knittiana!: Free Pattern: White Stuff

I just always liked knee highs. It has something of summer for me, strangely familiar. And I was never the "Princess Type" although there has been times where I would have liked to be one, and so these knee highs are kept simple. To be frank: I just changed the lace pattern for "Sockelettchen" a bit, it just seems to have some potential.

I hope you enjoy knitting this pattern and please e-mail me with any errors at knittiana@gmail.com. I do try hard to make sure there aren't, but my concentration is not as good these days.

And there is already a correction: the picot ending was not completely written out. You'll see it in italic.

You can also find me at Ravelry

Size:
37EU/7 US about.
You can easily change the size to a children's foot (8-12 years roughly) by using 2mm needles.
You can easily enlarge the size by adding pattern repeats. You can estimate about one repeat per shoe size.

I understand that a lot of people prefer more specific directions, but at the present time I feel unable to provide such. But please e-mail me and I can always work something out with you.

Finished Measurements:
Roughly)
Toe to gusset: 18cm/7 3/8"
Toe to heel: 24cm/9 1/2"
Heel to cuff: as needed

Material:
2.5 mm needles. Pattern is adaptable to knitting with double point needles as well as round needles.

Jaeger Matchmaker 4 Ply Merino
Depending on the size between 110g and 140g, but I would always buy 3 50g skeins.
Also good to use is pretty much any sock yarn that is considered 4 ply.
Examples:
-Sirdar Country Style 4 Ply
-The Yarn Yard Sock Yarn
-Regia 4 Ply

Gauge:
2" or 5cm square: 15 st, 24 rows. About.

Pattern Notes:
-A tutorial for the "Figure 8 Cast On" can be found here
and another similar one here.
-The sock is worked in the round using 2 circular needles. The pattern can be adapted for use with 4 and 5 needles etc.
-M1: pick up the yarn between 2 stitches, see how too here. There you need to find the description for M1F, for the Zwickel it is M1R, or pick any of the other increases if they suit you better.
-On the lace charts please note that the black squares symbolize no st

Directions:

Lace pattern:
5st 4 rows
Row 1: k2, yo, ssk, k1, repeat
Row 2: work plain
Row 3: k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, repeat
row 4: work plain

Toe:
-Cast on 24 st with the Figure 8 Cast On (see Pattern Notes).
-Work 2 rows plain, then start lace pattern and increases as follows:

Row 1: k1, M1, k2, yo, ssk, k3, yo, ssk, k1, M1, k2, M1, k10, M1, k1
Row 2: work plain
Row 3: k1, M1, k1, (k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk) 2 times, k1, M1, k2, M1, k12, M1, k1
Row 4: work plain
Row 5: k1, M1, k2, (k2, yo, ssk, k1) 2 times, k2, M1, k2, M1, k14, M1, k1
Row 6: work plain
Row 7: k1, M1, k3, (k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk) 2 times, k3, M1, k2, M1, k16, M1, k1
Row 8: work plain
Row 9: k1, M1, k1, yo, ssk, k1, (k2, yo, ssk, k1) 2 times, k2, yo, ssk, M1, k2, M1, k18, M1, k1
Row 10: work plain
Row 11: k1, M1, (k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk) 4 times, M1, k2, M1, k20, M1, k1
Row 12: work plain
Row 13: k1, M1, k1, (k1, yo, ssk, k1) 4 times, k1, M1, k2, M1, k22, M1, k1
Row 14: work plain
Row 15: k1, M1, k2, (k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk) 4 times, k2, M1, k2, M1, k24, M1, k1
Row 16: work plain
Row 17: k1, M1, k3, (k2, yo, ssk, k1) 4 times, k3, M1, k2, M1, k26, M1, k1
Row 18: work plain
Row 19: (k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk) 6 times
Row 20: work plain
You now should have 60 st, 30 for the top of the foot and 30 for the bottom

Foot:
-Work lace pattern rows 1-4 on top of the foot and work the bottom of the foot plain.
-Work 20 repeats from toe up

Gusset:
-Work top of the foot in lace pattern, and bottom of the foot as follows:

Row 1: k1, M1, k28, M1, k1
Row 2: work plain
Row 3: k1, M1, k30, M1, k1
Row 4: work plain

Continue until you have 50 st for bottom of the foot.

Heel:
Ignore the top st (I usually knit with 2 round needles so I just have them on one needle to themselves and work the bottom st on another needle.)

Row 1: k17, k16, turn work
Row 2: sl1 st, purl 14 st, k1, turn work
Row 3: sl1 st, k15st, turn work
-Repeat row 2-3 until you knit 14 rows, ending on a purl row, turn work

Row 1: sl1 st, k15 st, pick up 7 st on the side of the heel flap you just knit, and continue oe row around the foot (in lace pattern on top of the foot) until you get back

to the 2nd side of the heel flap, pick up 7 st
Row 2: p29 st, k2tog, turn work
Row 3: k29 st, p2tog, turn work
-Repeat row 2-3 until all the extra st on the bottom of the foot are worked up. You now should have 60 st again.

Leg:
-Continue in lace pattern for 20 repeats.
-End of lace pattern row 4.

-Start Zwickel as follows:
(Again you should divide the st for the top/front of the leg and bottom/back of the leg. The directions are only for the 30 st on bottom/back of the leg.)

Row 1: (k2, yo, ssk, k1) 6 times
Row 2: work plain
Row 3: (k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk) 3 times, M1, (k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk) 3 times
Row 4: work plain
Row 5: (k2, yo, ssk, k1) 3 times, M1, k1, M1, (k2, yo, ssk, k1) 3 times
Row 6: work plain
Row 7: (k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk) 3 times, M1, k3, M1, (k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk) 3 times
Row 8: work plain
Row 9: (k2, yo, ssk, k1) 7 times
Row 10: work plain
Row 11: (k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk) 3 times, k5, (k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk) 3 times
row 12: work plain
Row 13: (k2, yo, ssk, k1) 7 times
Row 14: work plain
-Repeat row 11-14 20 times total.

Picot Ending:
(You are now working around the whole leg)

Top:
Row 1: work plain
Row 2: purl
Row 3: work plain
Row 4-5: k1, p1, repeat
Row 6-7: p1, k1, repeat
Repeat row 4-7 6 times

-Now knit one row (this is a special row we need for the ending, we'll call it row E), purl one row, knit one row.

Actual picot edge:
1.-5. Row: work in stockinet stitch.
6. Row: yo, ssk, yo, ssk, continue to end of row.
7.-12. Row: work in stockinet stitch.

Finishing:
-Cut the yarn so that you have a bit more than arms length.
-Thread the yarn on a sewing needle.
-Keep the stitches on the needles and turn the work so that the inside faces you.
-Now thread the needle through the first loop on the needle and then through the corresponding loop in row E.
-Continue to end of row.
-Sew in loose ends.

Remember, the inside is facing you, and even though it might seem odd for the first few times you will achieve a nice, neat edge. But before you sew in the loose end on the cuff make sure you can fit the sock on your foot, because you are sewing the edge it might pull too tight.

Lace pattern chart: