boyfriend socks pattern

SIZE
S [M, L] (my pictures are in size M)

Small – foot circumference of 23cm/ 9 inches
Medium – foot circumference of 24cm/ 9 and a half inches
Large – foot circumference of 25cm/ 10 inches

You can also vary size with needle size (though too-loose a gage will stop the cables popping so well), but the stretchy nature of the pattern is very forgiving.

The pattern is variable to length of feet knitted for – just work foot section until desired length.


FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Finished sock measured 55cm/ 21 and half inches in length.

MATERIALS
Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock solid [80% superwash wool, 20% nylon; 215/196 per 60g skein]; color: Pewter; 2 skeins.

US 0/2mm needles - either double-pointed, a long circular or two circulars.

Embroidery needle
Cabling needle
Stitch markers (optional)
Row counter (optional)

GAUGE
32 sts/44 rows = 4" in stockinette stitch

PATTERN NOTES

C6F: place first 3 sts on cabling needle and hold in front of work, knit next 3 sts, knit the 3 sts from cabling needle.
C6B: place the first 3 sts on cabling needles and hold behind work, knit next 3 sts, knit the 3 sts from cabling needle.

Stitch pattern
Rnd 1: k, p2[2, 3], k2, p2[3, 3], k2, p2, k6, p2, k6, p2, k2, p2[3, 3], k2, p2[2, 3], k
Rnd 2: as Rnd 1.
Rnd 3: k, p2[2, 3], k2, p2[3, 3], k2, p2, C6F, p2, C6B, p2, k2, p2[3, 3], k2, p2[2, 3], k
Rnds 4-6: as Rnd 1.

Repeat rounds 1-6 twice more.

Rnd 19: k, p2[2, 3], k2, p2[3, 3], k6, p2, k2, p2, k2, p2, k6, p2[3, 3], k2, p2[2, 3], k
Rnd 20: as Rnd 19.
Rnd 21: k, p2[2, 3], k2, p2 [3, 3], C6B, p2, k2, p2, k2, p2, C6F, p2 [3, 3], k2, p2 [2, 3], k
Rnds 22-4: as Rnd 19.

Repeat rounds 19-24 twice more.

Repeat rounds 1 to 18.

PATTERN

Toe
Using figure eight cast on, cast on 24 sts (that is 12 on each needle) and knit one round. You can place stitch markers at the start and middle of the round to show where the sides of the sock will be. Magic-loopers need not bother, and can just read "sm" in the pattern as meaning the end of the needle.

Rnd1: kfb, k to st before sm, kfb, kfb, k to last st, kfb.
Rnd2: knit
Repeat till 72 [76, 80] sts in total.

Foot
Work first round of stitch pattern once, this should take you half way on the round, knit to end.

Continue as this, working stitch pattern once for top of foot, then knitting till end of round for the second half of the stitches (for the sole). Work until sock measures 5cm/ 2 inches less than length of foot.

Keeping in pattern, work stitch pattern for first half of round and hold these stitches to work the heel over sole stitches.

Heel
Row 1: Knit to last stitch, move your yarn as if to purl and slip the last stitch from the left needle to the right needle. Turn work.

Row 2: Slip the first (unworked) stitch from the left needle to the right needle, and purl to the last stitch. Move the working yarn as if to knit and slip last stitch. Turn.

Row 3: Slip the first (unworked) stitch from left needle to the right one, knit to the last stitch before the unworked stitch. Wrap and turn.

Row 4: Slip the first stitch and purl across to the stitch before the unworked stitch. Wrap and turn.

Repeat rows 3 and 4 until you have 12 stitches left unwrapped in the middle of the heel.

Row 1: Knit across the unwrapped stitches to the first wrapped stitch. On this, pick up the wrap and knit it together with the wrapped stitch. Wrap the next stitch, so it has two wraps, and turn.

Row 2: Slip the first, double-wrapped, stitch and purl across to the first wrapped stitch on the other side. Pick up the wrap and purl it together with the wrapped stitch. Wrap the next stitch and turn.

Row 3: Slip the first, double-wrapped, stitch, and knit to the double wrapped stitch on the other side. Pick up both the wraps and knit them together with the wrapped stitch. Wrap the next stitch and turn.

Row 4: Slip the first, double-wrapped, stitch, and purl back to the double wrapped stitch. As before, pick up both the wraps and purl them together with the wrapped stitch. Wrap the next stitch and turn.

Repeat rows 3 and 4 until all stitches have been unwrapped and knit to the end of the heel stitches

Cuff
Bring the stitches from the top of the foot back into play and continue in pattern, this time repeating the stitch pattern a second time for the stitches at the back of the foot.

You may want to pick up stitches at either end of the heel and knit them together with the next one to prevent holes at the sides of short-row heels.

Continue until sock has reached desired length or you have run out of yarn.

Work in 1x1 rib for 10 rows.

For the medium and large sizes, where you have three purl stitches together you may wish to p2tog at the start of these (i.e. turning three stitches into two) to make a neater transition from 2x2 rib based stitch to the 1x1.

FINISHING

Break the yarn, with about three times the sock circumference to spare and thread the end through an embroidery needle.

Step one: Pass the needle through the first two stitches on the (knitting) needle as if you were purling but keep them on the needle and pull the yarn right through.

Step two: As if to knit bring the yarn through the first stitch and let it drop off the needle.

Repeat these two steps all the way round. Secure end by passing yarn through first cast off stitch.

Weave in ends.

Repeat whole process for second sock.