by Carissa Browning

I adore autumn. It is, by far, my favorite time of year, when the dreadful summer heat is swept away by the September breeze, but the cold winter winds have yet to arrive. Sitting on the porch, sipping a steaming cup of coffee, as the orange and gold leaves drift gently to the ground - that is what paradise looks like to me.

This celebratory sock begins at the toe, where rows of leaves begin to form, reminiscent of neatly-raked piles lining the streets. Then, as if one of those piles were disturbed by a playful kick, the sock diverges, sending leaves off in three directions around the leg. Once the front and sides of the leg are complete, a thick tree trunk grows up the back of the ankle, perhaps with a knot-hole, and then expands to encompass the leg in its branches and form the cuff.

SIZE
S [M, L]

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Notions
stitch markers: 2 of any style, 2 removable (or safety pins)
tapestry needle

GAUGE

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

Instructions for Judy's Magic Cast-On can be found here.

Instructions for Jeny's Surpisingly Stretchy Bind Off can be found here.

LC: slip next st to cable needle, hold in front of work, p1, then k1 from cable needle
RC: slip next st to cable needle, hold in back of work, k1, then p1 from cable needle
CDD: slip 2 sts as if to k2tog, k1, pass 2 slipped stitches over
wyib: with yarn in back
wyif: with yarn in front

Charts
The charts for this pattern are very large. Each fits on a letter-sized page.
Click below and print each resulting page.

Foot • Gusset, Knot Hole • Leg

DIRECTIONS

Set-Up Round: K11, ktbl 11. Place two removable stitch markers in the fabric for the start and center of the round.

Round 2: P1, yo, p to 1 st before center of round, yo, p1; k1, yo, k to last st, yo, k1.

Round 3: P1, p1 tbl, p to 2 sts before center of round, p1 tbl, p1; k1, k1 tbl, k to last 2 sts, k1 tbl, k1.

Sizes S & L only:
Round 4: As Round 2.

Round 5: P1, p1 tbl, work Foot Chart row 1 across 11 sts, p1 tbl, p1; k1, k1 tbl, k to last 2 sts, k1 tbl, k1.

Size M only:
Repeat Rounds 2 & 3 5 more times, and Round 2 once more.

Round 15: P1, p1 tbl, p5, work Foot Chart row 1 across 11 sts, p5, p1 tbl, p1; k1, k1 tbl, k to last 2 sts, k1 tbl, k1.

All Sizes:
Foot chart is now established. Continue alternating increase and even rounds as set, working Chart on center of instep and taking new sts into the chart pattern, until you have 54[58, 62] sts total, ending after an even round - chart row 13[5, 17] complete.

Foot
Continue working even as set until chart round 16 is complete, taking new sts into chart pattern.

Foot round: P0[1, 2], work chart as set, p0[1, 2]; k to end of round.
Work as set until row 40 of chart is complete.

Size L only:
Work Rows 21-40 of Foot Chart once more.

All Sizes:
Work Rows 41-43 of Foot Chart.

Work as set until Gusset chart is complete. 35[37, 39] sts on the instep and 27[29, 31] on sole.

Leg
Leg round: P0[1, 2], work Leg chart, working the sts in the red box twice, p0[1, 2]; k to end of round.

Work as set until Row 18 of Leg chart is complete. On last round, place markers between sts 25 & 26 of the chart. (There will be 2 markers, centered between the leaf motifs.) 71[73, 75] sts on instep and 27[29, 31] on sole.

Heel Shaping:
Round 19: P0[1, 2], Leg Chart row 19, p0[1, 2]; k3[4, 5], k2tog, (p1, k1 tbl) 8 times, p1, ssk, k3[4, 5]. 2 sole sts decreased.

Round 20: P0[1, 2], Leg Chart row 20, p0[1, 2]; k4[5, 6], (p1, k1 tbl) 8 times, p1, k4[5, 6].

