turning the loops one by one before knitting it.

Remove the stitch marker you replaced at the half point.


Foot
Knit in stockinette until you are 5 cm short of the desired total foot length.
Place two stitch markers while knitting the last round, one at 1/4 of your stitches (i.e. after 14, [15, 16] stiches - called M1) and one after 3/4 of your stitches (i.e. after 42, [45, 48] stitches - called M2).


Toes
Knit to M1 - the following rounds will start and end at this marker, i.e. the rounds will from now on start at the side of your foot.
R1: k1, ssk, k to 3 bef M2, k2tog, k1, slip marker, k1, ssk1, k to 3 bef M1, k1 (decrease row)
R2: k all
R3 = R2
R4 = R2
R5 = R1 (decrease row)
R6 = R2
R7 = R2
R8 = R1 (decrease row)
R9 = R2
R10 = R2
R11 = R1 (decrease row)
R12 = R2
R13 = R1 (decrease row)
R14 = R2
R15 = R1 (decrease row)
R16 = R2
R17 = R1 (decrease row)
R18 = R1 (decrease row)
R19 = R1 (decrease row)
R20 = R1 (decrease row)

Now you have a total of 16, [20, 24] stitches left, i.e. 2x8, [2x10, 2x12] stitches.
Rearrange your stitches to sit on two needles - with needle 1 holding the stitches between M1 and M2, and the other holding the stitches between M2 and M1.
Cut yarn and graft toes in stockinette stitch.

Weave in ends.
Make two.

Grape Socks

Usually, I have quite a few ideas what to knit next. But sometimes I am out of ideas or have only ideas that don't feel right at the time - that's when I knit socks, plain socks.

My preferred method is knitting toe-up socks - and ever since I first tried it, a flap heel. 

I used the method described here, i.e. Sarah Keller's Generic Toe-Up, Slip-Stitch Heel, Sock Formula, which worked brilliantly for me.

The stitch pattern that I used was as follows (very similar to my Osterspaziergang Socks):

Using a multiple of 4 stitches, the pattern consists of 6 rows.

Row 1: * k1, ssk, yo, k1 repeat from *

Rows 2 and 3: k all

Row 4: * k1, yo, k2tog, k1 repeat from *

Rows 5 and 6: k all

The yarn used here is called Regia Cotton Tutti Frutti Color, colorway 2423 Grapes - here's a link to the yarn's Ravelry page.

Querverweis - or Inclination towards Short Rows

It's always fun to knit socks, and I usually like to try out new ideas to make them more interesting - especially if it makes the self-striping sock yarn stand out in an interesting manner. And since I really like to work with short rows, here's another way to use them for socks - to create a diagonal stripe. Other sock patterns with short rows are my Tipsy Toe Socks, Tipsy Toe Socks 2.0 and Klecks Socks.

The name "Querverweis" is the german word for cross-reference.

This is NOT a complete row-by-row knitting pattern, but just a rough sketch to enable you to knit a similar pair for yourself. It assumes that you have a rough idea of how to knit socks and especially that you know how to do a heel.


This work by Knitting and so on is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.





Materials

• 50 to 100 grams of fingering weight yarn 
• 2.5mm needles - I used Addi CrasyTrio, but you can use dpns or a circular needle (with Magic Loop method) as well 
• 2.25mm needles - to knit the ribbing 
• 2 different stitch markers - one to mark the end of round (called "end marker") and one to mark the middle of the round (called "middle marker")
• a tapestry needle to weave in ends

Techniques

• 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.
• Stretchy Bind-Off: see this YouTube-video by Knitting Pipeline.
• Shadow Wrap Short Rows - used throughout the pattern: 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, the heel knitted here is knitted slightly different because here there are two rounds between the two parts of the heel, i.e. there won't be any triple stitches.
• 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 the next stitch and pull your working yarn through. Then you put the loop onto the left hand needle (creating a double stitch from the stitch below) - keeping the yarn on the back. 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.
• Knitting the double stitch.: When you come to a double stitch you can simply knit / purl it as one. This looks well when you're working it in the same direction it was created (i.e. the double stitch was created in a purl row and is also worked in a purl row). However, when you have to knit a double stitch that was created in a purl row, the following sequence made the result look a bit neater. I slipped the first loop of the double stitch to the right hand needle, turned the second loop so that the front leg was now in the back and put the first loop back facing the same way (i.e. the former front leg was now in the back). Then I knitted both loops through the back loop.
• Flap Heel when knitting toe-up: I used the formular given in this free pattern on Ravelry by Sarah Keller. But you can use the heel type you prefer.
  Other heel tutorials are:
• Afterthought Heel: Here's a tutorial in three videos by Knit Purl Hunter.
• Sweet Tomato Heel:  Here's a YouTube video by Cat Bordhi In short, the heel is constructed of three short row wedges.
• Shadow Wrap Short Row Heel: A video by Miriam Felton that shows how to do a heel with shadow wraps can be found here on YouTube. 

Instructions

First Sock

Toe

With the magic CO cast on 2x10 stitches

To get a rounded toe, my usual toe is:

• 4 x increases in every row
• 2 x increases in every 2nd row
• 2 x increases in every 3rd row
• then increases every 4th row ... until wide enough

This means:

Round 1: Knit all - while placing stitch markers after 10 sts and at the end of the round - alternatively divide the stitches on your needles in such a way that you know exacly where one half of your stitches are.

Round 2 (increase round): * k1, kfb, k to one before marker, kfb, k1, slip marker repeat from *

Rounds 3 to 5 = increase rounds

Round 6 (neutral round): k all 

Round 7 = increase round
Round 8 = neutral round
Round 9 = increase round
Rounds 10 to 11 = neutral round
Round 12 = increase round
Rounds 13 to 14 = neutral round
Round 15 = increase round
Rounds 16 to 18 = neutral round
Round 19 = increase round
Repeat rounds 16 to 19 until the sock is wide enough and your stitch count is a multiple of 4.

I tend to knit up to a total of 56 stitches, but you might as well have 60, 64 etc. - depending on your size of foot.

Foot
Now it's time to start main pattern. It starts with a short rows sequence that includes a few increases, then a few diagonal rounds and finishes with a 2nd short row sequence where you decrease again.

