Date: Sat, 14 Sep 1996 20:26:30 -0500 From: Lord Gazmuth To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: KNIT: Introduction - How My Grandmother Knitted Socks [...] HELP I seen someone post that they had lost their sock pattern, and so I thought that I would post the one that I use for making work socks. I had originally posted this just to the recipient, but alas, it bounced, and so I thought I would go ahead and post to the group along with other items. PATTERN > Socks: > > Could someone please send me some simple but nice patterns for socks? I'm so > sorry to ask again, but I cannot find the patterns I had, I have no idea > where they are, please forgive me for asking again, I will be more careful > this time. Does someone have a Entrelac sock pattern I could have a copy of? Hello, Here is a sock pattern that I use to make work socks, with #5 DPN's and bulky yarn. This is how my Grandmother told me to make work socks. I have size 13 feet, and so 52 stitches is what I generally knit up, but you can shrink down the amount of stitches to make the socks smaller. Materials: 2 skeins of yarn, I use WoolEase generally, but anyhting of worsted weight works. Cast On: I use an English Cast On that my Grandmother taught me, which is very elastic. Hold the yarn with the ring finger and the little finger of your left hand, and bring the yarn tail up and over your thumb. Bend your index finger down and grab the yarn and twist making a loop. Insert the needle between the index finger into the loop, and bring the ball side of the yarn counter clockwise around the needle. Knit on stitches this way. It is easier seen than said, trust me. Cast on about 52 stitches this way, or in multiples of 4, for the ribbing. Divide these into multiples of 4 stitches across three DPN's. Leg: Knit in k2, p2 ribbing all the way down the leg, I work it for about 20 inches, but I am a big man and like tall socks, so go to the desired length to the heel flap. Heel Flap: Add reinforcing yarn, which I usually use some scraps of fingerling weight, and K13, then turn the work and Sl1, K26, and I usually put the other 26 stitches onto one needle, and the heel flap stitches onto another DPN. Then to make the heel wear like Iron, I generally do a seed stitch, but that is your choice, for Grandmother usually did a K1, P1 on the flaps. Working back and forth on the heel sts only, starting with the right side facing, slipping the first stitch every row. I do this until the heel flap is just about square, ending with ready to start right side row. Turn The Heel: Knit to the middle of the row, K2, Sl1, K1, PSSO, K1, turn work. Next Row: Sl1, P5, P2 together, P1, turn work. Next Row: Sl1, Knit to within 1 st away from gap, Sl1, K1, PSSO, K1, Turn Work. Next Row: Sl1, P til within one st from gap, P2 together, P1, Turn Work. Continue in this way until you have done all the stitches, always working together the sts on either side of the gap. When all sts have been worked up on both sides, Knit to the middle of the right side row, break off reinforcing thread. Heel Gusset: Pick up the sts down the sides of the heel flap, one side on one needle and other side on the other needle. Pick up the DPN that you laid down to do the heel flap, and knit into these stitches, starting at the half way point you stopped at on the bottom of the heel. I still leave just the 26 sts on the second needle that is the instep. When I get to the instep, I still keep doing the K2, P2 ribbing, it makes the sock fit tighter. End up at the bottom of the heel, in the middle, where you started. Shape The Gusset: On the next round, work to 3 sts away from the end of the first needle, then K2 together, K1. Work across the instep on needle #2. At the beginning of needle # three, K1, K2 together, then work the remaining stitches to the end of needle #3. Next Row: Work all stitches on needles #1, #2, #3. Next Row: Work to 3 sts away from the end of the first needle, then K2 together, K1. Work across the instep on needle #2. At the beginning of needle # three, K1, K2 together, then work the remaining stitches to the end of needle #3. Next Row: Work all stitches on needles #1, #2, #3. Continue in this manner until you have 52 sts on the three needles. As I said, I keep up the K2, P2, on the 26 sts that make up the instep. You should end up having 13 sts on needle #1, 26 sts on needle #2, and 13 sts on needle #3. Continue knitting until you are about 2" shorter than the foot you are knitting for, then start shaping the toe. Shaping The Toe: Add reinforcing yarn, like fingerling yarn scrap. Work to within 3 sts away from the end of needle #1, K2 Together, K1. At the start of needle #2, K1, K2 Together, knit to within 3 sts away from end of needle #2, K2 Together, K1. At the start of needle #3, K1, K2 Together, knit to end. Next Row: Work all sts on all three needles. Next Row: Work to within 3 sts away from the end of needle #1, K2 Together, K1. At the start of needle #2, K1, K2 Together, knit to within 3 sts away from end of needle #2, K2 Together, K1. At the start of needle #3, K1, K2 Together, knit to end. Next Row: Work all sts on all three needles. Continue this way until you have a total of 26 sts on all three needles. Then start decreasing every row, instead of every other row until you only have 8 sts total on three needles. Then break the yarn and reiforcing yarn, weave the tail into the 8 sts, and bring the tail into the hole on the inside of the sock. Turn the sock wrongside out, and weave the tail into the toe. [...] Gazmuth --- This pattern downloaded from Wool Works: the online knitting compendium http://www.woolworks.org/