How to make a pair of Warm, Wooly Striped Socks

Good afternoon from the chilly heart of Western Michigan. The sun is shining, the children are playing outdoors for a change. In spite of this profusion of light - my feet are still freezing. I am contemplating knitting a pair of socks to ride out the rest of the winter. The sock pattern I have entered is an amalgam of several different patterns but I have tried to make it simple enough so it goes quickly and readily.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• 2 Large skeins of yarn in contrasting colors
• 1 set of size 8 double pointed needles

1. Cast on 40 stitches dividing them between 3 needles as follows 10/20/10
   
   Ribbing: Using main color Knit 2 Purl 2 for 2 inches
   Body: Using contrasting color - Begin the body of the sock in a stockingette stitch
   
   Knit 5 rows then switch to contrasting color - knit another 5 rows and alternate until the piece measures 8 inches
2. The Heel Flap : Switch to contrast color
   Knit across the first needle - turn
   Combine the stitches on needles 2 and 3 to a single needle and turn the work on each row
   Row 1 - purl across / this is the wrong side
   Row 2 Slip a stitch and knit across
   repeat these two rows 16 times
   there will be 8 large loops on the knit rows
   end row 16 with a purl side
3. Turn Heel
   
   Slip 1 knit 14 slip one knit one Pass slipped stitch over ( psso) the knitted stitch / turn
   
   
   Slip One stitch / Purl 7/ purl 2 together / turn
   
   Repeat these two rows until all stitches have been worked then work right side of row
4. Gussets:
   Pick up 12 stitches on the left side of the flap
   work across stitches on the center needle
   Pick up 12 stitches on the right side of the flap
   Knit half the heel stitches onto this needle
   Put the Other half of the stitches on the needle where you picked up the first row of stitches
   knit one row around
   
   Decrease Row
   Knit to within 3 stitches of the first needle slip 1 / knit one / pass slip stitch over ( psso) / knit one
   
   Repeat this row on the center needle
   
   Third needle - Knit one - knit 2 together / knit to the end of the row
   Next round - knit all needles evenly with no decreases
   Repeat the first 3 rows alternating with the straight knit rows until only 40 stitches are remaining on the needle
   
   When the 40 stitches are in place - this is the foot of the sock and you can begin working the striped pattern in again - 5 rows main and five rows contrasting until the toe stitch
   the body of the sock should be 8-10 inches depending on the size of the foot.
5. Gussets:
   Pick up 12 stitches on the left side of the flap
   work across stitches on the center needle
   Pick up 12 stitches on the right side of the flap
   Knit half the heel stitches onto this needle
   Put the Other half of the stitches on the needle where you picked up the first row of stitches
   knit one row around
   
   Decrease Row
   Knit to within 3 stitches of the first needle slip 1 / knit one / pass slip stitch over ( psso) / knit one
   
   Repeat this row on the center needle
   
   Third needle - Knit one - knit 2 together / knit to the end of the row
   Next round - knit all needles evenly with no decreases
   Repeat the first 3 rows alternating with the straight knit rows until only 40 stitches are remaining on the needle
   
   
   The toe - Using main color begin decreasing using this pattern
   Row One: Knit 1 / Knit 2 together / knit across until you are 3 stitches from the end then slip one / knit one / psso knit one
   
   Row 2 : Knit one , knit 2 together , knit to the end of the row
   
   Row 3 : Knit until you are 3 stitches from end slip one - knit one - pass slipped stitch over
   
   Next round - work evenly with no decreases
   
   Repeat decreases with even rounds until 16 stitches are left
   
   remove carefully and knit the 8 to the eight

Tips & Warnings

• This pattern was originally by Joan Fernbach
• I added the stripes because it makes it more fun and interesting