Short rows part 1 - knitted back and forth:
Basically, each row is 2 sts shorter than the row below and every third row there is an increase on each side.

Row 1: k to 3 sts before the middle marker, kbelow, p to end marker, without turning continue and p to 3 before middle marker, pbelow, k to end marker
Row 2: k to 2 sts before last turn, kbelow, p to end marker, without turning continue and p to 2 before last turn,  pbelow, k to end marker
Row 3: k to 3 sts before last turn, mk1, k1, kbelow, p to end marker, without turning continue and p to 3 sts before last turn, mk1p, p1, pbelow, k to end marker
Row 4: k to 3 sts before last turn, kbelow, p to end marker, without turning continue and p to 3 sts before last turn,  pbelow, k to end marker
Repeat rows 2 to 4 until the last row consists of 2 x 2 sts. Depending on the number of stitches you started with, you may end with a row 2, row 3 or row 4.

Diagonal rows - knitted in the round:
Round 1: k all
Round 2: k1, mk1, k to 3 sts before half marker, ssk, k1; k1, k2tog, k to 2 sts before end marke, mk1, k1
Repeat rounds 1 and 2 nine times more.

Short rows part 2 - knitted back and forth:
Here, every row is 2 sts longer than the one below and there is a decrease on each side every third row. It's knitted around the middle marker.

Row 1: k to half marker, k2, kbelow, p to middle marker and continue without turning, p2, pbelow, k2
Row 2: k up to and including last turn, k1, kbelow,  p to middle marker and continue without turning, p up to and including last turn, p1, p below, k to middle marker.
Row 3: k up to and including last turn, ssk, kbelow,  p to middle marker and continue without turning, p up to and including last turn, p2tog, p below, k to middle marker.

Row 4: k up to and including last turn, k1, kbelow,  p to middle marker and continue without turning, p up to and including last turn, p1, p below, k to middle marker.

Repeat rows 2 to 4, until the last row ends 1 or 2 sts before the middle marker - depending on whether you count the "below stitch".
Row 5: You are at the middle marker now: k to end marker

Now you should have the same stitch count that you started with.

Continue in plain stockinette until you need to start the heel.

Then knit your preferred kind of heel.

Cuff
I knitted straight stockinette (I like my sock cuffs rather short), but for longer socks you can also repeat the short row pattern of the foot. 

Ribbing
Switch to 2.25 mm needles.

Knit 15 rows of p1k2p1-ribbing (i.e. k2p2 ribbing with an offset of 1 purl stitch) and bind off in pattern.

The second sock is knitted in the same way - except for the heel that is started on the other side.

Strawberry Socks

After finishing two lovely brioche scarfs (photo on Instagram, tutorial to follow soon), I was a bit out of inspiration and decided to knit a plain pair of socks with some self striping yarn I had bought some time before (Regia Cotton Tutti Frutti, colorway Strawberry, link to the yarn's Ravelry page).

For self striping yarn I prefer patterns that are visible in spite of the yarn, i.e. the detail of most lace patterns is lost in self striping yarn. So usually I like a pattern that's either interestingly constructed so that the color changes provide interesting shapes (e.g. my Tipsy Toe Socks or the Skew Socks by Lana Holden) or a pattern that disrupts the stripes (a bit), e.g. by knitting into a stitch below or with slip stitches. Since I hadn't done much with slip stitches before, I decided on them. And - as usual - the first try didn't look the way I wanted :)

In the end I used the slip stitches as provided by the Slip Stitch Lines pattern on Ravelry. But I only used the stitch pattern together with my preferred sock construction:

• I knitted the socks toe-up - the way I usually do (see for example this pattern) 
• I decided to knit only three vertical lines of slip stitches and placed them on the outer side of the sock - with a distance of three stitches inbetween
• I did an afterthought heel (as I did with these socks)

Tipsy Toe Socks 2.0

For a KAL I wanted to knit another pair of socks - but something that wouldn't bore me and something that would bring out the colors of self-striping yarn. I had always thought that my Tipsy Toe Socks were interesting at the start (the toes) but slightly boring for the rest of the pattern. That's why I wanted to continue a pattern of wedges for the whole sock. It took me a while to a) get it right and b) choose the right yarn for the pattern. But now that they are finished I really like them.
These socks are knitted toe-up, but unlike the original Tipsy Toe Sock pattern (where I used German short rows for the wedges, but not the heel) I used only Shadow wrap short rows here. For me these short rows looked neater than any other type that I had tried to knit in the round.

This work by Knitting and so on is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.






Materials

• 50 to 80 grams of fingering weight yarn - depending on how long you like your sock cuff; for the rainbow colored ones I used Lang Yarns Twin Soxx (color 909, here's a link to the yarn's Ravelry page) and for the blue-purple one Vendita Sockenwolle (bought at Aldi's a few years ago - here's a link to the yarns Ravelry page).
• 2.5mm needles - I used Addi CrasyTrio, but you can use dpns or a circular needle (with Magic Loop method) as well
• 2.25mm needles - to knit the ribbing
• 2 different stitch markers - one to mark the end of round (called "end marker") and one to mark the middle of the round (called "middle marker")
• a tapestry needle to weave in ends

Techniques

• 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 - used throughout the pattern: 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, the heel knitted here is knitted slightly different because here there are two rounds between the two parts of the heel, i.e. there won't be any triple stitches.
• 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 the next stitch and pull your working yarn through. Then you put the loop onto the left hand needle (creating a double stitch from the stitch below) - keeping the yarn on the back. 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.
• Knitting the double stitch.: When you come to a double stitch you can simply knit / purl it as one. This looks well when you're working it in the same direction it was created (i.e. the double stitch was created in a purl row and is also worked in a purl row). However, when you have to knit a double stitch that was created in a purl row, the following sequence made the result look a bit neater. I slipped the first loop of the double stitch to the right hand needle, turned the second loop so that the front leg was now in the back and put the first loop back facing the same way (i.e. the former front leg was now in the back). Then I knitted both loops through the back loop.

