Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Baby, it's cold outside!

Seems like winter is here, gorgeous white blanket of snow has fell on our lil country and once again surprised us northern folk with it's many qualities. Did you know snow is cold and slippery? One might think that'd be fairly obvious. Looking at the people stuck in traffic too affraid to actually drive properly (but too proud and stubborn to take the bus), all the head lines about accidents on the road and so forth, you'd think this is the first time we've ever had snow. Why is it like this every frigging year? 

Luckily none of the above concearns me 'cause a) I'm happy to support and enjoy the experience of public transport and b) I haven't been commuting much over the last few days. It may be minus what-ever outside but it surely isn't cold under my skin. As the devine Peggy Lee puts it; "Fever in the morning, fever all through the night".

Stuck at home once again there's very little to do but sleep, watch Little Women and knit. I've been trying to come up with a pattern for cabled socks. I've found it surprisingly tricky, but this is what I finally came up with. Another pair for Santa's bag.

Instructions:
Yarn: Novita 7 veljestä  (150 g = 300 m, 75% wool / 25% polyamide)
Gauge: 18 st = 10cm
Needle: 4 mm
Skeins: 1

Cast on 54 st. Divide them on 4 double pointed needles. *K1, P1* for about 6 rows. Begin working as per chart repeating the 18 stitches and 12 rows on it. Repeat the pattern for 4 times. Make sure you devide the stitches before you start working on the heel. Dpn I: 12, Dpn II: 14, Dpn III: 14, Dpn IV: 14.
(Click to enlarge)

Reinforced heel: 
Leave needles II and III waiting to be worked on later. After knitting last row of cable pattern knit needle I as you would if you were still making the cable, but knit it on needle IV =26 st on needle IV. Then turn to the  the wrong side of the sock, slip 1, purl 25 and start the reinforced stitches.Repeat *SL1K, K1* on the right side, SL1P, P25 on the wrong side. Repeat these two rows 13 times = 26 rows.  Then on the right side (still knitting SL1K, K1 on right side and purl wrong side) knit  until you have 9st left on the needle, SKP and turn to wrong side. SL1P, P 8, P2TOG and turn again. Knit in this manner until you have 8st left, SKP and turn to wrong side. Continue the decreases in this manner until you have 10 st left. Divide the remaining stitches on two needles. Pick up 13 st on each side of the heel flap and knit the picked up stitches on needles I and IV.  

The gusset:
You now have 64 stitches in total. Continue working the cable pattern in the front with the 30 stitches on needles II and III. K2TOG at the end of needle I and SKP at the beginning of needle IV every second row until you have 14st on each needle. 


Shape toe:
Continue until you have reached desired length for the sock and beging to shape toe. K2TOG at the end of needles I and III and SKP at the beginning of needles II and IV. Repeat the decreases every second row until you have 8 st remaining on each needle. After that repeat the decreases on every row. When you are left with 8 st . Cut the yarn and run the thread tail through remaining 8 stitches twice; pull firmly and darn in the end.


EDIT 22.12.2010: 
K = Knit
P = Purl
SL1K = Slip 1 knitwise
SL1P = Slip 1 purlwise
SKP = slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over
P2TOG = Purl 2 together
K2TOG = Knit 2 together

Cross 1 R = Cross 1 to the right (pick 1st on cable needle, leave it waiting on the back side, knit 1st and then knit the 1st from the cable needle)
 
Cross 4 R = Cross 4 to the right (
pick 4st on cable needle, leave them waiting on the back side, knit 4st and then knit the 4st from the cable needle)

Cross 4 L =
Cross 4 to the left (pick 4st on cable needle, leave them waiting on the front side, knit 4st and then knit the 4st from the cable needle)


EDIT 14.6.2011:
Corrected few typos and misleading instructions on the heel.

18 comments:

  1. Pretty! I'll be putting those in my queue. Thanks.

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  2. Oh hooray! If you ever knit these, please post up any possible feed back about the instructions. Only been doing this for few months and want to make sure my instructions are as easy as possible to follow. Happy knitting :)

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  3. could you explain the K1, P1, SK1P, K2TOG, SKP, etc...
    i don't know what any of this means!
    thanks :) and happy holidays

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  4. Added the explanations to the instruction, hope this helps!

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  5. Any chance you can post this as a pdf? It'd be great to put on an ereader and bring anywhere!

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  6. Not sure, but I think I've now managed to make a PDF file... Try https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B0-9i6lDvTKeMTA2ZTAyYTQtNDc5MC00NTkyLTk1MGMtOTI3ZTUzZGVjYmRj&authkey=CIGTptAK&hl=en

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  7. Could you please clarify the instruction for the reinforced heel.
    Knit the 12 sts on needle 1 to needle 4= 26st. Repeat *SL1K,K1* on the right side, turn to the wrong side and SL1P, P23.
    Do you mean "Repeat" K26? then *SL1K,K1* on the right side? Otherwise I am on the wrong side.
    Also you say to continue the reinforced knitting, but to knit normally on the right side beginning the decreasing. This confuses me. I love your pattern, and am excited to continue with the heel, please help!

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  8. Hi Donna,

    Happy to hear you like the pattern, and sorry for the confusion!

    There was a little typo, should've been "turn to the wrong side and SL1P, P25." So on the right side you slip every second stitch and knit every second and on the wrong side slip the first and purl the rest.

    I also edited the bit about knitting normally vs continuing reinforced knitting. Should just say to continue slipping and knitting right side and purl wrong side. Terrible typos!!! Hope you can manage from here on, terribly sorry about the mistakes. If it's any consolation I found writing the instruction equally difficult :D

    If there's anything that needs to be clarified, happy to help!

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  9. Thank you for your help. I have one last question. When I finish the last row 12 of the cable pattern before beginning the heel, the next instruction is to k12 sts from dpn1 onto dpn4. I am doing this on the "right" side. After I do this, I am now on the "wrong" side of my work to begin the instructions for the heel. Am I knitting the 12sts from dpn1 to dpn4 wrongly? Or what side do you refer to the "right" side as?

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  10. I'm really happy someone is asking these questions, otherwise I'd never know they aren't as easy as I'd hope!

    After knitting last row of cable pattern knit dpn1 as you would if you were still making the cable, but knit it on dpn4 (giving you 26st on dpn4). Then turn to the inside, which I refer to as the wrong side of the sock, slip 1, purl 25 and start the reinforced stitches.

    I edited again the instruction, hope it makes more sense now :)

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  11. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Yaaaay! I am so excited to finish these socks for my daughter.
    Thank you for sharing your patterns and your wonderful talent!
    I know it must take alot of time to make up a design, and I am very grateful for your generosity in sharing them. D:)

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  12. Very happy to hear! If you're on Ravelry, please attach pictures of your socks there! If not, shame on you ;)

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  13. Ravelry? I must join then! Will post pics as soon as I am finished.
    Thank you once again.
    D:)

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  14. Hi. These socks look great. My problem is I'm not good at charting. I'm used to instructions like C4F & C4B. Can you give me a key please.

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  15. I agree with last comment! The chart isn't clear could you please write it as written instructions (just the chart please) teresa

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  16. I agree with last comment! The chart isn't clear could you please write it as written instructions (just the chart please) teresa

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  17. Is there the possibility that you'll be writing the pattern for circulars or magic loop?

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    Replies
    1. Sorry but nope, not familiar with those myself.

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