Sock Pattern on the House Knitting with 2 Circulars

Plain Jane Sock Pattern

Cast on 54 stitches with US 3 needles, be sure to not twist your stitches as you knit the first row, otherwise, rip them all off the needle and start again.  At the join for the other needle, watch out for the twist or repeat the previous step. 

Join your yarn and start knitting, this sock does not incorporate any form of ribbing.  Keep knitting until you decide that you want to start your heel flap.  I usually try to do about 5 or 6 inches of leg for my socks.  Sometimes, I get bored and decide to just knit 4 inches. 

Heel flap on needle 1: 
Knit across row 1. 
K4, purl, k4 to end the row.
Keep repeating these two rows until you have 9 garter stitch ridges on each side of the heel flap. 

Heel turn:
Knit 17 stitches, ssk, turn.
Slip the 1st stitch and purl 7 stitches, p2tog, turn
Slip the 1st stitch and knit 7 stitches, ssk, turn. 
Keep repeating these two stitches until you are left with 9 stitches on your needles, Knit across the 9 stitches and start picking up stitches on each of the garter stitch ridges on the sides.  You will have 9 new picked up stitches and pick up one more stitch at the top before you pick up needle 2 and knit across the 27 stitches that have been sitting unworked while you have been working on your heel flap.  Pick up 10 stitches with needle 1 on the other side of the heel flap working downwards. 
Knit two rounds.
Gusset:
Knit 1, ssk, knit until three stitches from the end on needle 1, k2tog, k1.
You should have 27 stitches on needle 1. 

Foot. 
Keep knitting in the round with both needles until you get to your foot size, try the sock on.  When your sock is long enough, it should reach to the bottom of your pinky toe.  This is how I size my socks I wear an 8.5US women's. 
Toe:
This is a simple toe and it works out really well for every single pair of socks that I have knit.  I have knit many pairs. 
Needle 1:  knit 1,ssk, knit until 3 stitches from the end, k2tog, k1. 
Needle 2: knit 1, ssk, knit until 3 stitches from the end, k2tog, k1.
Knit plain around, and repeat these two decreasing stitches every other round being sure to knit a plain round in between the decreasing rounds.  Now, count your stitches on your needles and when you get to 34 stitches on the needles total, so, 17 stitches on each needle, then decrease every round.  If you think your sock isn't long enough, then wait until you think it fits well enough and then start decreasing every row until you get a minimal amount left on your needles, I usually end mine with 10 stitches total, cut the yarn, and then weave in all stitches via Kitchner stitch. 
Enjoy! 

I have worked this single gusset decrease sock several times and with the high instep people I knit for, they love it.  I have a high instep and I actually love this one stitch gusset. 
The heel is a Dutch heel and very simple to knit.  It is my go to heel. 

The heel flap with the k4 on each end, to mark the end of the k4, place a stitch marker, otherwise, it will make you crazy!  I always add on a stitch marker to help me remember to do my final k4 on the purl side of the flap.  It also makes it so much easier to pick up stitches with this decorative edge. 

If you have issues picking up stitches with a needle, then please by all means use a crochet hook in size e or f.  I used to use one before I had been doing a lot of crochet and realized that the same wrap stitch in crochet could be used with a knitting needle.  I also love to anchor my heels with two rounds of plain knitting before I start the gusset.  No holes this way and it also has more give. 

If you have any questions, please leave me a comment and I will try to get back to you.  I know sometimes people just want to knit a plain sock with no ornamentation and I was asked to write my pattern down. 

The US 3 circular needles need to have a 24 inch cord.  I use Addi turbo rockets, which are great because they have super sharp points which really get under the stitch.  They are most excellent on lace. 

More Drama

I had hurt my right knee last month and I put it in my brace.  Well, it seems I hurt it worse than I had thought. I took myself off to the doctor Tuesday per the hubby's recommendation and found out that I have torn my meniscus.  Oh boy!  So, I am on crutches until the swelling goes down.  I have muscle relaxers and I have an anti-inflammatory pill. 

I am working on knitting hats right now for charity.  I will need a bunch of items for the kids this year.  We talked about it last night and we are donating to one school.  I am hoping that the kids will have Christmas presents this year, again.  They are so poor, last year when we sent boxes of goodies, I was sent a letter back that stated the kids had Christmas presents for the first time.  That statement brought tears to my eyes. 

In other news, my sweetheart, my Bootsy was put down on March 17th.  He was so old and his poor old body couldn't do it anymore.  He had a strong will to live but, that just didn't work for his body.  He was 14 years old.  Gary had to deal with it since I was at my doctor's appointment.  He brought him home and we buried him next to his best friend, Napoleon.  So, they are both out there in the back yard.  Ody is lonely.  We are looking for a puppy from a shelter in Austin.  We hope they give us a call and let us know if we are acceptable to them as parents. 

Today is Ody's 6th birthday! My little boy is growing up.  He is something else.  I love that little doggy.  It doesn't seem like 6 years with him.  I remember holding that wee bit of nothing in my arms when he was a puppy and my heart melted for the little guy.  It was love at first sight. 

I have to go to garage sales to find a play pen for our new puppy.  We will get one eventually if the adoption doesn't work out with the Austin shelter.  The play pen will be in the family room with pee pads lining the base.  We have been through this before.  Ody scaled the walls on his play pen.  He was so freaking cute with that chubby little belly and those itty bitty stumpy legs. 

My First Quilt, Ever in Progress

My backing fabric

My patchwork top

Another view of my quilt top, in progress.