Gauge and Sizes
When I knitted these 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. Here's the table that shows you the usual amount of stitches you need for your shoe size. Furthermore, it shows over how many stitches you're going to knit the heel (after some increases) and how these stitches are distributed, i.e. how many stitches are used for short rows at each side.
E.g. for size 36 you work the heel over 34 stitches, i.e. you do short rows for 11 stitches on both sides and 12 stitches in the middle are knitted normally.

shoe size	total number of stitches	heel stitches (after increasing)	distribution of heel stitches
32-35	56 = 2x28	28 + 4 = 32	11 - 10 - 11
36-39	60 = 2x30	30 + 4 = 34	11 - 12 - 11
40-43	64 = 2x32	32 + 4 = 36	12 - 12 - 12

Instructions for sizes are given as follows: sizes 32-35 [sizes 36-39, sizes 40-43]. I.e. the instructions before the brackets are for sizes 32 to 35 and in brackets first for sizes 36 to 39 and then for sizes 40 to 43.

Instructions

First Sock

Toe
Do a magic CO of 2x10 sts [2x10, 2x12]
Round 1: k8 [k8, k10], kfb k1, place marker ("half marker"), k1 kfb k8 [k8, k10], place marker ("end marker")
Round 2: k1, kfb, k to 2 bef half marker, kfb, k1, slip half marker, k1, kfb, k to 2 bef end marker, kfb, k1
Round 3: k to 2 bef half marker, kfb, k1, slip half marker, k1, kfb, k to end
Repeat rounds 2 and 3 four more times. (Now you have 2x26 [2x26, 2x28] sts on your needles)
For sizes 36-39 and 40-43 repeat round 2 once more.

Now you have 2x26 [2x28, 2x30] sts on your needles

Round 12 [13, 13]: k all
Round 13 [14, 14] = Round 2
Round 14 [15, 15]: k all
Round 15 [16, 16] = Round 3

Now you have 2x29 [2x31, 2x33] sts on your needles (i.e. 1 too much for the stitch count you're actually aiming for) - and the short row wedges will be started.

Wedge 1
Round 16: k to 4 bef half marker, kbelow, p to end (and without changing direction) p to 4 bef half marker, pbelow, k to end
Round 17: k to 8 bef half marker, kbelow, p to end (and without changing direction) p to 8 bef half marker, pbelow, k to end
Round 18: k to 12 bef half marker, kbelow, p to end (and without changing direction) p to 12 bef half marker, pbelow, k to end
Round 19: k to 16 bef half marker, kbelow, p to end (and without changing direction) p to 16 bef half marker, pbelow, k to end
Round 20: k to 20 bef half marker, kbelow, p to end (and without changing direction) p to 20 bef half marker, pbelow, k to end
Round 21: k to 24 bef half marker, kbelow, p to end (and without changing direction) p to 24 bef half marker, pbelow, k to end

Round 22: k1, ssk, k to 3 bef end marker, k2tog, k1
Round 23: k to 2 bef half marker, kfb, k1, slip half marker, k1, kfb, k to end

Wedge 2
Round 24: k to 6 bef half marker, kbelow, p to end (and without changing direction) p to 6 bef half marker, pbelow, k to end
Round 25: k to 12 bef half marker, kbelow, p to end (and without changing direction) p to 12 bef half marker, pbelow, k to end
Round 26: k to 18 bef half marker, kbelow, p to end (and without changing direction) p to 18 bef half marker, pbelow, k to end
Round 27: k to 24 bef half marker, kbelow, p to end (and without changing direction) p to 24 bef half marker, pbelow, k to end

Round 28: k1, ssk, k to 3 bef end marker, k2tog, k1
Round 29: k all

Wedge 3 = Wedge 1 (i.e. Rounds 16 to 21)

Now you've finished the toe and 2x28 [2x30, 2x32] sts on your needles.

Foot
Round 1: k all

Wedge 4
Round 2: k to 4 bef half marker, kbelow, p to end (and without changing direction) p to 4 bef half marker, pbelow, k to end
Round 3: k to 8 bef half marker, kbelow, p to end (and without changing direction) p to 8 bef half marker, pbelow, k to end
Round 4: k to 12 bef half marker, kbelow, p to end (and without changing direction) p to 12 bef half marker, pbelow, k to end
Round 5: k to 16 bef half marker, kbelow, p to end (and without changing direction) p to 16 bef half marker, pbelow, k to end
Round 6: k to 20 bef half marker, kbelow, p to end (and without changing direction) p to 20 bef half marker, pbelow, k to end
Round 7: k to 24 bef half marker, kbelow, p to end (and without changing direction) p to 24 bef half marker, pbelow, k to end

Round 8: k all
Repeat Round 8 once [twice, three times] more

Wedge 5
Round 10: k to half marker,
    k4, kbelow, p8, pbelow
    k12, kbelow, p16, pbelow
    k20, kbelow, p24, pbelow
    k28, kbelow, p32, pbelow
    k36, kbelow, p40, pbelow
    k44, kbelow, p48, pbelow
    k to end

Round 11: k all

Wedge 6
Round 12: k to half marker,
   k to 4 bef end kbelow, p to half marker p to 4 bef end, pbelow,
   k to 8 bef end kbelow, p to half marker p to 8 bef end, pbelow,
   k to 12 bef end kbelow, p to half marker p to 12 bef end, pbelow,
   k to 16 bef end kbelow, p to half marker p to 16 bef end, pbelow,
   k to 20 bef end kbelow, p to half marker p to 20 bef end, pbelow,
   k to 24 bef end kbelow, p to half marker p to 24 bef end, pbelow,
   k to end
Round 13: k all
Repeat Round 13 once [twice, three times] more

Wedge 7
Round 14: k4, kbelow, p8, pbelow
    k12, kbelow, p16, pbelow
    k20, kbelow, p24, pbelow
    k28, kbelow, p32, pbelow
    k36, kbelow, p40, pbelow
    k44, kbelow, p48, pbelow
    k to end

Knit in rounds until you have to start the heel.

Heel
If you want to knit a short row heel (e.g. shadow wrap heel, as described here) you usually start it when you're about 5 cm short of the total foot length.
But I like to make my heels a bit bigger, so I do a few increases at the sides of the "heel" half and I start a bit earlier, about 6 to 6.5 cm short of the total length.

