23-04-2017

This first pair of Hermione’s, while a great opp to learn a new pattern, has been rather unpleasant because I only ever make my own sock pattern (A Simple Sock), in plain stockinette. As I changed the number of stitches, didn’t follow the heel instructions (and may or may not have followed the toe instructions - I didn’t check), here’s the pattern, Kristin-style for future reference:

• CO 60 stitches and k2, p2 rib for 20 rows 2.
• K one row 3.
• Begin 4 row repeat pattern for 48 rows (or 12 repeats) - make sure you’re at desired length of 6 inches. That pattern is, read from R1 to R4 - from bottom up:

R4 KKKK (read from left to right)
R3 KKPK (read from right to left)
R2 KKKK (read from left to right)
R1 PKKK (read from right to left)

• Make the heel flap by knitting back and forth in the “regular” way

• Turn the heel - yo want to get from 30 st. to 16 stitches. Do set up as follows:

k15 stitches, k2 more, ssk, k1, turn (10 st remaining to be knit)
sl 1, p 5, p2tog, p1, turn (10 st remaining to be purled)

• Continue the pattern till there are 18 stitches and then knit together (decrease) and purl together (decrease) the last 2 stitches of final row to get to 16 st.

• Set up the gusset. This may be tricky because you want to ensure that you maintain 32 stitches on the front/top of sock but only 28 on the heel/sides. Aim to maintain the pattern as per the original 4 row repeat but note that the key is to stay in pattern retaining 32 st. on the front part of the sock - the part with the pattern.

• Work the gusset decreases simultaneous with maintaining the pattern of the front/top sock four row repeat. Doesn’t matter if the decreases happen on the plain knit rows (2 and 4) or the pattern rows (1 and 3). Just be consistent and get from 32 / 23 / 23 to 32 / 14 / 14, only doing the decreases every other row. (This will take @20 rows. Decrease pattern is k2tog at the beginning decrease and ssk on the end decrease.)

• Now work the sock in pattern, no decreases, till you have knit to desired length - probably 8 more 4 row repeats (@32 more rows).

• At @5.5 inches from the back of the heel / 2 inches from tip, begin the toe decreases. You’ll start this section with 60 stitches and decrease (32 on front and 28 on back - set up as 32 / 14 / 14). You’ll need to decrease the front to be the same number as the back over the first 4 rows. This means, as you have 4 extra stitches on the front sock, adjacent to the orange markers, you’ll need to do this over the 20 rows that takes you from 60 to 20 stitches (4 st every other row - except for the first 4 rows, where you decrease the front on the non decrease rows till you get those extra 4 stitches decreased:

R1: 32 / 14 / 14
R2: Dec 30 / 13 / 13
R3: Fr. Dec only 28 / 13 / 13
R4: Dec 26/ 12 / 12
R5: Fr. Dec only 24 / 12 / 12 (Now you have equal number of st on front and back of sock)
R6: Knit straight - no decreases
R7: Dec 22 / 11 / 11
R8: K straight
R9: Dec 20 / 10 / 10
R10: K straight
R11: Dec 18 / 9 / 9
R12: K straight
R13: Dec 16 / 8 / 8
R14: K straight
R15: Dec 14 / 7 / 7
R16: K straight
R17: Dec 12 / 6 / 6
R18: K straight
R19: Dec 10 / 15 / 5
R20: K straight (till end of row at which point set up st on needle for grafting)

Note: The decreases are done in knit only, every other row, 4 st decreased every other row. This goes ssk, k2tog / ssk, k2tog on each side of the orange marker till you get to 5 stitches on each back/side of the sock and 10 at the front - 20 st overall.

• Graft the final 20 stitches together. Weave in ends. Block.

23-04-2017

One other thing - consider going own a needle size to a US 0 as the 60 stitches create a a cuff and foot that could be snugger.

29-04-2017

The pattern def takes more yarn than any other sock pattern I’ve made (which is basically just 2 others, and they’re plain). I should still have enough to make 3 pairs of socks out of 2 balls (that would take me to 216g of the 230g in total). The sock is quite dense given the waffley-ness of the stitch pattern. Next time I’ll go down a needle size because it’s a bit big given 60 stitches (though I did take it down from 64, going to 60 would take another round of math and I’m not interested in giving this pattern more brain power right now).