I love how well the top of my quilt is coming along.  I have more strips to sew onto the big piece and then I will be measuring to see if it is the right width.  I need 45 inches wide and 60 inches long.  I am using a fussy cut ruler for this project. 

I chose pink, black and white because they are such great colors together.  I found really cute fat quarters on Zulily and most of them came from Adorn It!  The pink sparkly damask fabric came from Hobby Lobby.  If you want really cute cotton fabrics, that is the place to hit.  This will be my throw quilt to snuggle up under on the couch.  I was reading a quilting magazine and their advice, which I loved, was..."keep your first quilt so, you can go back and look at how much you have improved."  I loved that advice.  I am going to keep this one and then go on to another one after this one.  There may be a bunch of patch work quilts floating around the family until I get really comfortable and branch out to the really fancy ones. 

I taught myself to sew.  I haven't had any classes or anything.  I just sat down one day and figured it out.  I think I am doing pretty well for someone who hasn't had a teacher. 

I decided to make a quilt when I had the tennis elbow from vacuuming too much with my DC 59.  I still love that thing but, I don't get to use it as much since the arm can't handle it.  So, I took my sewing machine out and started to sew.  It worked really well to fill my days up and keep my creative juices flowing.  I am so glad that I did.  I am learning new things every day. 

I will keep everyone posted on my progress with my quilt. 

One Finished and the Second One Almost Done

The Kathleen sock is almost completed.  I so can't wait to finish them.  If you want a copy of the pattern, it is for sale in my Etsy shop.  The pattern is for experienced chart readers and lace knitters.  If you want to bead the sock, then you will need some experience with a steel crochet hook and the pattern requires size 6/0 beads.  I highly recommend Dyna-Mites because you get a lot for your money and they are super cheap on Fire Mountain Gems.

The beads on this sock are cobalt blue with a rainbow finish.  I also knit this sock in Clementine with root beer colored beads with a rainbow finish.  There are some really cool seed beads out there and some of them are expensive!  My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw the ones that are gold over glass....$30 for those.  Uh, I can't do that.  My hubby wouldn't understand that one at all. 

I decided to offer the sock pattern up for sale only in my shop.  More patterns will be coming soon.  I have to write down the ones that I have knit recently and only have my charts and notes on them.  One pair I am wearing right now, is the Jolie sock.  I did a test knit of the charts and I need to write it down before I offer it up for sale. 

After I finish this sock, I have plans to knit my niece, Maribeth a pair of socks out of Beauty Queen Gone Bad.  I painted her a special skein of the super wash merino/nylon.  I am hoping she is going to love her socks. 

Next on the list will be a pair of Jolie socks for Ms. Jolie herself.  I custom dyed the yarn pink and I am using a silk eggshell colored seed bead for her socks.  No beads for Maribeth's because I am sick of beads right now.  Too many pairs knit with beads.  7 pairs to be exact.  Oh my word!  No more. 

My sister showed me her socks today that I had knit for her.  I totally forgot that I knit her a pair recently.  That should tell you how many socks I have knit.  I can't keep up anymore. 

I am working on my first quilt, ever.  It is coming out really nice.  I am working on getting the top sewn together.  Then I will put the batting down and next will be dealing with the backing.  My patchwork quilt is in the colors, pink, white, and black.  I found really cute fat quarters on Zulily.  They have fabric and sewing machines on there every now and again.  Janome basic sewing machines in colors for $62.99 was on one of the last sales.  I don't need another sewing machine but, that is such a great price for such a great machine.  It is more of a starter machine.  I love the Janome line up.  I have a DC1050 and I love that machine.  I came from sewing with a Singer and that damn thing clacked no matter how much I oiled it.  It drove me around the bend.  I sold it to my niece for $20.  She was using it to make all sorts of things.  When she gets better, she can buy herself a better machine.  I love the drop in bobbins on the Janome.  If you have ever had to fight with a front loading Singer, then I feel your pain.  I hated that part of the whole operation. 

Pictures will follow of my quilt top when I find the time to take some of it.  I found my camera. 

I need to dye some single colors of yarn for the patterns that will be coming up for the shop.  I am so behind right now.  It is crazy how things are going around here.  I went shopping today with my sister and bought my nephews some Easter candy, one loves chocolate, so, he is so easy to buy for.  His brother loves super sour and super sour is hard to find these days.  I found him some War Heads and some Super Sour bubble gum.  I am hoping that will work out for him.  My niece was so easy, I bought her a cowgirl hat, and I filled it with candy.  She loves her hat and she loved her candy.  The biggest hit is the chicken that clucks and lays jelly beans.  My sister had to buy more jelly beans for the thing.  I saw it and knew she would love the thing.  If you want interesting Easter candy, check out the Cracker Barrel near you.  They have candy from when I was a kid.  Dr. Pepper Hubba Bubba bubblegum.  I haven't seen it in years, they have it.  Or at least the one here in Cypress does. 

Pictures of the Kathleen Sock

Cobalt blue beads with a rainbow finish

Front view center

Here are the pictures that I promised.  I am almost finished with the first one.  I am on the toe section right now.  I decided last night to sit down and work on this sock. 

The yarn is a custom color, aqua green, I knit this pair on US 3 Addi turbo Rockets, 24 inch cables.  The beads are 6/0 and applied with a size 9 steel crochet hook.  The yarn is a merino/silk sock.  The heel is one of my favorites, a Dutch heel and the heel flap is stockinette stitch with a knit lead in.