Round 1: k to half marker, slip half marker, kfb, k to 1 bef end marker, kfb,
Round 2: k all
Repeat rounds 1 and 2 once more - now the heel part of your socks has 4 (=2x2) more stitches than the other part

And now for the real heel - this is worked only over the stitches after the half marker:
Round 5:
(a) k to one stitch before end marker, kbelow
(b) slip shadow wrap stitch, p to one stitch before half marker, pbelow
(c) slip shadow wrap stitch, k to one stitch before the last shadow wrap, kbelow
(d) slip shadow wrap stitch, p to one stitch before the last shadow wrap, pbelow
Repeat (c) and (d) until the remaining (knitted) stitches are only one third of your heel stitches.
k to end of row (making sure to pick up the shadow wraps, i.e. to knit the twin-stitches as one stitch) and mk1l (this last increase is to avoid a hole at the gap)

Round 6: k to half marker, slip half marker, mk1r (also to avoid a hole), k to end (also making sure to pick up the shadow wraps) - now the heel part of your socks has 6 (=4+2) more stitches than the other part
Round 7 and 8: k all

Round 9: k to half marker,
(a) k two thirds of the heel stitches, kbelow
(b) slip shadow wrap stitch, p one third of the heel stitches, pbelow
(c) slip shadow wrap stitch, k up to and including the twin-stitch, kbelow
(d) slip shadow wrap stitch, p up to and including the twin-stitch, pbelow
Repeat (c) and (d) until the twin-stitches on both sides are one stitch away from the markers (end marker and half marker),
k to end of row and mk1l

Round 10: k to half marker, slip half marker, mk1r, k to end  - now the heel part of your socks has 8 (=6+2) more stitches than the other part
Round 11: k all

Now the extra stitches for the heel (four per side) must be decreased again.
Round 12: k to half marker, slip half marker, ssk, k to 2 bef end marker, k2tog
Round 13: k all
Repeat rounds 12 and 13 three times more.


Cuff
Knit rounds 1 to 11 of the Foot rounds, i.e. wedges 4 and 5.
If you want longer cuffs you can also go on and knit rounds 12 to 14 of the Foot rounds as well (wegdes 6 and 7).

End with about 10 rounds of k2p2-ribbing - knitted with the 2.25mm needles.
Bind off loosely in ribbing pattern.

Second Sock
Knit toe and foot like the first sock, but start the heel on the opposite side, i.e. when knitting the first sock, the instructions told you to start the heel after the half marker (second half of the stitches), so for the second sock you should start it right at the beginning of the round (over the first half of the stitches).

The Right Yarn for the Right Pattern

For #socktober I wanted to knit a pair of short row socks - with a similar toe construction to the Tipsy Toe Socks, but with a bit more of a short row pattern for the main part. At first I wasn't quite sure about the effect I wanted to achieve. That's why I tried it a few times - and with different yarns. But once I had roughly settled for a pattern (or rather a pattern idea), I found out that not every kind of variegated yarn worked for it and - as a general rule - how important it is to choose the right yarn for the right pattern.

Here's how it went for me when trying to knit these socks:

• Upper Left - 1st Attempt: This was my first attempt and done with Lang Yarns Twin Wash - the yarn worked beautifully for the shape I had in mind - especially with the longer dark yarn between the lovely rainbow color changes, but I hadn't quite fixed how exactly the socks were supposed to look. I tried once with a shadow wrap heel and once with a sweet tomato heel, but I wasn't quite happy with both. So in order to save this yarn (i.e. not to frog it too often) I tried the same shape with different yarn. 
• Upper Right - 2nd Attempt: For the 2nd try I used yarn from years ago (to be exact from the second pair of Pieces of Eight Mitts) - a beautiful autumnal dark-green, red and yellow combination of Schoeller+Stahl Fortissima Mexico. When trying the socks with this yarn, I found out that the color change was a bit too long to look nice. I finished the sock anyway, just to frog it later on. But at least I figured out, the actual pattern I wanted to knit.
• Lower Left - 3rd Attempt: So I tried again, with a yarn that had much shorter color changes: a Regia Mosaik Color colorway I bought this year on holiday. The yarn is beautiful, but the lack of longer strands of one color results in a lack of color blocks that you usually get from short rows and therefore the shape wasn't quite visible. But while knitting the tip of this sock, I finally figured out, how to best do the short rows in the round (hint: with shadow-wraps). 
• Lower Right - 4th Attempt: I then dived into my stash again and found some of last year's cheap Aldi yarn. Since I knew what socks pattern and what heel I wanted to knit (plus I had figured out a way to do nice looking short rows in the round), it worked a treat - and I finished a pair of them and I am really happy with the look.

Since the pattern also fits the first yarn I tried it with, I have started another pair with my Lang Yarns Twin Socks yarn. I guess I will also write and publish the pattern for it.

As an aside, this sock was the first time, I tried to use shadow-wrap short rows for something other than a heel - and I really liked how neat they looked.

Socks with Mini-Cables ...

... or "It Is Important to Choose the Right Yarn"

I wanted to knit a pair of socks with some sock yarn (slightly variegated) that I had bought a few years ago. My pattern "requirements" were simply that I wanted an easy pattern, but not too boring. So I decided on a pattern of mini cables - C2B cables to be precise.
When I had knitted a few of the pattern repeats I noticed that the cabling was barely visible :/ Nevertheless, I finished because ... well ... I wanted a sock that fitted me and I didn't mind too much about the pattern. But I learned (again) that it is quite important to choose a yarn that fits the stitch pattern you're using. The yarn that I used was a bit too wild in color (and probably too dark), so that the stitch pattern didn't really show.
But anyway, I've got a new pair of socks - knitted toe up with an afterthought heel.
Below (in section "Stitch Pattern) you find a photo of the same pattern knitted in yarn with a solid color.

This is NOT a complete knitting pattern, but just a sketch or rather a stitch pattern (over 8 stitches and 12 rows) that can be used for socks. It only works for socks with a number of stitches that is a multiple of 8.
For socks there are many general instructions and tutorials around, I have linked to some in the Techniques section of this post.