Round 21: P0[1, 2], Leg Chart row 21, p0[1, 2]; k2[3, 4], k2tog, (p1, k1 tbl) 8 times, p1, ssk, k2[3, 4]. 2 sole sts decreased.

Round 22: P0[1, 2], Leg Chart row 22, p0[1, 2]; k3[4, 5], (p1, k1 tbl) 8 times, p1, k3[4, 5].

Round 23: P0[1, 2], Leg Chart row 23, p0[1, 2]; k1[2, 3], k2tog, (p1, k1 tbl) 8 times, p1, ssk, k1[2, 3]. 2 sole sts decreased.

Round 24: P0[1, 2], Leg Chart row 24, p0[1, 2]; k2[3, 4], (p1, k1 tbl) 8 times, p1, k2[3, 4].

Round 25: (P to 1 st before marker, yo, p2, yo) twice, p to end of instep; k0[1, 2], k2tog, (p1, k1 tbl) 8 times, p1, ssk, k0[1, 2]. 87[89, 91] sts on instep, 19[21, 23] sts on sole.

Medium & Large Only:
Round 26: (P to 2 sts before marker, p1 tbl, p2, p1 tbl) twice, p to end of instep; k-[2, 3], (p1, k1 tbl) 8 times, p1, k-[2, 3].
Round 27: (P to 1 st before marker, yo, p2, yo) twice, p to end of instep; k-[0, 1], k2tog, (p1, k1 tbl) 8 times, p1, ssk, k-[0, 1]. -[93, 95] sts on instep, -[19, 21] sts on sole.

Large Only:
Round 28: (P to 2 sts before marker, p1 tbl, p2, p1 tbl) twice, p to end of instep; k2, (p1, k1 tbl) 8 times, p1, k2.
Round 29: (P to 1 st before marker, yo, p2, yo) twice, p to end of instep; k2tog, (p1, k1 tbl) 8 times, p1, ssk. -[-, 99] sts on instep, -[-, 19] sts on sole.

All Sizes:
Final foot round: (P to 2 sts before marker, p1 tbl, p2, p1 tbl) twice, p to end of instep; k1, (p1, k1 tbl) 8 times, p1, ssk last st of round together with first st of round, turn. 1 st decreased, and WS is now facing.

Ankle
As sock is worked up back of ankle, one st from leg will be incorporated at end of each short-row. Redistribute sts such that all the instep sts between markers are held together on a single needle, and all other sts are on the working needle.

Ankle Row 1 [WS]: Sl1 wyif, (k1, p1 tbl) 8 times, k1, p2tog, turn. 1 gusset st decreased.
Ankle Row 2 [RS]: Sl1 wyib, (p1, k1 tbl) 8 times, p1, ssk, turn. 1 gusset st decreased.

Sock 2: Without Knot-Hole [shown above left]
Repeat Ankle Rows 1-2 28 more times, and Ankle Row 1 once more.

Cuff, Both Styles
All sts between markers should now be incorporated, with only 19 sts remaining for back of leg, plus 35[37, 39] held sts for instep - 54[56, 58] sts. Redistribute sts as you wish and resume working in the round.

Round 1: Sl1 wyib, [p1, k1 tbl] 8 times, p1, ssk, p1, yo, [p1, k1 tbl] to last 3 sts, p1, yo, p1, move last st to beg of next round. 55[57, 59] sts.
Round 2: K st just moved tog with next st, [p1, k1 tbl] to last st, p1. 54[56, 58] sts.
Round 3: [K1 tbl, p1] around.
Repeat Round 3 for 2 inches.
BO using Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-Off.

FINISHING
Weave in ends. Block.

Carissa lives and knits in Dallas, Texas, where she has accepted the futility of stitching cozy woolen sweaters and has perhaps overcompensated with an abundance of hand-knit socks. She can now last almost three months without wearing the same pair twice.

More of her work can be found at CarissaKnits.com, or look her up as nosmallfeet on Ravelry.