The effect of these socks was described as “ribbing on the bias and cables and all that jazz” – and the name stuck.

The leg is patterned with vertical and bias rib around a panel of interconnected embossed leaves. The construction is typical for a cuff-down and flap heel sock until the heel has been turned. The stitches that are picked up along the eye of partridge heel flap are added to the rib pattern and that’s when the fun begins. The gusset decreases are made on the top of the instep where they shape the foot and form its pattern at the same time. After the foot is shaped, the decreases continue for the rest of the instep pattern and increases are added to maintain the width. The instep pattern transitions to a stocking stitch foot and a wedge toe completes the sock.

The pattern is written for 2 sizes, 64 sts (woman’s medium) and 72 stitches (woman’s large). Due to the nature of the bias rib design, the socks cannot easily be modified other than using larger/smaller needles/yarn. To have everything work out, the leg is 71 rounds high, the heel flap is 34 rows long and the foot decreases to 63 or 73 sts over 65 rounds.

The leg is both charted and written; the heel through to the toe is written only.

Stitches used include a 2-stitch cable with a yarn over increase which is explained in the pattern and each sock has 1 sssk, k3tog, ssp and s2kp.