This work by Knitting and so on is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.




Materials

• about 60 to 80 grams of fingering weight yarn
• 2.5 mm needles, e.g. dpns
• a tapestry needle (for grafting and weaving in ends)
• scrap yarn (for afterthought heel)

Techniques

• 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.
• C2B cables without a cable needle - as shown in this video by Purl Avenue 
• Afterthought heel: A great overview how to do an afterthought heel can be found here at dummies.com. Knit Purl Hunter has a series of three YouTube videos where the steps to knit an afterthought heel are shown.
  - placing the scrap yarn
  - removing the scrap yarn
  - knitting the heel.
• And knitting an afterthought heel includes kitchener stitch: e.g. as shown in this YouTube video by Very Pink Knits (even though she uses it to graft the toe of a cuff-down sock :) 
• Cutting a sock template of your feet: To make the finished piece fit your feet, it is useful to measure your feet and to cut out a card template. Here's a blogpost at knitbettersocks.blogspot.com that explains the idea. For the heel as knitted here, make a mark at 5 cm from the end of the heel.
  If you want to knit a pair for someone else and cannot get a template, here are standard shoe size templates.  

Stitch Pattern
The stitch pattern consists of a repeat of 8 stitches and 12 rounds.
Round 1: * p1 C2B p1 k2 p1 repeat from *
Round 2 and all even rounds: * p1 k2 p1 repeat from *
Round 3 = Round 1
Round 5 = Round 1
Round 7: * p1 k2 p1 C2B  p1 repeat from *
Round 9 = Round 7
Round 11 = Round 7
Below you can find a chart as well as a photo of this stitch pattern in a solid color yarn.

Instructions

Toe

With the magic CO cast on 2x10 stitches

To get a rounded toe, my usual toe is:

• 4 x increases in every row
• 2 x increases in every 2nd row
• 2 x increases in every 3rd row
• then increases every 4th row ... until wide enough

This means:

Round 1: Knit all - while placing stitch markers after 10 sts and at the end of the round - alternatively divide the stitches on your needles in such a way that you know exacly where one half of your stitches are.

Round 2 (increase round): * k1, kfb, k to one before marker, kfb, k1, slip marker repeat from *

Rounds 3 to 5 = increase rounds

Round 6 (neutral round): k all 

Round 7 = increase round
Round 8 = neutral round
Round 9 = increase round
Rounds 10 to 11 = neutral round
Round 12 = increase round
Rounds 13 to 14 = neutral round
Round 15 = increase round
Rounds 16 to 18 = neutral round
Round 19 = increase round
Repeat rounds 16 to 19 until the sock is wide enough and your stitch count is a multiple of 8.

Remove the marker that marks the middle of the round, but leave the one that marks the beginning of the round.

Foot
Knit the front part in pattern (I knitted 3.5 repeats - in width) and the back (sole) part in plain stockinette.

Continue until the piece is long enough to start the heel.

Heel Preparation
Slip the front stitches and knit the stitches of the sole with scrap yarn.

Cuff
Like foot, but with pattern on front and back

Ribbing
Knit 9 rows of p1k2p1-ribbing (i.e. k2p2 ribbing with an offset of 1 purl stitch) and bind off in pattern.

Finish heel.

Weave in ends.
Make two.

Lovely Little Stitch Pattern(s)

When I went to the city center this friday I bought a ball of cotton sock yarn (Regia Cotton Tutti Frutti to be exact, here's the link to the yarn's Ravelry page) - in a lovely fruity self-striping color way. I was planning to do something with short rows - though I wasn't sure what exactly. My first try didn't really work the way I planned, so I frogged it ... and decided to knit a plain sock (yes, no short rows), but I wanted a nice stitch pattern at least. So I searched Ravelry for inspiration. The best sock patterns are usually knitted over a small stitch count (i.e. repeats over 4 stitches or so) - and it's a plus if they're stretchy.

In the end, I used the stitch pattern from the Syncopation Socks (pattern by Mary Heininger - available on Ravelry). It's a really simple rib pattern, but the effect is gorgeous. Since I'm usually too lazy to read patterns (unless I really want to learn a new technique), I only used the stitch pattern and did the construction that I currently like most (toe-up and a shadow-wrap heel).

This work by Knitting and so on is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Other stitch patterns that I really want to try with socks are:

• the stitch pattern from Hermione's Everyday Socks (pattern by Erica Lueder - available on Ravelry) 
• the stitch pattern from Charade Socks (pattern by Sandra Park - available on Ravelry) 
• Wasp Nest (stitch pattern for 4 sts from knittingfool.com)
• Palmetto (stitch pattern from knittingfool.com)
• Lacy Mock Cable (stitch pattern from knittingfool.com)
• the slip stitch pattern from Slip Stitch Line socks (pattern by La Maison de Saba - available on Ravelry)

What are your favorite stitch patterns for socks?

Tipsy Toe Socks

When using self striping sock yarn it's always fun to try different ways of knitting common shapes like sock toes, because the self striping yarn will create attractive patterns. A while ago I had the idea of knitting slanted toes and using short rows to even them out before getting to the heel. I tried and frogged quite a few times before I actually managed to knit something to fit around human feet, but I finally made it.
These socks are knitted from the toe up, but they start at an angle and continuing with short row wedges. This slanted effect shows best with variegated yarn ... it's possible to knit it with a solid yarn, but you won't see the slanted effect. I've used and described a shadow wrap heel, but you can use any toe-up heel you like.
As with many of my patterns, this is not exactly a beginner pattern. It's also helpful, if you've knitted another pair of socks before.

Eine deutsche Version dieser Anleitung gibt es hier.
A German version of this pattern is available here.


This work by Kniting and so on is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.





