Faux Cable Socks for CIC

Children in Common (CIC) knitting group knits warm wool items for children in orphanages in Russia. Where it's 45-50 degrees indoors, a warm pair of socks can make a big difference.

This pattern is written for toddler socks. The gauge is given, but gauge and size doesn't matter very much for CIC. Any size will fit some child. Consider going up a needle size for larger socks.

Yarn: About 150 yds. worsted weight (Cascade 220 100% wool was used in the example)
Needles: Four size 4 dpns
Gauge: 12 sts = 2 inches in pattern stitch
Finished Size: Toe to heel = 7 inches.
Heel to cuff = 8 inches.

Abbreviations:
K = knit
P = purl
SSK = slip knitwise, slip knitwise, knit those 2 together
K2tog = knit 2 together
P2tog = purl 2 together
Sl = slip purlwise
RS = right side
WS = wrong side

Cuff:
Loosely cast on 36 sts, putting 12 sts on each of 3 dpns. Join in a round.
Work in K2, P2 ribbing for 7 rounds. Working needle 1, needle 2, needle 3.



Leg Pattern:
Round 1, Twist round: *K2tog and leave them on left needle. Insert the right needle between the two stitches just knit together and knit through the front of the first stitch again. Complete the knit stitch by slipping the two stitches off the left needle. P2. Repeat from * around. (If my twists twist in the opposite direction from yours, it's because I'm lefthanded. Just ignore that and continue on.)
Rounds 2-4: K2 P2 ribbing.

Repeat rounds 1-4 for 7 more times.

Heel Flap:
Sl 1, K15, turn. (This borrows 4 sts from needle 2).
*Sl 1, P1, repeat from * for a total of 16 sts, turn. (This will borrow one st from needle 3 and will center the stitch pattern for the foot.)

Working over these 16 sts, repeat heel rows 9 times:
Row 1 (RS): Sl 1, K15, turn.
Row 2 (WS): *Sl 1, P1, repeat from *, turn.


Turn heel:
Sl 1, K8, SSK, K1, turn.
Sl 1, p3, p2tog, p1, turn.
Sl 1, K until 1 stitch before gap, SSK, K1, turn.
Sl 1, P until 1 stitch before gap, p2tog, p1, turn.
Repeat these two rows until all heel stitches have been worked. There are now 10 heel stitches.

Gusset:
Needle 1 (right side): Knit across all stitches of heel. Pick up 12 stitches down the side of the heel.
Needle 2: Work the instep stitches, keeping in leg pattern.
Needle 3: Pick up 12 stitches up the side of the heel. Knit 5 stitches from needle 1. This is the new beginning of round in the middle back of the heel.

Should now have
Needle 1: 17 sts, Needle 2 (instep): 20 sts, Needle 3: 17 sts.

Gusset decreases:
Decrease round:
Needle 1:K to within 3 stitches of the end of needle, K2tog, K1.
Needle 2: Work leg pattern.
Needle 3: K1, SSK, K to end of needle.
Knit 1 round, keeping instep in leg pattern.
Repeat these 2 rounds until needles 1 and 3 have 9 stitches each, needle 2 still has 20 sts.

Foot:
Needles 1 and 3: Knit.
Needle 2: Work leg pattern.
Work for 36 rounds (counted from gusset pick up), or desired length.

Toe Decreases:
Round 1:
Needle 1: Knit.
Needle 2: K1, SSK, K to within 3 sts of the end of needle, K2tog, K1.
Needle 3: Knit.
(This round sets up for even decreasing so that at the end, needle 2 has doudle what needles 1 and 3 have.)

Round 2: Knit.
Round 3:
Needle 1: K to within 3 sts of the end of needle, K2tog, K1.
Needle 2: K1, SSK, K to within 3 sts of the end of needle, K2tog, K1.
Needle 3: K1, SSK, K to end of needle.

Repeat rounds 2 and 3 until 12 stitches left. (3-6-3).

Knit sts from needle 3 onto needle 1. Graft toe sts with Kitchener stitch.

Copyright 2007 by Ruth Garcia. Socks may be made for personal or charity use. No socks may be sold from this pattern.