Some years ago, I designed several cabled slip-stitch sock patterns for Mystery Knit-a-Long held in an Estonian craft forum and fell in love ever since. I picked two shades of green to knit up the new design and soon I noticed that the colors and the pattern reminded me of spruce shoots. Hence I named the pattern Kuusevõrsed which means Spruce shoots in English.

Size

• Women’s size small

Sock foot circumference un-stretched 17.5 cm / 7’’, stretches to 20.5 cm / 8’’

• Women’s size medium

Sock foot circumference un-stretched 20.5 cm / 8’’, stretches to 23 cm / 9’’

• Women’s size large

Sock foot circumference un-stretched 23 cm / 9’’, stretches to 25.5 cm / 10’’

• Foot length: 23 (25, 27) cm, 9’’ (10, 11), adjustable to fit
• Leg length: 15 cm / 6´´, adjustable to fit

Yarn

Sock yarn in two colors.

100 gr / 3.5 ounces = 440 yards /400 m total;

 

Socks with contrasting cables, toe and heel in main color:
Main color: 70 gr / 2.5 ounces = 308 yards  / 280 m
Contrast color (the color for cables): 30 gr / 1.1 ounces = 132 yards  / 120 m

 

Socks with contrasting cables, toe and heel:
Main color: 40 gr / 1.4 ounces = 176 yards  / 160 m
Contrast color (the color for cables): 50 gr / 1.75 ounces = 220 yards  / 200 m

 

Needles

Needles 1½ US / 2.5 mm – double point needles (dpn) or circular needles, depending on your preferred

method of knitting

Notions

Cable needle (cn)

Tapestry needle

Gauge

• 32 sts x 40 rows = 4×4 inch / 100 x 100 mm in stockinette stitch
• 32 sts x 64 rows = 4×4 inch / 100 x 100 mm in the sole pattern

Finished size

• Women’s size small

Sock foot circumference un-stretched 17.5 cm / 7’’, stretches to 20.5 cm / 8’’

• Women’s size medium

Sock foot circumference un-stretched 20.5 cm / 8’’, stretches to 23 cm / 9’’

• Women’s size large

Sock foot circumference un-stretched 23 cm / 9’’, stretches to 25.5 cm / 10’’

• Foot length: 9’’ (10, 11), 23 (25, 27) cm, adjustable to fit
• Leg length: 6” / 15 cm, adjustable to fit

Charts

Chart 1

Chart 2

Abbreviations

Please see our standard abbreviations.

Notes: These abbreviations are used in the pattern. The abbreviations used in the chart are stated below or next to the chart.

CP           cable pattern

wws         work wrapped stitch

On knit side: knit to first wrapped st, pick up front leg of wrap from front to back and place on the left needle, k2tog tbl (knit wrap and wrapped st together).

On purl side: purl to first wrapped st, pick up back leg of wrap from back to front and place on the left needle, p2tog tbl (purl wrap and wrapped st together).

See our tutorial on short rows.

Pattern Notes

Two colored cables create wonderful eye-catching pattern. Pick two contrasting colors or use the odd variegated ball of yarn you love but don’t know what to do with it, as one of the colors. The pattern is not recommended for beginners. The knitter should feel comfortable with knitting the cables and following the charted stitch pattern. The cable pattern knits up using just one of the yarn colors at a time. The remaining yarn is left hanging at the beginning of the odd numbered row.  Knitting involves slipping the stitches in a row that should be the “other” color. The chart has a color bar on the side indicating which color is being worked for each row. Always slip stitches as if to purl; that is, insert the needle from right to left, and carry the yarn on the wrong side of the work. Always work two rows in each color.

The contrasting color is the color the cables are knitted in. Toe, heel and ribbing can be knitted in main color or in contrasting color.

The pattern is written for knitting the socks on dpn’s or on two circular needles from the toe-up with reinforced heels featuring short rows and gusset. The pattern is adjustable in width and length so an experienced knitter can knit the socks even to fit a man.  If a wider leg is required increase 2/4/6 sts on the back of the leg on the last row of the heel.

Warning: Cable work can limit the stretchiness of the finished sock, keep the yarn floats loose.

Note: Familiarizing yourself with some cabling without a cable needle technique will speed up knitting the CP.

You may want to look at these tutorials for this pattern:

M1l, m1r video instructions

Judy’s magic cast-on method

Figure eight cast-on method

Tubular bind off

Pattern

Toe       

In the main or contrasting color yarn using two needles, CO 22 (24, 26) sts (with 11 (12, 13) sts on each needle) using Judy’s magic cast on method², Figure-of–eight cast-on method³ or your preferred method for toe-up knitting.

