Opal Play K3, P1 Ribbed Socks

These socks are knit in a k3, p1 rib pattern which is very comfortable to wear. Ribbed socks are great because they are so stretchy and fit the foot and leg very comfortably. I made these socks for Neil for Christmas and then promptly reclaimed them until I had photographed them. He’ll be pleased to find them neatly folded in his sock drawer!

I adore Opal yarns because the colours in the collections are so beautiful and love how Opal Play knits up into the very striking wide striped pattern. Also, the finished socks take a lot of wear and are an absolute dream to wash.

Wishing you lots of sock knitting fun!

Size of Socks:

These socks were designed to fit UK 7-9, EU 40-41 or US 9-11 size. Finished length of sock from heel to toe is 25cm (10″). The k3, p1 rib pattern repeats over 4 stitches so the sock can easily be adapted to other sizes.

Needles:

• 3.25 mm (US 3) double pointed needle (dpn) for casting on
• 2.75 mm (US 2) (set of 5) Clover Takumi Bamboo Double Pointed Needles
• tapestry needle for sewing in ends.

Sock Yarn:

• 1 x 100g ball of Opal Sock Yarn
• These socks were knit using the colour 8824 Chinese Whispers.

Tension:

The tension for these socks is 20 rows and 16 stitches / 5cm (2 inches) square in stocking stitch (stockinette). 8 stitches / 2.5cm (1 inch).

Abbreviations:

double pointed needle(s) – dpn(s); stitch(es) – st(s); knit – k; purl – p; slip slip knit – ssk; purl two stitches together – p2tog; knit stitch through the back loop – ktbl.

Cuff & Leg:

• Cast on 64 sts using a 3.25 mm double-pointed needle using the long tail cast on or your favourite stretchy cast on.
• Join into the round as you rib the first round using 2.75 mm double-pointed needles, 16 sts on each needle.
• Round 1: k2, p1, *k3, p1*, repeat from * to * until one stitch remains, k1.
• Repeat round 1 for 63 rounds.

Heel:

You’ll be working the heel flap over 33 stitches these stitches, working in rows rather than rounds. Start the heel flap on a purl row.

Heel Flap:

• Row 1: *sl 1, p1* rep from * to * to end of the row, turn
• Row 2: k2, p1, *k3, p1*, repeat from * to * until 2 stitches remain, k2.
• Repeat rows 1 and 2 for a total of 32 rows.

Turn Heel:

• Row 1: p19, p2tog, p1, turn.
• Row 2: sl 1, k6, ssk, k1, turn.
• Row 3: sl 1, p to 1 st before the ‘gap’, p2tog (combines 1 st before the ‘gap’ and 1 st after the gap), p1, turn.
• Row 4: sl 1, k to 1 st before the gap, ssk, k1, turn.
• Repeat rows 3 & 4 until all heel stitches have been worked and 19 sts remain.

Gusset:

Needle 1: Pick up and knit 17 sts along the edge of the heel flap. Needles 2 and 3 (31 stitches): k1, p1, *k3, p1*, repeat from * to * until 1 stitch remains, k1. Needle 4: Pick up and knit 17 sts along the edge of the heel flap. Then knit across 9 sts from turning the heel. The centre-back is now the starting point for the following rounds.

Before you start the next round, slip the other 10 heel stitches onto needle 1.

On the next round, k10 sts, then ktbl 17 sts, k1, p1, *k3, p1*, repeat from * to * until 1 instep stitch remains, k1, ktbl 17 sts, k9 sts. This prevents any small holes or gaps from showing along the edge of the heel flap.

Next round: k27, k1, p1, *k3, p1*, repeat from * to * until 1 instep stitch remains, k1, k26.

Now you are ready to start the gusset shaping.

Gusset Shaping:

• Round 1: Needle 1: k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1; Needles 2 and 3: k1, p1, *k3, p1*, repeat from * to * until 1 instep stitch remains, k1; Needle 4: k1, ssk, k to end of the needle.
• Round 2: Needle 1: knit; Needles 2 and 3: k1, p1, *k3, p1*, repeat from * to * until 1 instep stitch remains, k1; Needle 4: knit.
• Repeat rounds 1 and 2 until Needle 1 has 17 sts; Needle 2 has 15 sts; Needle 3 has 16 sts; Needle 4 has 16 sts.
• Move 1 stitch from needle 1 to needle 2, then there are 16 sts on each needle. The total number of stitches is 64.

Foot:

I always try on my socks when I have knit about half of the rounds needed for the foot. Then it helps me to know how many more rounds I need to knit. I normally knit until I reach the knuckle on the big toe. If you’re knitting the sock for someone else:

• Round 1: k16, k2, p1, *k3, p1*, repeat from * to * until 1 instep stitch remains, k1, k16
• Repeat Round 1 for 45 rounds.
• The classic toe will be knit in stockinette stitch.

Classic Toe:

• Round 1: Needles 1 and 3: k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1; Needles 2 and 4: k1, ssk, k to end of the needle.
• Round 2: k
• Repeat rounds 1 and 2 until you have 28 sts left.
• Then repeat round 1 until there are 16 sts remaining.
• Making sure that the toe stitches align horizontally with the heel, slip the stitches from needle 4 onto needle 1 and the stitches from needle 3 onto needle 2.
• Graft the toe stitches using Kitchener Stitch.

Finishing:

Weave in all loose ends.

I love hearing how you enjoy knitting the sock patterns. Look forward to reading your comments here and on our Facebook page.