Materials

• 50 to 80 grams of fingering weight yarn - depending on how long you like your sock cuff; for the lighter ones (in pastell colors) I used Lana Grossa Meilenweit Special Confetti (color 2508; here's the link to the yarn's Ravelry page) for the darker ones (dark blue, brown, orange etc.) I used Vendita Sockenwolle bought at Aldi's about three years ago (here's a link to the yarn's Ravelry page)
• 2.5mm needles - I used Addi CrasyTrio, but you can use dpns or a circular needle (with Magic Loop method) as well
• 2 different stitch markers - one to mark the end of round (called "end marker") and one to mark the middle of the round (called "middle marker")
• a tapestry needle to weave in ends

Techniques

• 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.
• German Short Rows (t+p): when you turn, bring yarn to the front and pull it back so that a sort of double-stitch is created, then knit back as usual - when you have to knit the double-stitch, be careful to knit it as one stitch (see also https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6n561SMZXQ); this method has the advantage the no picking up of stitches is necessary. In the pattern, this stitch will be called t+p (turn and pull).
• Shadow Wrap Short Rows - as used for the heel: 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, the heel knitted here is knitted slightly different because here there are two rounds between the two parts of the heel, i.e. there won't be any triple stitches.

Gauge and Sizes
When I knitted these 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. Here's the table that shows you the usual amount of stitches you need for your shoe size. Furthermore, it shows over how many stitches you're going to knit the heel (after some increases) and how these stitches are distributed, i.e. how many stitches are used for short rows at each side.
E.g. for size 36 you work the heel over 34 stitches, i.e. you do short rows for 11 stitches on both sides and 12 stitches in the middle are knitted normally.

shoe size	total number of stitches	heel stitches (after increasing)	distribution of heel stitches
32-35	56 = 2x28	28 + 4 = 32	11 - 10 - 11
36-39	60 = 2x30	30 + 4 = 34	11 - 12 - 11
40-43	64 = 2x32	32 + 4 = 36	12 - 12 - 12

Instructions for sizes are given as follows: sizes 32-35 [sizes 36-39, sizes 40-43]. I.e. the instructions before the brackets are for sizes 32 to 35 and in brackets first for sizes 36 to 39 and then for sizes 40 to 43.

Instructions

First Sock

Toe
Do a magic CO of 2x10 sts [2x10, 2x12]
Round 1: k8 [k8, k10], kfb k1, place marker ("half marker"), k1 kfb k8 [k8, k10], place marker ("end marker")
Round 2: k1, kfb, k to 2 bef half marker, kfb, k1, slip half marker, k1, kfb, k to 2 bef end marker, kfb, k1
Round 3: k to 2 bef half marker, kfb, k1, slip half marker, k1, kfb, k to end
Repeat rounds 2 and 3 four more times. (Now you have 2x26 [2x26, 2x28] sts on your needles)
For sizes 36-39 and 40-43 repeat round 2 once more.

Now you have 2x26 [2x28, 2x30] sts on your needles

Round 12 [13, 13]: k all
Round 13 [14, 14] = Round 2
Round 14 [15, 15]: k all
Round 15 [16, 16] = Round 3

Now you have 2x29 [2x31, 2x33] sts on your needles (i.e. 1 too much for the stitch count you're actually aiming for) - and the short row wedges will be started.

Wedge 1
Round 16: k to 4 bef half marker, t+p, p to end (and without changing direction) p to 4 bef half marker, t+p, k to end
Round 17: k to 8 bef half marker, t+p, p to end (and without changing direction) p to 8 bef half marker, t+p, k to end
Round 18: k to 12 bef half marker, t+p, p to end (and without changing direction) p to 12 bef half marker, t+p, k to end
Round 19: k to 16 bef half marker, t+p, p to end (and without changing direction) p to 16 bef half marker, t+p, k to end
Round 20: k to 20 bef half marker, t+p, p to end (and without changing direction) p to 20 bef half marker, t+p, k to end
Round 21: k to 24 bef half marker, t+p, p to end (and without changing direction) p to 24 bef half marker, t+p, k to end

Round 22: k1, ssk, k to 3 bef end marker, k2tog, k1
Round 23: k to 2 bef half marker, kfb, k1, slip half marker, k1, kfb, k to end

Wedge 2
Round 24: k to 6 bef half marker, t+p, p to end (and without changing direction) p to 6 bef half marker, t+p, k to end
Round 25: k to 12 bef half marker, t+p, p to end (and without changing direction) p to 12 bef half marker, t+p, k to end
Round 26: k to 18 bef half marker, t+p, p to end (and without changing direction) p to 18 bef half marker, t+p, k to end
Round 27: k to 24 bef half marker, t+p, p to end (and without changing direction) p to 24 bef half marker, t+p, k to end

Round 28: k1, ssk, k to 3 bef end marker, k2tog, k1
Round 29: k all

Wedge 3 = Wedge 1 (i.e. Rounds 16 to 21)

Now you've finished the toe and 2x28 [2x30, 2x32] sts on your needles.

Foot
Knit plain stockinette rows until it's time to start the heel.

Heel
If you want to knit a short row heel (e.g. shadow wrap heel, as described here) you usually start it when you're about 5 cm short of the total foot length.
But I like to make my heels a bit bigger, so I do a few increases at the sides of the "heel" half and I start a bit earlier, about 6 to 6.5 cm short of the total length.

Round 1: k to half marker, slip half marker, kfb, k to 1 bef end marker, kfb,
Round 2: k all
Repeat rounds 1 and 2 once more - now the heel part of your socks has 4 (=2x2) more stitches than the other part

And now for the real heel - this is worked only over the stitches after the half marker:
Round 5:
(a) k to one stitch before end marker, knit into the mother stitch of the next st (i.e. do a shadow wrap), turn
(b) slip shadow wrap stitch, p to one stitch before half marker, purl into the mother stitch of the next st, turn
(c) slip shadow wrap stitch, k to one stitch before the last shadow wrap, knit into the mother stitch of the next st, turn
(d) slip shadow wrap stitch, p to one stitch before the last shadow wrap, purl into the mother stitch of the next st, turn
Repeat (c) and (d) until the remaining (knitted) stitches are only one third of your heel stitches.
k to end of row (making sure to pick up the shadow wraps, i.e. to knit the twin-stitches as one stitch) and mk1l (this last increase is to avoid a hole at the gap)

Round 6: k to half marker, slip half marker, mk1r (also to avoid a hole), k to end (also making sure to pick up the shadow wraps) - now the heel part of your socks has 6 (=4+2) more stitches than the other part
Round 7 and 8: k all

