Knitting-socks.com offers free patterns for your knitting enjoyment. Brooke by Krista is a lace
pattern intended to extend wearing our beautiful socks into the summer months. It's intended to be knit with fingering/sock weight. I knit my sample Louet Gems. The sock design follows my How to Knit Socks Class.
Brooke is written in sizes fitting an average to large foot. Instructions for larger foot are in parenthesis, otherwise instruction apply to both sizes
The instructions are divided into the parts of the sock: Cast-on, Cuff/Leg, Heel, Turning the heel, Gusset or Ankle, Foot, Toe and a Seamless Finish.
The stitches used: Knit, Purl, K2tog (knit two together), SSK (slip slip knit - a decrease similar to k2tog), YO (yarnover), Ktb (knit thru the back loop) and a Drop stitch.
Optional: Row Counter (highly recommended)
Use 2 hanks of Louet Gems
CAST-ON
On one needle, cast on 64 stitches loosely. If a loose cast-on is a challenge, try using two needles together. I have used a long-tail cast-on, but any cast on you are comfortable with will work.
Now divide the cast on stitches evenly between 3 needles.
CUFF
Join needles and work in a Twisted 1 x 1 Rib pattern for 10 rows: * K1tb (knit thru the back loop), P1 repeat* till end of row.
LEG
Add 4th needle to SET UP row by putting 2 repeats on each needle.
Set Up Row: *p2, k1,yo,k1,p2,k2 repeat *till end. TIP Place marker in-between the pattern repeats on each needle.
Note: After the set up row, you will have 18 stitches on each needle (this will make it easier to keep track of the following pattern rows).
Rows 1,3,5: *p2,k2,p2,k3.... repeat* till end
Row 2,4: *p2, k3, p2,k2... * repeat till end of row
Row 6: *p2,k1, drop next stitch off needle and unravel to previous YO(6rows down), k1, p2,k1, yo, k1.....* repeat till end of row.
Row 7,9, 11: *p2, k3, p2, k2......* repeat till end of row
Row: 8, 10: *p2, k2, p2, k3.....* repeat till end
Row 12: *p2, k1, yo, k1, p2, k1, drop next stitch off needle & unravel 6 rows down, k1 .... * repeat till end.
Continue knitting Rows 1 thru 12 until measurement from your cast-on edge is 6" to 8" or your desired length.
IMPORTANT...To start heel, end on Row 12, on Needle #3.
To see a picture of needle positioning, click here and scroll down to Heel.
HEEL
Once you have the desired length of leg.... begin the heel on needle #4 or the needle to the right of the tail.
On needle #4, Slip the first stitch, knit 1 stitch and repeat (Slip 1, K1) until the end.
Now continue in the same pattern of Slip 1, knit 1 from needle #1 onto the same needle(needle #4).
Resulting in 36 stitches on the needle, going from four needles to three needles.
Turn work,on wrong side, slip first stitch and purl the remaining of the stitches. While we are working on the heel it is IMPORTANT to always slip the first stitch of each row.....this will help us to form the gusset/ankle.
Turn work, on right side, Slip, knit repeat to end.
Continue for a total of 31(33) rows.
TURNING THE HEEL
The following instructions will seem quirky, this is where the ounce of trust comes in...
but if followed carefully will be fun....just take one step at a time.
Row 1: Wrong side row: Purl (no need to slip the first stitch) to two stitches beyond the center
or 18 + 2 = 20 stitches
then p2tog (purl 2 stitches together as one), p1.
Now TURN work to start next row.....and trust it will be OK.
Row 2: Slip 1, K5, k2tog, k1 TURN
Row 3: Slip 1, P6, p2tog, pi TURN
Continue in this pattern until you are left with 20 stitches on your needle for your turned heel.
Pick up 16(18) stitches evenly along heel. Put your needle under both sides of the slipped stitch.
If you would like to see photos or more instruction click here
continue in pattern or Row 1 on needles #2 & #3,
Now pick up 16(18) stitches evenly along heel. I like to start this side in the stitch between the leg and the heel to prevent a hole from forming and using the slipped stitches for the remainder of the picked up stitches.
Now you have stitches on 4 needles again. But we need to position them slightly.
Thats right....its trust time again....
From your short row heel, knit 10 stitches onto the same needle that you just picked up the 16(18) stitches or a total of 26(28) stitches on your needle.
Next, slip purlwise the remaining stitches onto the first needle where you picked up stitches, which should also
now have 26(28) stitches on it.
Guess what....we are now back to our 4 needle positions
Needle #1 is once again lined up to the left of the tail and the bottom of the heel, Needle #4 is to the
right of the heel and the bottom of the heel. Needles #2 & #3 are the top of the foot.
TIP
Give the first stitch on needle #1 an extra tug to insure no gaps form along the bottom of the foot.
Starting with needle #1 knit across needles #1 & 4, and in pattern on needless #2 & 3 (row #2 of pattern) one time.
Now we will begin the decreases to form the gusset/ankle. We will decrease every other row, so you may want to use your
counter to keep track. Decrease on odd number rows and work even on even number rows.
Row 1 : on needle #1, knit until last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1, then knit in pattern (Row 3) across needles #2 & #3,... on needle #4, k1, ssk, knit till end. Note: ssk is slip 2 stitches(one at a time) knitwise onto working needle, then insert left hand needle into stitches and knit together. this is a directional decrease that makes your sock look nicer.
Row 2: work even or knit all stitches on needles #1 & 4, while continuing in pattern on Needles #2 & 3 (pattern Row 4)
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until needles #1 & #4 have 16 stitches remaining.....while staying in pattern for needles # 2 & 3.
You will begin to see the gusset/ankle take shape.
FOOT
Knit even until foot measures between 7" - 8" from heel depending on your foot size. Knit one row even across all needles before beginning toe shaping.
TOE
Now we will begin to decrease the sides between the top and the bottom of the foot forming the toe.
Row 1
Needle #1: knit to last three stitches, k2tog, k1
Needle #2: knit 1, ssk, knit remaining stitches
Needle #3: knit to last three stitches, k2tog, k1
Needle #4: knit 1, ssk, knit remaining stitches
Row 2
Knit even across all 4 needles.
Continue until all needles have 6(7) stitches on each of them.
Combine stitches on needle #4 and #1 by knitting across needle #1 leaving a total of 14 stitches on one needle.
Slip purlwise the stitches from needle #2 to needle #3 leavin a total of 14 stitches on one needle.
Now all stitches should be evenly on two needles
For a Seamless Toe, I recommend the kitchner stich to close the toe opening.
For detailed kitchener stitch instructions and pictures click this link and scroll to the bottom of the page.
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