Free Favorite Socks by Ann Budd

Weave in loose ends. Block lightly.

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    from the September/October 2003 issue of Piecework
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Anniversary Socks
    Nancy Bush
    Although readers of Knits know and love Nancy Bush’s sock patterns, they probably haven’t seen these delightful “party socks.” Nancy is the treasured knitting contributor to Piecework, an Interweave publication dedicated to a variety of traditional needle arts. These socks, which she designed to commemorate Piecework’s tenth anniversary, were inspired by a number of historic socks she’d seen in various museums over the course of a decade. In the style of nineteenth-century European women’s stockings, only the front of the socks is decorated to show beneath a long skirt.
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    F INISHED S IZE
    About 7½" (19 cm) foot circumference and 9½" (24 cm) foot length. To fit a woman. Note: To make the socks larger or smaller, use needles one or two sizes larger or smaller and lengthen or shorten the foot as necessary.
Y ARN
    Fingering-weight yarn (CYCA #1 Super Fine). Shown here: Knit One Crochet Too Richesse et Soie (65% cashmere, 35% silk; 145 yd [133 m]/25 g): #9521 moss, 3 skeins. Note: This yarn has been discontinued; substitute the fingering-weight luxury yarn of your choice.
N EEDLES
    Size 1 (2.5 mm): set of 5 double-pointed (dpn). Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.
N OTIONS
    Marker (m); tapestry needle.
G AUGE
    18 stitches and 24 rounds = 2" (5 cm) in stockinette stitch worked in the round.
S TITCH G UIDE
    Left Cross (LC2) (worked over 2 stitches)
    Knit into the back of the second st on left needle, knit into the front of the first st, then slip both sts off the needle.
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Leg
    Holding 2 needles tog, CO 65 sts. Remove second needle carefully and arrange sts on 4 dpn so that there are 16 sts on Needle 1, 15 sts on Needle 2, and 17 sts each on Needle 3 and Needle 4. Join for working in the rnd, being careful not to twist sts. Purl 1 rnd. Work lace diamond patt as foll:
    Rnds 1 and 2: P1, *k2, p1, k1, p1; rep from * to last 4 sts, k2, p1, k1.
    Rnd 3: P1, *LC2 (see Stitch Guide ), p1, k1, p1; rep from * to last 4 sts, LC2, p1, k1.
    Rnds 4, 5, and 6: P1, *k2, p1, k1, p1; rep from * to last 4 sts, k2, p1, k1.
    Rnd 7: P1, *LC2, p1, k1, p1; rep from * to last 4 sts, LC2, p1, k1.
    Rep Rnds 4–7 three more times. Next rnd: P16, *k2, p3; rep from * 6 times, k2, p15, p2tog—64 sts rem. Arrange sts so that there are 16 sts each on Needle 1 and Needle 4, 13 instep sts on Needle 2, and 19 instep sts on Needle 3. Rnd begins at back of leg. Work in patt as foll:
    Rnds 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10: K16, *k2, p1, k6, p1; rep from * 2 more times, k2, k16.
    Rnds 3 and 11: K16, *LC2, p1, k2, yo, k2tog, k2, p1; rep from * 2 more times, LC2, k16.
    Rnds 5 and 9: K16, *k2, p1, k1, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k1, p1, rep from * 2 more times, k2, k16.
    Rnd 7: K16, *LC2, p1, [yo, k2tog] 3 times, p1; rep from * 2 more times, LC2, k16.
    Rnd 12: Rep Rnd 1.
    Rep Rnds 1–12 until leg measures 9" (23 cm) or desired length to heel, ending with Needle 3 (ready to work last 16 sts of rnd).
Heel
Heel Flap
    The 32 sts on Needle 4 and Needle 1 form the heel flap; rem 32 sts will be worked later for instep. Beg with first st on Needle 4, work heel sts back and forth in rows as foll:
    Row 1: (RS) *Sl 1 kwise with yarn in back (wyb), k1; rep from * across 32 sts (the sts on Needle 4 and Needle 1).
    Row 2: (WS) Sl 1 pwise with yarn in front (wyf), p31.
    Row 3: Sl 1 kwise wyb, *sl 1 kwise wyb, k1; rep from * to last 2 sts, k2.
    Row 4: Sl 1 pwise wyf, p31.
    Rep Rows 1–4 until a total of 32 rows have been worked, ending with a WS row—16 chain sts along each selvedge edge.
Turn Heel
    Work short-rows to shape heel as foll:
    Row 1: (RS) K18, ssk, k1.
    Row 2: (WS) Sl 1 pwise wyf, p5, p2tog, p1.
    Row 3: Sl 1 kwise wyb, knit to 1 st from gap formed on previous row, ssk (1 st each side of gap), k1.
    Row 4: Sl 1 pwise wyf, purl to 1 st from gap formed on previous row, p2tog (1 st each side of gap), p1. Rep Rows 3