I love the sinuous path that yarn overs and slanted decreases create.  Add in a few traveling stitches and a cable twist or two and you have some decidedly leafy socks.  These socks are knit top-down, and the twists between leaves are echoed in the cabled cuff.  The pattern transitions into an eye of partridge heel and the socks are finished with a simple wedge toe.

Knit them in a fiery colorway for fall or a forest green as you dream of the eventual spring!

Sizes

Small [Medium, Large].  Shown in size Large.

Actual size: 7.1″ [7.5″, 8″] circumference.
To fit: 7.75″ [8.25″, 8.75″] foot circumference.

Yarn

Hand Jive Nature’s Palette (100% wool; 185 yards [169 meters] / 50g skein): Color Mallard, 2 skeins all sizes.

Needles

US #1 [1.5, 2] double pointed needles

Gauge

9 [8.5, 8] sts = 1″ in St st.

I suggest using a thinner sock yarn (for example, Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock) for the Small size, as 9 stitches per inch is a very dense gauge for the Nature’s Palette yarn.

Notions

Two stitch markers; one stitch marker of a different color to mark the beginning of round; tapestry needle; cable needle.

Chart

Cuff Chart

Heel Chart

Abbreviations

Please see our standard list of abbreviations.

Leg

CO 64 stitches.  Join in the round, being careful not to twist.  Place the beginning of round stitch marker at the join.

Set up rnd: P1, *k2, p2, rep from * until three stitches remain, k2, p1.
Repeat Set up rnd once (2 rnds worked).

Work Rnds 1-4 of the Cuff Chart, repeating chart eight times in each row.
Repeat Cuff Chart three more times.

Work Rnds 1-16 of the Oak Leaf Chart, repeating chart four times in each row.
Repeat Oak Leaf Chart two more times.

Work Rnds 1-9 of Oak Leaf Chart, repeating chart four times in each row.

Begin Heel Setup

[Work Rnd 10 of Heel Chart] twice, [work Rnd 10 of Oak Leaf Chart] twice.
Repeat as above for Rnds 11-16 of of the Heel and Oak Leaf charts.

Heel Flap

Remove the beginning of round stitch marker.  You will work the heel flap back and forth over the first 32 stitches of the round.

Row 1 (RS): *Sl1, k1, rep from * to end
Row 2 (WS): Sl1, purl to end
Row 3: Sl1, *Sl1, k1, rep from * until 1 st rem, k1
Row 4: Sl1, purl to end

Repeat Rows 1-4 an additional 7 times (32 rows total).

Turn Heel

Row 1 (RS): Sl1, k18, ssk, k1, turn
Row 2 (WS): Sl1, p7, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 3: Sl1, k8, ssk, k1, turn
Row 4: Sl1, p9, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 5: Sl1, k10, ssk, k1, turn
Row 6: Sl1, p11, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 7: Sl1, k12, ssk, k1, turn
Row 8: Sl1, p13, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 9: Sl1, k14, ssk, k1, turn
Row 10: Sl1, p15, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 11: Sl1, k16, ssk, k1, turn
Row 12: Sl1, p17, p2tog, p1, turn

Knit across 10 heel sts.  Place the beginning of round st marker.

Gussets

K across the 10 remaining heel sts.  Pick up and knit 16 sts along heel flap, one for each slipped st.  PM.  Pick up and twist the bar between the gusset and instep sts and place it on the left needle, p2tog.

Work the Oak Leaf Chart, sts 2 through 16.  Work the Oak Leaf Chart, sts 1 through 15.

Slip the next (purl) st to the right needle.  Pick up and twist the bar between the gusset and instep  sts and place on the left needle.  Slip the purl st from right to left needle, ssp.  PM.  Pick up and knit 16 sts along the heel flap.

You now have 20 heel sts, 16 sts in each gusset, and 32 instep sts; 84 stitches total.

Rnd 1: K to marker, SM.  Work instep sts using the Oak Leaf Chart, SM.  Knit to beginning of round.
Rnd 2: K to two sts before marker.  K2tog, SM, work instep sts using the Oak Leaf Chart, SM, ssk. Knit to beginning of rnd.

Repeat these two rnds until you have 64 sts on the needles.

Foot

Knit to marker, SM, work instep stitches using the Oak Leaf Chart, SM, knit to beginning of round.

Repeat until sock is 2″ [5 cm] shorter than the desired foot length.

Toe

Begin toe decreases.

Rnd 1: [K to three sts before marker, k2tog, k1, SM, k1, ssk] twice, knit to beginning of round
Rnd 2: K

Repeat until 28 sts remain, then work Round 1 twice.

Cut yarn and graft the top 10 sts to the bottom 10 using Kitchener stitch.

Finishing

Weave in ends, block, and enjoy!