ECLECTIC SOCK
DIFFICULTY = Very hard
YARN = ECLECTIC SOCK by LAINES DU NORD, 2 balls (1 ball for each sock)
CIRCULAR NEEDLES = size 2.75- and 3 mm, 30 cm thin and flexible cable
OTHERS = darning needle, scissors, pins, stitch marker
Start at the toe tip and continue until the 2/2 ribbed upper band. To simplify the pattern, we will refer to each point of the circular needle as a “needle”.
Rib 2/2 in round: (k2, p2) rep. across the entire round and next rounds, lining-up the ribs. Stocking stitch in round: knit every round. Stocking stitch in back-and-forth rows: knit across r. on the RS, purl across r. on the WS.
Short-rows stocking stitch (German technique).
1st r.: slip 1st st. k-wise with yo (double stitch), knit as far as indicated.
2nd r.: slip 1st st. p-wise with yo (double stitch), purl as far as indicated.
Across next rows, work the double stitch like a single stitch.
RS = right side of work
WS = wrong side of work
st. / sts. = stitch / stitches
col. = color
k = knit
r. = row / rows
rep. = repeat / repeating
p = purl
cont. = continue / continuing
foll. = follow / following
yo = yarn over
​​​​​​​stitch marker = SM
Fits a foot size-39/40
Procedure
Toe tip cast-on
Use size 2.75 mm circular needles.
Create a small loop and place it on one needle, then pair the two needles together, with the needle holding the loop underneath.
Using the tail, cast on 12 sts. on both needles: wrap the yarn 12 times (from outside to inside) around both needles. Once done, hold the last wrap with your index finger and gently pull the lower needle forward (the sts. will remain on the cable). Then, using this needle and the working yarn, knit 12 sts. into the loops on the upper needle, knit these sts. loosely to ease the sliding. Gently pull the cable to align the 2 needles again, positioning the needle with the 12 knitted sts. below the needle with the 12 loops still to be worked.
Pull the needle forward (leaving the 12 knitted sts. on the cable) and use it to knit 12 sts. on the upper needle. Pair the 2 needles again, with 12 knitted sts. on one needle and 12 knitted sts. on the other.
From the next round, start increasing at the sides. Always ensure that the working yarn is on the lower needle.
2nd round: pull the lower needle forward and start working the sts. of the upper needle. Always increase after the first st. but before the last one, then k1, yo, k10, yo, k1. Pull the cable to align the needles, rotate them so that the knitted sts. and the working yarn are positioned below the other needle. Then pull the lower needle forward and k1, yo, k10, yo, k1 on the upper needle. [28 sts.]
3rd round: knit all sts. of both needles and knit through the back loop the 4 yo.
From the 4th to the 15th round: work on both needles foll. the same procedure as the 2nd and 3rd rounds, totaling 52 sts. at the end of the 15th round (= 4 increases every 2 rounds, 6 times).
Back and sole of the sock
Now pair the sts., keeping the needle with the working yarn behind the other needle, pull out the back needle, and start working on the sts. of the front needle.
From the 16th to the 70th round (13 cm): work in stocking st. over the same number of sts. (26 sts. on each needle).
From the next round, begin to increase the number of sts. again to widen the body of the sock before shaping the actual heel, then work as foll.:
71st round: k26 on the 1st needle and on the 2nd needle k1, yo, k24, yo, k1. [54 sts.]
72nd round: knit all sts. and knit through back loop the 2 yo.
73rd round: k26 on the 1st needle and on the 2nd needle k1, yo, knit until 1 st. before the end, then yo and k1 into the last st.
74th round: knit all sts. and knit through back loop the 2 yo.
From the 75th to the 94th round: rep. the 73rd and 74th rounds 9 times. [at the end of the 74th round, there are 26 sts. on the 1st needle and 52 sts. on the 2nd needle.]
The 26 sts. correspond to the back of the sock, while the other 52 sts. correspond to the sides and sole. Continue working only on the central 26 sts. of the group of 52 sts. to shape the heel, leaving the rest on hold temporarily. Place a SM on the 1st and 26th sts. of the heel.
Heel
On the 26 sts. of the heel, work 14 rows in stocking st. using the German short-row technique, reducing the sts. to 12 (same as the number at the beginning of the toe tip). Switch to size 3 mm points and work 26 sts. in stocking st. for 14 rows, noting that across the 1st row, you will need to work using the short-row technique on the 7 sts. of the first side and the 7 sts. of the second side, the remaining 12 sts. of the heel with standard technique (totaling 26 sts.).
Continue working on these 26 sts. for 14 rows. At the beginning and end of each row, join with the edge sts. left on hold at the end of the 94th round. Insert the needle into the first (or last) st. of the heel, then insert it into the 1st (or last) unworked st. of the sts. left on hold in the 94th round. Then work these 2 sts. together.
After completing the joining of the side edges of the heel with the first 13 sts. and the last 13 unworked sts. of the 94th round, switch back to size 2.75 mm points and resume working in rounds.
Leg
Work 52 sts. in stocking st. (26 sts. on the 1st needle and 26 sts. on the 2nd needle) until reaching about halfway up the leg (between the ankle and the knee) or just before running out of yarn from the ball, leaving some for the band. Across the last r. of stocking st. increase 2 sts. evenly, then work 8 rounds in rib 2/2. At last, bind off all sts. as they appear. Hide the ends.
Use the second ball to make the other sock in the same way.