More Fun Than Cables Sock Pattern

Size: Women’s medium
Yarn: 100g sock/fingering weight.
Needles: 2-24” circulars US 1, 2.5mm. You can easily switch to double points or Magic Loop if desired.
Gauge: 8 stitches/inch, 10 rows/inch in stockinette stitch

The socks in the picture are knit with Opal UNI-Solid #29.

This pattern shows best with a solid or almost solid yarn or a variagated yarn with very short color repeats.

The stitch pattern does NOT pull in like real cables. If known, use the same number of stitches and the same size needle as you would for a stockinette stitch sock.

Abbreviations:
k = knit
k2tog = knit two stitches together
p = purl
p2tog = purl two stitches together
slip = slip purlwise unless pattern specifies knitwise
ssk = slip knitwise, slip knitwise, knit two slipped stitches together
yo = yarn over

Special instructions for cross 4:

• Slip 4 knit stitches as if to purl, popping corresponding yarn overs off the needle and letting them drop. The result is 4 elongated stitches on the right hand needle.
  
• Grab the rightmost 2 elongated stitches with the point of the left needle and lift them over the two leftmost elongated stitches and onto the left needle.
  
• Slide the remaining two elongated stitches onto the left needle.
  
• Knit the crossed elongated stitches onto the right hand needle, being careful to keep them in order.

More Fun Than Cables Stitch
(multiple of 16 stitches)
Round 1: k2,p,k4,p,k2,p,k4,p
Round 2: k2,p,k4,p,k2,p,k,yo,k,yo,k,yo,k,yo,p
Round 3: k2,p,k4,p,k2,p,cross 4,p
Round 4: k2,p,k4,p,k2,p,k4,p
Round 5: k2,p,k,yo,k,yo,k,yo,k,yo,p,k2,p,k4,p
Round 6: k2,p,cross 4,p,k2,p,k4,p

Cuff:
Cast on 64 stitches.
Split stitches between two circular needles, 32 stitches per needle.
Join.
Join is the beginning of a round and the left side of sock.

Ribbing:
k2,p2 ribbing for 1.5 inches.

Knit More Fun Than Cables Stitch until cuff measures desired length (usually 7-8 inches), ending after Round 1 or 4.

Center Pattern -Shift by 1 Stitch
With the heel side facing you, knit the right knit stitch onto the instep needle.
On the left side of the heel needle, slide 1 knit stitch from the instep needle onto the heel needle.
You now have 32 stitches on the instep needle and 32 stitches on the heel needle.

Heel:
Row 1: (slip 1, knit 1) 16 times. Turn.
Row 2: slip 1, purl to end of row. Turn.

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 17 times.
Repeat Row 1 one more time. (18 slip rows, about 2.25 inches)

Turn Heel:
Row 1: slip 1, p 17, p2tog, p. Turn.
Row 2: slip 1, k5, ssk, k. Turn.
Row 3: slip 1, p6, p2tog, p. Turn.
Row 4: slip 1, k7, ssk, k. Turn.
Row 5: slip 1, p8, p2tog, p. Turn.
Row 6: slip 1, k9, ssk, k. Turn.
Row 7: slip 1, p10, p2tog, p. Turn.
Row 8: slip 1, k11, ssk, k. Turn.
Row 9: slip 1, p12, p2tog, p. Turn.
Row 10: slip 1, k13, ssk, k. Turn.
Row 11: slip 1, p14, p2tog, p. Turn.
Row 12: slip 1, k15, ssk, k. Turn.
Row 13: slip 1, p16, p2tog. Turn.
Row 14: slip 1, k16, ssk.

18 stitches left on needle.

Pick up Gusset Stitches:
Pick up 19 stitches along right edge of heel.
Knit across instep using Instep Rib Pattern.

Instep Rib Pattern:
k,p,k4,p,k2,p,k12,p,k2,p,k4,p,k (32 stitches)

Pick up 19 stitches along left edge of heel.

Knit a round, ending at center back of heel.

Gusset Decreases:
For gusset decreases, round starts at center of heel needle.

Round 1: knit to last 3 stitches before instep, k2tog, k1, knit Instep Rib Pattern across instep, k, ssk, knit to center of heel needle.
Round 2: knit to instep needle, knit Instep Rib Pattern across instep, knit to center of heel needle.

Repeat rounds 1 and 2 until 32 stitches remain on heel needle.

Continue knitting around keeping the 32 instep stitches in the Instep Rib Pattern.

Toe Decreases:
Start on heel needle 2 inches before desired length of sock.

Round 1: (k, ssk, k to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k) twice, once on heel needle, once on instep needle.
Round 2: knit

Repeat rounds 1 and 2 until 16 stitches remain on instep needle and 16 stitches remain on sole needle.

Repeat round 1 until 8 stitches remain on each needle.
Kitchener toe and weave in ends.

Copyright Marguerite Byrne, 2005. To be used for private, non-profit use only.
Send comments and corrections to knittingviolet@gmail.com