Cathedral Grove sock : Knitty First Fall 2012

by Alison Ross

Every Easter, during my formative years, my family would pack up the car and head across Vancouver Island to spend the long weekend in Tofino. Possibly the most exciting part was that I was allowed to get whatever sugar-packed cereal I desired for that trip and that trip only. (My perennial favorite: Count Chocula.)

Thing that I really remember, however, about the yearly trip across the island was driving through Cathedral Grove: an old-growth forest of Douglas Fir trees. Some of the tallest and oldest trees you’ve ever seen stand like solid mute giants. The way they twist and intertwine with one another, the product of centuries of growth, is truly impressive, and just one of the wonders of our beautiful pacific coast.

The cable pattern in these socks are inspired by the towering Firs of Cathedral Grove, and the way that nature will always be able to make me stare in awe and wonder like a little kid.

photos: Elise Stevens


SIZE Small [Medium, Large] Shown in size Medium

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Foot Circumference at ball of foot: 8.75 inches
Length of foot: 9.5 inches – adjustable to fit
Length of leg: 7.5 inches – adjustable to fit

MATERIALS
Yarn
Sweet Georgia Yarns’ Tough Love Sock [80% Superwash Merino Wool, 20% Nylon; 425 yards per 115g skein]; Peashoot; 1 skein

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
US #1.5/2.5mm needles for working in the round

Notions
yarn needle
cable needle
stitch markers

GAUGE

28 sts/40 rounds = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
44 sts/44 rounds = 4 inches in pattern stitch

PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]

C2L: Slip next st to cable needle and hold in front of work; k1, then k1 from cable needle.

C2R: Slip next st to cable needle and hold in back of work; k1, then k1 from cable needle.

C5R: Slip next 2 sts to cable needle and hold in back of work; k3, then k2 from cable needle.

Charts
The chart for this pattern is very large and fits on a letter-sized page.
Click here and print the resulting page.

DIRECTIONS

Leg
CO 68 stitches. Distribute across needles as you prefer and join for working in the round.

Ribbing round: [K3, p1] around.
Work ribbing as set for 10 rounds.

Leg round: Work Leg Chart four times around.

Work as set until 3 full repeats of the 18 rows of the Leg Chart are complete.
Heel Flap
Heel is worked back and forth in rows across first 34 sts of round. Arrange onto one needle.

Row 1 [RS]: Work Heel Chart row 1 twice, turn.
Row 2 [WS]: Work Heel Chart row 2 twice, turn.

Work as set until all 20 rows of Heel Chart are complete.

Medium size only: Work rows 19 and 20 of the heel chart 2 times more, or until heel flap measures 2 ¼ inches.

For Large size only: Work rows 19 and 20 of the heel chart 4 times more, or until heel flap measures 2 ½ inches.

Heel Turn
Row 1 [RS]: K21, skp, k1, turn.
Row 2 [WS]: Sl 1, p8, p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 3 [RS]: Sl 1, k9, skp, k1, turn.
Row 4 [WS]: Sl 1, p10, p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 5 [RS]: Sl 1, k11, skp, k1, turn.
Row 6 [WS]: Sl 1, p12, p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 7 [RS]: Sl 1, k13, skp, k1, turn.
Row 8 [WS]: Sl 1, p14, p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 9 [RS]: Sl 1, k15, skp, k1, turn.
Row 10 [WS]: Sl 1, p16, p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 11 [RS]: Sl 1, k17, skp, k1, turn.
Row 12 [WS]: Sl 1, p18, p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 13 [WS]: Sl 1, k19, skp, turn.
Row 14 [WS]: Sl 1, p18, p2tog, turn.
Row 15 [RS]: Sl 1, k17, skp, turn.
Row 16 [WS]: Sl 1, p16, p2tog, turn.
Row 17 [RS]: Sl 1, k15, skp, turn.

16 sts rem after Heel Turn.

Gusset
Gusset setup round: With RS facing, k across 16 heel sts; pickup and k14[16, 18] sts along the first side of the heel flap; work across 34 instep sts in Cable Pattern, pick up and k14[16, 18] sts along second side of heel flap; k 8 sts to center of heel. This is the new start of round – place a marker if required. 78[82, 86] sts total.

Gusset round 1: K to start of instep sts; work across instep sts in Cable Pattern as set, kto end of round.

Gusset round 2: K to 3 sts before instep, k2tog, k1; work across instep sts in Cable Pattern as set; k1, ssk, k to end of round.

Repeat Gusset rounds 1 & 2 6 more times, until 64 [68, 72] sts rem.

Foot
Work even in pattern as set until current repeat of Leg Chart is complete.

Work in pattern as set until 2 more repeats of Leg Chart are complete.

Upper Toe
Upper Toe round: K to start of instep, work across instep sts in Toe Pattern, kto end of round.
Work as set until Toe Pattern chart is complete.

K even until foot measures 1.5 inches short of desired foot length.

Sizes S & L only, setup for toe: Rearrange sts so that there are 32[-, 36] each on the sole and instep.

Toe Decreases
Toe round 1: Knit.

Toe round 2: K to 3 sts before instep, k2tog, k2, ssk, k to 3 sts before end of instep, k2tog, k2, ssk, k to end of round.

Repeat Toe Rounds 1 & 2 until 20[20, 20] sts rem.

Final row: K to start of instep sts.
Close toes by grafting with Kitchener stitch or using a three-needle bind off.

FINISHING
Weave in ends, and block as desired.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

Alison Ross sells her hand-spun yarn and knitting patterns under the name Drama Llama Knitting Company, based in Vancouver, BC. She tries to fit in as much knitting, crocheting and weaving as she can when she’s not at her day job as a mild-mannered screenwriter.

She blogs about her projects here.