As a child, I was fascinated by the word “skyscraper”, a building that was so huge it touched the sky! The Empire State Building has always been the epitome of a skyscraper to me, even though there are taller ones built almost daily. The socks are named after John Jakob Raskob, the developer of the Empire State Building, who inspired its shape.
These socks celebrate the beautiful image of the Empire State Building. They are knit top-down and begin with a lighter, airy lace pattern and continue with a more solid, dense pattern that looks nearly the same, but still different.

Size

Small (Medium, Large)

Shown in size S

Yarn

Lang Yarns Jawoll (75% virgin wool, 25% nylon; 229 yards [210 meters]/50 grams): Color 83.0020 454 (MC), 2 (2, 2) balls;

Note: If you make your leg longer, you may need another ball in size L.

Needles

Size US#1 (2.5 mm) DPNs.

Notions

1 removable marker; tapestry needle, cable needle, 2 spare needles

Gauge

30 sts and 42 rnds = 4” [10 cm] in St st

Abbreviations

Wrapped st: sl st to RH needle with yarn in front, then pull yarn over the needle – st looks now as if there are two sts, you are not making a yo, you just pull to the back! It looks like a double st. This double st is always knit/purled together as one st. Do not make increases!

Pattern Notes

This pattern is worked in the round from the top down. The heel is formed using German short rows (see above for the abbreviation).

Cuff pattern: *p1, k2tbl, p1*

Skyscraper lace

Rnd 1: *k1tbl, yo, p2tog, k1tbl, rep from * until end

Rnd 2: *k1tbl, p2tog, yo, k1tbl, rep from * until end

Skyscraper stitch pattern

Rnd 1: *p1, k3tbl, rep from * until end

Rnd 2: *k3tbl, p1, rep from * until end

 

Sock

Using the long tail cast on method, CO 56 (64, 72) sts. Distribute sts over 4 dpns: 14 (16, 18) sts on each needle and join to work in the rnd, being careful not to twist, pm.

Cuff

Rnd 1: *p1, k2tbl, p1*

Repeat this round a total of 16 rnds.

Pattern set-up

Rnd 1: *p1, sl1 st to cn and hold in back, k1tbl, ktbl st from cn, p1*, rep from * until end

Rnd 2: *p1, k2tbl, p1*, rep from * until end

Rnd 3: *sl1 to cn and hold in back, k1tbl, p stitch from cn, put next st on cn and hold in front, p1, ktbl st from cn*, rep from * until end

Work Skyscraper lace pattern until leg measures 7 inches or desired length.

Work short row heel

The short row heel will be worked in St st, back and forth, over half the sts.

K 28 (32, 36) sts onto one needle. You will work heel over these sts. Turn, make a wrapped st as described above. Put wrapped st onto spare needle 1. P 27 (31, 35) sts. Turn, make a wrapped st. Put wrapped st onto spare needle 2.

*K to one st bef last wrapped st, turn, wrap st and put onto spare needle 1, p to one st bef last wrapped st, turn, wrap st and put st onto spare needle 2.* Rep until 10 (10, 12) sts are left on main needle. You will have 9 (11, 12) sts on each spare needle.

Work one rnd over all 56 (64, 72) sts: k sts on heel needles (main needle and spare needles), work sts on instep needles as follows (work instep as all knits): *sl1 to cn and hold in front, p1, ktbl st from cn, sl1 to cn and hold in back, k1tbl, p st from cn*

Second half of heel:

K across sts on main needle, k1 from spare needle, turn, wrap st, p across main needle, p1 from spare needle, turn, wrap st. *K sts on main needle including wrapped st (double st worked as one!), k1 from spare needle, turn, wrap st, p across main needle, p wrapped st (double st as one), p1 from spare needle, turn, wrap st.* Rep between *’s until all sts from spare needles have been worked.(Last wrapped st at beg of RS rnd will be knit on first rnd of foot).

Foot

Redistribute sts over 4 needles as follows:

Heel sts are distributed onto needle 4 (first half) and needle 1 (second half). New beg of rnd is in the middle of the heel, pm. 14 (16, 18) sts on each needle.

K sts on heel needles.

On instep needles work as follows:

Rnds 1&3: *p1, k2tbl,p1*

Rnd 2: *p1, sl1 st to cn and hold in back, k1tbl, ktbl st from cn, p1*

Rnd 4: *p1, k3tbl*

Rnd 5: *k3tbl, p1*

Repeat rnds 4 & 5 (skyscraper stitch pattern) over needles 2 and 3 (instep). Work St st over needles 4 and 1 (bottom of foot). Work in rnds until foot is 1.75” (4 cm) shorter than desired length.

Work in St st over needle 1. This is now the new start of the round and needle 4 is now needle 1 (and others rotate by one as well)

Toe pattern

Rnd 1: *p1, sl1 st to cn and hold in back, k1tbl, ktbl st from cn, p1, rep from * over needles 1 and 2, work in St st over needles 3 and 4

Rnd 2: *p1, k2tbl, p1 rep from * over needles 1 and 2, work in St st over needles 3 and 4

Rnd 3: *sl1 to cn and hold in back, k1tbl, p stitch from cn, put next st on cn and hold in front, p1, ktbl st from cn, rep from * over needles 1 and 2, work in St st over needles 3 and 4

Rnd 4: *k1tbl, p2, k1tbl, rep from * over needles 1 and 2, work in St st over needles 3 and 4

Round Toe (worked on all four needles)

Set-up Rounds for Size L:

Rnd 1: *k3, k2tog, k2, k2tog, rep from * until end. (14 sts per needle)

Rnds 2-7: K

 

Set-up Round for Size M:

Rnd 1: *k6, k2tog, rep from * until end. (14 sts per needle)

 

Round Toe

All sizes

Rnd 1: *k5, k2tog, rep from * until end.

Rnds 2-6: K

Rnd 7: *k4, k2tog, rep from * until end.

Rnds 8-11: K

Rnd 12: *k3, k2tog, rep from * until end.

Rnds 13-15: K

Rnd 16: *k2, k2tog, rep from * until end.

Rnd 17-18: K

Rnd 19:*k1, k2tog, rep from * until end.

Rnd 20: K

Rnd 21: *k2tog, rep from * until end.

All Sizes:

Cut yarn and draw yarn through rem 8 sts, pull tight.

Finishing

Weave in all loose ends.