Knit first 11 (12, 13) sts, knit next 11 (12, 13) sts through the back loop, same time dividing sts on four dps’s or two circular needles.

Start knitting in rnds and increase for the toe as follows:

Rnd 1: First & third dpn/at the beginning of crn: k1, kfb, k to end.

Second & fourth dpn/at the end of crn: k to the last two sts, kbf, k1.

Rnd 2 Knit all sts.

Repeat Rnds 1 and 2 until the toe reaches 62 (64, 70) sts. For size medium increase one st in the end of the first and third dpn (in the middle of the each crn) when knitting the last Rnd 2 (66 sts all together).

Foot

The foot is worked following the cable pattern CP (on first and second dpn/ first crn) and sole pattern for instep (worked on third and fourth dpn/ second crn).

Attach the other yarn and start knitting following charts. When the toe was knitted in main color, start the CP and the sole pattern from row 1. When the toe was knitted in contrasting color, start the CP and the sole pattern from row 3.

Rows to be repeated are boxed in the charts.

Size Small (31 sts): Follow the CP chart

Size Medium (33 sts): Follow the CP chart, omitting columns 2 and 30, repeating columns 3, 4 and 28, 29 twice.

Size Large (35 sts): Follow the CP chart, repeating columns 3, 4 and 28, 29 twice.

Gusset

After reaching to rnd 28 the second time start knitting the gusset by increasing m1R after first sts on 3rd needle (beginning of 2nd crn) and m1L before last sts on 4th needle (end of 2nd crn) on each even row 12 (14, 16) times.

55 (61, 67) sts on 3rd and 4th needle (2nd crn). Both yarns will be at the beg of a rnd. Determine in which color to knit the heel. Cut the yarn in which the heel is going to be knit.

Heel turn and flap

Heel turn is knitted on 3^rd and 4^th needle (2^nd crn). Slip the first st and gusset sts. Attach the yarn. The heel turn is worked over next 29 (31, 33) sts knitting back and forth in rows.

Row 1: k28 (30, 32), w&t

Row 2: [p1, sl1 wyif] x 13 (14, 15), p1, w&t

Row 3: knit to st before first wrapped st, w&t

Row 4: [p1, sl1 wyif] to st before first wrapped st, p1, w&t

Repeat rows 3 and 4 until there are all together 11 (13, 13) unwrapped sts on the needles (ending after row 4), and 9 (9, 10) wrapped sts on each side.

Knit to the first wrapped st, wws over 8 (8, 9) wrapped sts. Pick up the last wrap and knit the wrap, ssk. Turn.

Sl 1, [p1, sl1 wyif] to the first wrapped st, p1, wws over 8 (8, 9) wrapped sts. Pick up the last wrap and purl wrap, st and the first gusset st tog (p3tog). Turn.

Row 1: Sl1, k27 (29, 31), ssk, turn

Row 2: Sl1, [sl1 wyif, p1] x 13 (14,15), sl1 wyif, p2tog, turn

Row 3: Sl1, k27 (29, 31), ssk, turn

Row 4: Sl1, [p1, sl1 wyif] x 13 (14,15), p1, p2tog, turn

Repeat last 4 rows until two sts (gusset + sl st) remain at each end. Work the last row, using k2tog instead of ssk, do not turn (do not knit the last purl row, one gusset st and one slip st remains on the purl side).

Leg  

Cont working in rnd over 31 (33, 35) sts in CP pattern on the top of the leg.

On the back of the leg follow CP pattern over 31 (33, 35) sts omitting the cable (knit just dotted background with columns on each end). At the beginning of the first row decrease remaining gusset st by ssk first st and remaining gusset st. Total 62 (66, 70) sts.

When CP pattern on the top of the leg reaches rnd 33, start working CP pattern from row 1 on the back of the leg.

Continue working in the round in CP pattern to ow 70 on the top and back of the leg.

Decide which color you would like to knit the cuff in. Cut the other yarn.

Note: Some knitters might do their own adjustments, knit the sole longer and are not able to start the CP pattern on the back as stated above. In that case when CP pattern on the top of the leg reaches row 51, start knitting CP pattern from the same row 51 on the back of the leg. The cables on front and back will line up, but the motif on the back of the leg will have three diamonds instead of four.

Cuff

Rnd 1: Knit.

Rnds 2-11: K1, p1

Rnd 12: K1, sl1 wyif

Rnd 13: Sl1 wyib, p1

Repeat rnds 12 and 13 one more time.

Finishing

Cut yarn leaving the yarn end four times longer than circumference of the sock. Bind off loosely with tapestry needle. Weave in the ends. Soak and block the socks.