Karen spun her color-study yarn on a high-whorl spindle and used it in her favorite knitting project, socks. She knitted purple woolly-nylon thread together with her handspun yarns to reinforce the heels. Photo by Mary Spanos. Printer Friendly Version

George's Socks Pia Cusick I developed this pattern over the many years that I have been making socks for my husband George. Since George prefers all his socks in natural white, I knit a colored band a few rows down from the top to make matching pairs easy. I usually knit George's socks with commercial, machine-washable sock yarn. But my friends and I have altered and used this pattern to make dozens of pairs of handspun socks for lots of happy feet. Materials Karen Ford's handspun yarn, shown on page 42 of the Winter 2000 issue of Spin Off, measured approximately 11 wraps per inch. I typically use a commercial yarn that is approximately 1,650 yards per pound and 14 wraps per inch. Both Karen and I use U.S. size 2 double pointed needles (dpn).

Size A knitted gauge of 9 stitches per inch produces a sock that is about 7 inches around the foot. The rib stitch creates an elastic fabric that will shape itself to feet of different widths. Casting on and knitting the leg Use a long-tail cast-on technique to cast on 68 stitches onto two dpn held together (this will provide more elasticity in the cast-on row). Remove one of the needles. Knit 2 rows of k2 p2 rib. Divide the stitches onto 4 needles, 16 stitches on the first needle, 18 stitches on the second, 16 stitches on the third, and 18 stitches on the fourth. Join and continue knitting the rib pattern until the leg is 8 - 9 inches long, or until desired leg length has been reached.

In these instructions the double pointed needles are needles 1, 2, 3, and 4. The working yarn is at the beginning of a new row. Photo by Mary Spanos.

Knitting the heel flap Put the stitches from needles 1 and 4 on one needle (a total of 34 stitches). Knit in stockinette on these stitches for 2 inches. If you want extra strength in the heel use a nylon reinforcement yarn with the sock yarn or a heel reinforcement stitch. Turning the Heel This heel flap technique produces a square heel. It is made by decreasing stitches on each side of a center set of stitches. Beginning with a right side (knit) row:

Row 1: Knit 23 stitches, k2tog, and turn knitting around. Row 2: Purl 13 stitches, p2tog, and turn knitting around. Row 3: Knit 13 stitches, k2tog, and turn knitting around. Repeat rows 2 and 3 until all the stitches on each side of the center stitches have been decreased away. There should now be 14 stitches on the heel needle. Picking up heel flap stitches Beginning with a right-side row, knit one row with the stitches on the heel needle. Pick up 16 stitches along the left side of the heel flap. Knit the stitches for the top of the foot, following the ribbing pattern. Pick up 16 stitches along the right side of the heel flap. With the same needle that is now holding the right-side heel-flap stitches, knit 7 of the stitches from the heel needle. Knit one row around all needles by knitting stockinette over the heel, knitting the heel-flap stitches through the back of their stitches (this evens out any loose or unevenly picked-up stitches), and following the ribbing pattern on the stitches for the top of the foot. Shaping after the heel On needle 1, knit until 2 stitches remain, k2tog. Knit ribbing on needles 2 and 3. On needle 4, k2tog (first two stitches on the needle), knit remaining stitches. Repeat this row until 17 stitches remain on needles 1 and 4. Your heel in now turned! Knitting the foot Knit in stockinette on the bottom of the foot and maintain the ribbing on the top of the foot. Try on your sock. When your little toe disappears from view it is time to start the decreases to make the sock toe. Decreasing for the toe Decrease Row: On needles 1 and 3: Knit until 3 stitches remain on the needle, k2tog, k1. On needles 2 and 4: K1, k2tog, knit remaining stitches. Knit one decrease row and then one plain row twice. Then knit a decrease row every row until 8 stitches remain (2 on each needle). Break your yarn leaving an 8 - 12 inch tail. Thread the yarn in a darning needle, thread the remaining stitches onto the yarn. Pull tight and fasten well. Pia Cusick has been spinning, knitting, and weaving on the family farm in Leeds, Alabama for many years. She mostly spins wool from her own sheep, a flock of Romney/Border Leicester crosses. In addition to the sheep, she tends to her husband, George, their grandchildren, and, in the summers, her mother in Finland. Printer Friendly Version