Lombard Street

The inspiration for this design came during a trip to San Francisco.  While wandering around the city, I inadvertently came upon Lombard Street and was fascinated by it.  The stitch pattern used in this design reminds me of hilly, winding Lombard Street.

Sizes

Sock is sized to fit a woman’s medium width foot, approximately 7.75 inches (19.375 cm) around the foot

Yarn

Brooklyn Handspun Signature superwash sock yarn (100% superwash merino wool; 480 yd [439 m] per 4oz hank): color Lombard Melon (4 oz / 480 yds).  Available at Brooklyn Handspun.

Needles

US #1.5 (2.5 mm): 1 set of 5 double-pointed needles

Gauge

32 sts = 4 inches (10 cm) in stockinette stitch knit in the round.  Because this sock is not particularly stretchy, I can almost guarantee it will not fit if your gauge is tighter than 32 sts over 4 inches.   Therefore, it is important to work a gauge swatch before you begin.

Notions

Tapestry needle.

Abbreviations

Please see our standard list of abbreviations.

C6F: slip the next 3 sts onto a cable needle and hold them in front of the work; knit the next 3 sts; knit the 3 sts off the cable needle

Leg Stitch Pattern

Rnds 1, 3, 5, and 7: Knit.
Rnd 2: *k1, yo, ssk, k2, C6F, k2, k2tog, yo, k1; repeat from * to end of round.
Rnd 4: *k2, yo, ssk, k8, k2tog, yo, k2; repeat from * to end of rnd.
Rnd 6: *k3, yo, ssk, k6, k2tog, yo, k3: repeat from * to end of rnd.
Rnd 8: *k4, yo, ssk, k4, k2tog, yo, k4; repeat from * to end of rnd.

Foot Stitch Pattern

worked over the instep sts only

Rnd 1: K3, k2tog, yo, k6, yo, ssk, k6, k2tog, yo, k6, yo, ssk, k3.
Rnds 2, 4, 6, and 8: Knit.
Rnd 3: K2, k2tog, yo, k8, yo, ssk, k4, k2tog, yo, k8, yo, ssk, k2.
Rnd 5: K5, k2tog, yo, k2, yo, ssk, k2, C6F, k2, k2tog, yo, k2, yo, ssk, k5.
Rnd 7: K4, k2tog, yo, k4, yo, ssk, k8, k2tog, yo, k4, yo, ssk, k4.

Toe Stitch Pattern

worked over the instep sts only

Rnd 1: K1, ssk, k7, yo, ssk, k8, k2tog, yo, k7, k2tog, k1.
Rnd 2 and all even rnds: Knit.
Rnd 3: K1, ssk, k7, yo, ssk, k6, k2tog, yo, k7, k2tog, k1.
Rnd 5: K1, ssk, k7, yo, ssk, k4, k2tog, yo, k7, k2tog, k1.
Rnd 7: K1, ssk, k7, yo, ssk, k2, k2tog, yo, k7, k2tog, k1.
Rnd 9: K1, ssk, k7, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, k7, k2tog, k1.
Rnd 11 and all remaining odd rnds: K1, ssk, knit to the last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.

Directions

Picot Cuff

Loosely CO 64 sts.  Divide the sts equally onto 4 dpns (16 sts on each needle).  Join into the round, being careful not to twist the sts.

It is very important that you cast on very loosely.  I usually hold two dpns together and cast on over both.  Carefully remove one needle before transferring the sts to the remaining dpns.

Rnds 1-6: Knit.
Rnd 7: Yo, k2tog; repeat from * to end of rnd.
Rnds 8-14: Knit.
Rnd 15: Fold the hem to the inside of the sock along the eyelet round.  Place the loop of the first cast-on st onto your left needle and knit it together with the st on the needle.  Repeat this to the end of the rnd.  If you find this method too difficult or fiddly, just turn the hem to the wrong side after you’ve completed the sock and baste it to the inside of the sock.  Make sure to sew it very loosely or you won’t be able to get the finished sock over your heel.

Leg

Begin working Leg Stitch Pattern set out above.

Continue working Rounds 1-8 of the Leg Stitch Pattern until the leg is as long as you’d like (typically 6-8 inches for a crew-length sock).  End by working Round 5.  It is important to end by working Round 5 of the Leg Stitch Pattern or the patterning on the instep will not match up.

Heel

Because the patterning is continued down the instep, it is necessary to follow the heel set-up rows carefully or the instep stitch pattern will not be properly centered.

Set-Up

Row 1: K8, turn.
Row 2: Using a new needle, sl1, p31, turn.

The 32 sts you just worked are the heel sts.  The remaining 32 sts are the instep sts and won’t be worked again until the heel is completed.   Place the instep sts onto a piece of waste yarn (or leave them on two spare dpns).  You are much less likely to get holes at the corners of the heel if you put the instep sts on waste yarn instead of leaving them on dpns.

Heel Flap

Row 1: K1 tbl, *sl1, k1; repeat from * until 1 st remains; wyif sl1, turn.
Rows 2 & 4: K1 tbl, p30, sl1, turn.
Row 3: K1 tbl, *k1, sl1; repeat from * until 1 st remains; wyif sl1, turn.

Repeat Rows 1-4, eight times for a total of 32 heel flap rows (not counting the set-up rows).  The heel flap should measure approximately 2.25 inches.

Turn the Heel

Row 1: K1 tbl, k17, ssk, k1, turn.
Row 2: Sl1, p5, p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 3: Sl1, k6, ssk, k1, turn.
Row 4: Sl1, p7, p2tog, p1, turn.

Continue in this manner, working 1 additional st before decreasing on each side, until all the sts have been used up.  You should have 18 heel sts remaining on your needle and the right side of the sock is facing you.  Knit across these 18 sts.

Gussets

Place 9 heel sts onto one dpn (Needle #1); place all 32 instep sts onto a second dpn (needle #2); place the remaining 9 heel sts onto a third dpn (Needle #3).

Using Needle #1, pick up and knit 17 sts along the side of the heel flap.

Work the sts on Needle #2 according to the Foot Stitch Pattern set out above.  If you followed the instructions as set out above and ended the Leg Stitch Pattern by working Round 5, you will begin the Foot Stitch Pattern with Round 1.

Pick up and knit 17 sts along the other side of the heel flap and knit the 9 sts from Needle #3.

Work the gusset decreases as follows:

Round 1

Needle #1: Knit to the last 3 sts; k2tog, k1.
Needle #2: Work in established Foot Stitch Pattern.
Needle #3: K1, ssk, knit to the end of the needle.

Round 2

Needle #1: Knit across all sts.
Needle #2: Work in established Foot Stitch Pattern.
Needle #3: Knit across all sts.

Repeat these two rnds until you have decreased back to 64 total sts.

Continue knitting the sts on Needles #1 and #3 and working the instep sts on Needle #2 in the established Foot Stitch Pattern until the foot measures approximately 1.5 inches less than the total desired length.  End by working Round 6 of the Foot Stitch Pattern.

Toe

Round 1

Needle #1: Knit to the last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.
Needle #2: Work the stitches according to the Toe Stitch Pattern set out above.
Needle #3: K1, ssk, knit to the end of the needle.

Round 2

Knit all sts on all needles

Repeat these two rounds until 32 stitches remain.

Repeat Round 1, five more times.

You should now have 3 sts on Needle #1, 6 sts on Needle #2, and 3 sts on Needle #3.  Knit the stitches from Needle #1 onto Needle #3.

Finishing

Cut yarn, leaving a 12 inch tail.  Graft toes using Kitchener Stitch.

Weave in ends.

Make the second sock!