Round 9: k to half marker,
(a) k two thirds of the heel stitches, knit into the mother stitch of the next st (i.e. do a shadow wrap), turn
(b) slip shadow wrap stitch, p one third of the heel stitches, purl into the mother stitch of the next stitch, turn
(c) slip shadow wrap stitch, k up to and including the twin-stitch, knit into the mother stitch of the next st (i.e. do a shadow wrap), turn
(d) slip shadow wrap stitch, p up to and including the twin-stitch, purl into the mother stitch of the next st (i.e. do a shadow wrap), turn
Repeat (c) and (d) until the twin-stitches on both sides are one stitch away from the markers (end marker and half marker),
k to end of row and mk1l

Round 10: k to half marker, slip half marker, mk1r, k to end  - now the heel part of your socks has 8 (=6+2) more stitches than the other part
Round 11: k all

Now the extra stitches for the heel (four per side) must be decreased again.
Round 12: k to half marker, slip half marker, ssk, k to 2 bef end marker, k2tog
Round 13: k all
Repeat rounds 12 and 13 three times more.

Cuff
Knit plain stockinette rounds and end with about 10 rounds of k2p2-ribbing.
Bind off loosely in ribbing pattern.

Second Sock
Knit toe and foot like the first sock, but start the heel on the opposite side, i.e. when knitting the first sock, the instructions told you to start the heel after the half marker (second half of the stitches), so for the second sock you should start it just at the beginning of the round (over the first half of the stitches).

Klecks Socks

A few months ago, Addi brought out a new set of sock needles - and it seemed as if everybody on social media posted about them. So of course I wanted a set of them, too. Everytime I went to a LYS, I tried to get them, but most stores didn't have them in stock. So I was really pleased when I found a 3mm set of them at Strickschuh in Bergisch-Gladbach - even though it was the only set they had. The store owner told me that she had ordered them months ago and only received them recently.
I wanted to try them out right away, so I started a pair of socks with a simple short row pattern. It's not very sophisticated and while I was knitting them, I wasn't too happy about the design ... it just looked too blobby. But once the first sock was finished, the look rather grew on me and I decided to knit its partner.
These socks are knitted from the cuff down, with a short row heel (knitted with shadow wrap short rows). The blobby pattern is achieved with short rows.

As with some of my other sock patterns (e.g. Iceberg Socks or Battenberg Socks), this blogpost is more of a sketch or recipe than a complete pattern. It is assumed that you know how to knit socks to fit your feet.

Klecks is the German word for a large blot or splodge.


This work by Knitting and so on is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.




Materials

• 50 to 80 grams of fingering weight yarn in two colors (I used about 40 grams of main color (MC) and about 20 grams of contrast color (CC)).
• 3mm needles - that can be dpns, a circular needle with a length of at least 80cm or needles that you can use to knit socks in the round - of course, if you prefer to knit socks with 2.5mm needles you can used these, too, the important point is to cast on a number of stitches that is a multiple of 3
• a tapestry needle to weave in ends
• two stitch markers to mark the half  and beginning of a round

Techniques

• Loose Cast-On: If I knit top-down socks (or something else that needs a loose CO), I always do a longtail CO, but on two needles.
• Kitchener Stitch: i.e. grafting two life rows of stitches as for example shown in this YouTube video by Purl Soho.
• Sock Knitting Table: There are already a number of tables available on the web that tells you how many stitches to cast on for socks of any foot size, e.g. here by Schachenmayr (see table on page 3), here by Regia or here at aboutneedlework. For this pattern you need the number of stitches to cast on for your socks. 
• German Short Rows (t+p): when you turn, bring yarn to the front and pull it back so that a sort of double-stitch is created, then knit back as usual - when you have to knit the double-stitch, be careful to knit it as one stitch (see also https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6n561SMZXQ); this method has the advantage the no picking up of stitches is necessary. In the pattern, this stitch will be called t+p (turn and pull).
• Shadow Wrap Short Rows: the last stitch you knit (or purl) before turning, is worked into the stitch in the row below, which also leaves you with a pair of stitches that has to be worked as one in the row above. This method is 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, the heel knitted here is knitted slightly different because here there are two rounds between the two parts of the heel, i.e. there won't be any triple stitches.

As you can see, I'm using two types of short rows - German short rows for the color pattern and shadow wrap short rows for the heel. That is just a personal preference - you can substitute one short row method for another: make sure that the stitch that would be turned back to form a double-stitch (for German short rows) is the one that would be wrapped (for Wrap-and-Turn short rows) or the one that where you'd knit into the row below (for Shadow Wrap short rows).

Instructions

Cuff

With MC CO54 sts (or another number of sts that is a multiple of 6) and join in round. Place a marker to mark the beginning of the round (called "end marker").
Knit 10 rounds of p1-k2-ribbing - while you're knitting the first round, place one marker after knitting half of the stitches (called "half marker")

Round 11: k all

Now you start the first short row sequence - still in MC.
(a) k to 2 bef half marker, t+p, p to end marker, slip end marker, p to 2 bef half marker, t+p, k to end marker
(b) k to 3 bef last double-stitch, t+p, p to end marker, p to 3 bef last double-stitch, t+p, k to end
repeat (b) until you there are only 3 sts between the end marker and the next double-stitch

If you cast on exactly 54 sts round 12 reads as follows:
(a) k25, t+p, p25, (slip end marker), p25, t+p, k25 (now you're back at the end marker)
(b) k22, t+p, p22, p22, t+p, k22
(c) k19, t+p, p19, p19, t+p, k19
(d) k16, t+p, p16, p16, t+p, k16
(e) k13, t+p, p13, p13, t+p, k13
(f) k10, t+p, p10, p10, t+p, k10
(g)k7, t+p, p7, p7, t+p, k7
(h) k4, t+p, p4, p4, t+p, k4

Round 13: k all

Change to CC
Round 14: k all
Now you knit the next short row sequence

Round 15:
k27
(a) k4, t+p, p4, (slip half marker), p4, t+p, k4 (now you're back at the half marker)
(b) k up to and including last double-stitch, k3, t+p, p to half marker, p up to and including last double-stitch, p3, t+p, k to half marker
Repeat (b) until the double-stitch is the third stitch before the end marker
k27

