Date: Sun, 7 Dec 1997 17:01:08 -0400 From: Kathleen Hubbard To: knit@bolis.com Subject: KNIT: gift pattern -- Aran-braid socks ICOSH: gift pattern -- Aran-braid socks Hi knitters, Because the list has been such a boon to me, I'm offering up a pattern (my first; be gentle) -- though it's cobbled together from other sources and ideas, I believe it falls well outside Janet's definition of copyright infringement. (Thanks for those suggestions, List Mom!) Anyway I mean for the pattern to be public-domain. These are socks I designed for my sister for Christmas; they have a wide five-rib braid down each side of the leg which then becomes a narrow cable down the instep. They've come out beautifully and whenever I've worked on them in public people have admired them loudly. They would work well in other colors or in plain solid Socka; I knit tight so you may want to adjust for gauge. As written the sock snugly fits a ladies size 8 1/2 foot. **ARAN-BRAID SOCKS FOR TERI** materials: Socka Color (9127, purple-dominated), 2 skeins 4 #2 (U.S.) dpns gauge: 8.5 sts/in in st st fc = front cross: sl 2 sts to cn, hold in front, k2, k2 from cn bc = back cross: sl 2 sts to cn, hold in back, k2, k2 from cn "five rib cable" (a wider version of Aran braid), from _The Pattern Library: Knitting_, rewritten for circular: over 14 sts rd 1: p2, k2, fc twice, p2 rd 2: p2, k10, p2 rd 3: p2, bc twice, k2, p2 rd 4: same as rd 2 repeat these 4 rds CUFF: cast on 64 sts (20/20/24), join without twisting, place marker work k2 p2 rib for 1.5 inches, inc 4 sts evenly on last rd (24/20/24) LEG: start braid pattern: rd 1 needle 1: k10, p2, k2, fc twice, p2 needle 2: k across needle 3: p2, k2, fc twice, p2, k10 rd 2 needle 1: k10, p2, k10, p2 needle 2: k across needle 3: p2, k10, p2, k10 rd 3 needle 1: k10, p2, bc twice, k2, p2 needle 2: k across needle 3: p2, bc twice, k2, p2, k10 rd 4 same as rd 2 Continue thusly for 11 braid repeats (or 6.5-7 inches). K 1 rd, decreasing 4 sts by working p2tog at each edge of braid (i.e. each pair of p sts becomes 1 p st). HEEL (or substitute your favorite heel): Divide for heel (32 heel sts, centered around marker) ready to start WS row Heel stitch (adapted from jp's cable socks, 'slight variation on the Interweave Sock book's cabled sock heel') row 1 (WS): k1 tbl, k2, p26, k2, sl1 p-wise wyif row 2 (RS): k1 tbl, k2, *k1, sl 1*, rep * * to last 3 sts, k2, sl1 pw wyif row 3: same as row 1 row 4: k1 tbl, k2, *sl 1, k1*, rep * * to last 3 sts, k2, sl1 pw wyif Continue for 32 rows (16 chain sts on edges), end ready to start RS row: k1 tbl, k to marker, k2, SKP, k1, turn sl 1, p5, p2tog, p1, turn sl 1, k to 1 st before gap, SKP, k1, turn sl 1, p to 1 st before gap, p2tog, p1, turn Continue till all heel sts have been used, end ready to start RS row K across heel then pick up and knit 17 or 18 sts along heel flap on new ndl (instep), p1, k4, p1, k across to last 6 sts, p1, k4, p1 on new ndl, pick up and k 17 or 18 sts, k half of heel sts onto this ndl (up to marker) you now have 1/2 of heel sts plus 17 or 18 on ndl 1, 32 sts on ndl 2, and 17 or 18 plus 1/2 of heel sts on ndl 3 GUSSETS: ndl 1: k to 3 sts from end, k2tog, k1 ndl 2: p1, fc, p1, k 20, p1, bc, p1 -- repeat this every FOURTH round (on other rds p1, k4, p1, k20, p1, k4, p1) ndl 3: k1, SSK, k to end What you're doing is continuing a four-st cable down each side of the instep, having ditched the rest of the aran-braid ribs into the heel. If you used a different number of repeats on the leg, you may want to switch your instep cables to fc-then-bc rather than what I have here; just look at the cable as you start the first round after picking up the heel stitches and decide which way it should go. FOOT: When you've decreased back to 64 sts total, keep working as before (cables on instep, otherwise k evenly) for 15 cable repeats or until foot measures about 2 1/4" from desired length. K around 1 rd. TOE (or substitute your favorite toe): ndl 1: k to 3 sts from end, k2tog, k1 ndl 2: k1, ssk, k across to 3 sts from end, k2tog, k1 ndl 3: k1, ssk, k to end Alternate this decrease rd with one rd plain k until 32 sts are left, then decrease every rd until 12 sts are left; graft with Kitchener stitch. *Block* these socks well (the pattern will smooth out a lot); I washed mine thoroughly and dried them on improvised sock blockers (wire coat hangers bent to the right shape). Kathleen Hubbard queue@walrus.com --- This pattern downloaded from Wool Works: the online knitting compendium http://www.woolworks.org/