Basic Petca Sock
These socks are easy enough for an adventurous beginner to make. Aside from being able to knit a tube, s/he needs to know how to cast on, knit, purl, , increase, and decrease. The design is basic (ribbed cuff and stockinet foot), so dolling it up with any combination of stitch patterns is a great idea.
Make two.
Materials
3[4] oz DK weight yarn
2 3.25 mm circs
6 markers
Yarn needle to weave in ends
Gauge: 24 sts or 32 rs = 4 inches (10 cm)
Abbreviations
Inc1 – K into the front and back of the same st or use any other increase of your choice.
K – knit
K2 tog – knit 2 stitches together
M1l – Slide left needle (front to back) under the horizontal bar between the st just worked and the next one, then k tbl.
M1r – Slide left needle (back to front) under the horizontal bar between the st just worked and the next one, then k.
P – purl
Ssk – slip, slip, knit (any other left leaning decrease will work)
Turn – move needle from right hand to left and work as if starting a new row (don’t worry about the unworked stitches)
Using one needle, cast on 44 [56] sts for a woman’s [man’s] sock. Slip half of the sts on to a second circular needle, and position to knit in the round.
Cuff (3[4] inches)
Rnd 1: * K2, p2 *.
Rep Rnd 1 22[30] times.
Rnd 2: K.
Rep Rnd 2 twice.
Heel
Rnd 3: K2, kfb, k to last 3 sts, kbf, k2.
Rnd 4: K.
Rep Rnds 3-4 9[12] times for a total increase of 18[24] sts.
The total increase = one third of the cast on sts + ten percent of the cast on sts. The increases can be placed anywhere. My favorite place is at the back of the heel, as in this pattern. Other suggestions are (1) before or after a marker placed at the center of each needle or (2) at the narrowest part of the heel, which is one fifth of the number of cast-on sts wide).
Row 5: K3[5], ssk, k1; turn.
Row 6: Sl1, p to end of first needle; p3[5] on second needle, , p2 tog, p1; turn.
Row 7: Sl1, k to 1 st before gap (on first needle), ssk, k1; turn.
Row 8: Sl1, p to 1 st before gap (on second needle), p2 tog, p1; turn.
Rep Rows 7-8 until each needle holds 24[31] sts.
Row 9: Knit back to the beginning of the rnd.
You now have 48[62] sts on the needles (the original number of cast-on stitches + ten percent).
Rnd 10: Sl1, k to 1 st before gap, m1l, ssk, k to 1 st before gap, m1r, k2 tog, k to end of rnd.
Rnd 11 (last heel rnd): K.
The number of stitches on the needles did not change.
Foot
Rnd 12 and all foot rnds: K.
Stop when the instep, which starts two rounds below the ribbing, is 62[68] for a small, 66[72] for a medium, or 70[76] for a large rounds long.
Toe
For men’s socks only, work the next two rounds:
Rnd A (men’s): On each needle, * k7, (k2 tog, k6) three times *.
Rnd B (men’s): K.
For all socks, place a marker every 6[7] sts. You’ll have 3 markers on each needle, remembering that there’s an invisible marker at the end of each needle.
Rnd 13: * K2 tog, k to marker, sm *.
Rnds 14-15: K.
Rep Rnds 13-15 twice (to dec 16 sts).
Rep Rnds 13-14 two more times (to dec 16 more sts).
You now have 16[24] sts on the needles.
Using the second needle, k first 4[6] sts of first needle. You now have 12[18] sts on second needle and 4[6] sts on first needle. Starting at the end farthest from the working yarn, slip 4[6] sts from the second needle to the first needle. You now have all sole sts on one needle and all instep sts on another needle.
Turn sock inside out and three-needle bind off, purling sts together.
Weave in ends.