If you cast on exactly 54 sts, round 15 reads as follows:
k27
(a) k4, t+p, p4, (slip half marker), p4, t+p, k4 (now you're back at the half marker)
(b) k7, t+p, p7, p7, t+p, k7
(c) k10, t+p, p10, p10, t+p, k10
(d) k13, t+p, p13, p13, t+p, k13
(e) k16, t+p, p16, p16, t+p, k16
(f) k19, t+p, p19, p19, t+p, k19
(g) k22, t+p, p22, p22, t+p, k22
(h) k25, t+p, p25, p25, t+p, k25
k27

Round 16: k all

Round 17:
k27
(a) k to 2 bef end marker, t+p, p to half marker, slip half marker, p to 2 bef end marker, t+p, k to end marker
(b) k to 3 bef last double-stitch, t+p, p to half marker, p to 3 bef last double-stitch, t+p, k to end
Repeat (b) until you there are only 3 sts between the end marker and the next double-stitch
k27

If you cast on exactly 54 sts, round 17 reads as follows:
k27
(a) k25, t+p, p25, (slip half marker), p25, t+p, k25 (now you're back at the half marker)
(b) k22, t+p, p22, p22, t+p, k22
(c) k19, t+p, p19, p19, t+p, k19
(d) k16, t+p, p16, p16, t+p, k16
(e) k13, t+p, p13, p13, t+p, k13
(f) k10, t+p, p10, p10, t+p, k10
(g) k7, t+p, p7, p7, t+p, k7
(h) k4, t+p, p4, p4, t+p, k4
k27

Round 18: k all

Change back to MC

Round 19: k all

Round 20:
(a) k4, t+p, p4, (slip end marker), p4, t+p, k4 (now you're back at the end marker)
(b) k up to and including last double-stitch, k3, t+p, p to end marker, p up to and including last double-stitch, p3, t+p, k to end marker
Repeat (b) until the double-stitch is the third stitch before the half marker

If you cast on exactly 54 sts, round 20 reads as follows:
(a) k4, t+p, p4, (slip end marker), p4, t+p, k4 (now you're back at the end marker)
(b) k7, t+p, p7, p7, t+p, k7
(c) k10, t+p, p10, p10, t+p, k10
(d) k13, t+p, p13, p13, t+p, k13
(e) k16, t+p, p16, p16, t+p, k16
(f) k19, t+p, p19, p19, t+p, k19
(g) k22, t+p, p22, p22, t+p, k22
(h) k25, t+p, p25, p25, t+p, k25

Round 21: k all

Heel

In MC

Short row heels are knitted over one half of the total stitches (called the heel stitches) - depending on the shape of your foot this may be a bit tight. So, when knitting a short row heel, I usually increase the back "half" by two or three stitches to get a heel that is slightly wider. That's what is done during the first 4 rounds of the heel and this means that all the increases are on the side that contains the back stitches - after finishing the heel these stitches will be decreased again.

Round 1: k to half marker, slip marker, mk1r, k up to end marker, mk1l, slip end marker
Round 2: k all
Repeat rounds 1 and 2 once more

Round 5: k to half marker,
(a) k to one stitch before end marker, knit into the mother stitch of the next st (i.e. do a shadow wrap), turn
(b) slip shadow wrap stitch, p to one stitch before half marker, purl into the mother stitch of the next st, turn
(c) slip shadow wrap stitch, k to one stitch before the last shadow wrap, knit into the mother stitch of the next st, turn
(d) slip shadow wrap stitch, p to one stitch before the last shadow wrap, purl into the mother stitch of the next st, turn
Repeat (c) and (d) until the remaining (knitted) stitches are only one third of your heel stitches.
k to end of row (making sure to pick up the shadow wraps, i.e. to knit the twin-stitches as one stitch) and mk1l (this last increase is to avoid a hole at the gap)

Round 6: k to half marker, slip half marker, mk1r (also to avoid a hole), k to end (also making sure to pick up the shadow wraps)
Round 7 and 8: k all

Round 9: k to half marker,
(a) k two thirds of the heel stitches, knit into the mother stitch of the next st (i.e. do a shadow wrap), turn
(b) slip shadow wrap stitch, p one third of the heel stitches, purl into the mother stitch of the next stitch, turn
(c) slip shadow wrap stitch, k up to and including the twin-stitch, knit into the mother stitch of the next st (i.e. do a shadow wrap), turn
(d) slip shadow wrap stitch, p up to and including the twin-stitch, purl into the mother stitch of the next st (i.e. do a shadow wrap), turn
Repeat (c) and (d) until the twin-stitches on both sides are one stitch away from the markers (end marker and half marker),
k to end of row and mk1l

Round 10: k to half marker, slip half marker, mk1r, k to end
Round 11: k all

Now the extra stitches for the heel (four per side) must be decreased again.
Round 12: k to half marker, slip half marker, ssk, k to 2 bef end marker, k2tog
Round 13: k all
Repeat rounds 12 and 13 three more times.

Now your back to your original stitch count.

For the first sock the heel is knitted over the second half of the stitches. If you want your socks to look like mirror images of one another (as the pair in the pictures), there is only one thing you need to do differently for the second sock: knit the heel over the first half of the stitches.


Foot

Knit rows 11 to 21 of the cuff.
Knit stockinette rows in MC until the foot is 5 cm short of the desired length - or until it's time to knit your prefered toe.


Toe

Knitted in MC
My formula for toes with 3mm needles is:

• twice: 1 decrease row, 2 normal rows (k all stitches)
• twice: 1 decrease row, 1 normal row
• and then decrease rows only ... until only a third of your total stitches are left, then graft in stockinette

With 54 sts this means
Round 1 (decrease row): * k1, ssk, to 3 bef marker, k2tog, k1 repeat from * to end of round
Round 2: k all
Round 3: k all
Round 4 = Row 1
Round 5: k all
Round 6: k all
Round 7 = Row 1
Round 8: k all
Round 9 = Row 1
Round 10: k all
Rounds 11 to 15  = Row 1
Now there are only 18 stitches left. Distribute on two needles (9 stitches each) and graft in stockinette stitch.