Working out Kinks and Fingering Yarn

Sock knitting is my thing. It’s the heel. I can’t get over how magical it is. So I invented a heel, which I call the Petca heel, after a possible patron saint of knitting. Then I discovered it’s very similar to Fleegle’s Heel and concluded that great minds think alike. These cuff-down socks feature that heel.

The stitch pattern is clover rib. It’s a 2×3 rib with a mock cable that reminds me of links in a chain.

Materials
• 2 50-g balls of Comfy Soft Sport
• 2 2.5 mm circs
• 4 stitch markers
• Tapestry needle to weave in ends

2×2 Ribbing
Rnd 1 and all rnds: * K2, p2 *.

Clover Rib Stitch
Rnd 1: * p1, yo, sk2p, yo, p1 *.
Rnd 2: * P1, k3, p1 *.
Rnd 3: * P1, k1, yo, ssk, p1 *.
Rnds 4-6: * P1, k3, p1 *.

Socks

make 2.

Cast on 52 sts and join to work in the round.

Cuff

Work 9 rnds of 2×2 ribbing.

Knit 1 rnd.

Next rnd: P2 tog, (* k3, p2; rep to end of ndl, ending k1) 2x: 50 sts.

Work 5 reps of Clover Rib stitch or more if desired.

Petca Heel

The heel increases are worked between the second and third and between the second to last and third to last pattern repeats of theClover Rib stitch. Any increase will do.

Rnd 1: (P1, yo, sk2p, yo, p1) 2x, yo, (P1, yo, sk2p, yo, p1) 6x, yo, (P1, yo, sk2p, yo, p1) 2x.
Rnd 2: (P1, k3, p1) 2x, sl yo knitwise, return to rhn without untwisting and p1, (P1, k3, p1) 6x, p1 tbl, (P1, k3, p1) 2x.
Rnd 3: (P1, k1, yo, ssk, p1) 2x, p1, yo, (P1, k1, yo, ssk, p1) 6x, yo, p1, (P1, k1, yo, ssk, p1) 2x.
Rnd 4: (P1, k3, p1) 2x, p1, sl yo knitwise, return to rhn without untwisting and p1, (P1, k3, p1) 6x, p1 tbl, p1, (P1, k3, p1) 2x.
Rnd 5: (P1, k3, p1) 2x, p1, yo, p1, (P1, k3, p1) 6x, p1, yo, p1 (P1, k3, p1) 2x.
Rnd 6: (P1, k3, p1) 2x, p1, k1 tbl, p1, (P1, k3, p1) 6x, p1, sl yo knitwise, return to rhn without untwisting and k1, p1, (P1, k3, p1) 2x.
Rnd 7: (P1, yo, sk2p, yo, p1) 2x, p1, k1, yo, p1, (P1, yo, sk2p, yo, p1) 6x, p1, yo, k1, p1, (P1, yo, sk2p, yo, p1) 2x.
Rnd 8: (P1, k3, p1) 2x, p1, k1, k1 tbl, p1, (P1, k3, p1) 6x, p1, sl yo knitwise, return to rhn without untwisting and k2, p1, (P1, k3, p1) 2x.
Rnd 9: (P1, k1, yo, ssk, p1) 2x, p1, k2, yo, p1, (P1, k1, yo, ssk, p1) 6x, p1, yo, k2, p1, (P1, k1, yo, ssk, p1) 2x.
Rnd 10: (P1, k3, p1) 2x, p1, k2, k1 tbl, p1, (P1, k3, p1) 6x, p1, sl yo knitwise, return to rhn without untwisting and k3, p1, (P1, k3, p1) 2x.
Rnd 11: (P1, k3, p1) 2x, yo, (P1, k3, p1) 8x, yo, (P1, k3, p1) 2x.
Rnd 12: (P1, k3, p1) 2x, sl yo knitwise, return to rhn without untwisting and p1, (P1, k3, p1) 8x, p1 tbl, (P1, k3, p1) 2x.

One repeat of Clover Rib stitch is complete, and the heel increase of Rnds 11 and 12 is identical to that in Rnds 1 and 2.

Continue as established. The increase in Rnds 13 and 14 is like the one in Rnds 3 and 4. the increase in rnds 15 and 16 is like the one in Rnds 5 and 6. Instead of working 6 pattern repeats as between increases, you are now working 8 repeats.

Stop when you’ve increased to 62 sts, finishing with an even rnd, row 4 of the Clover Rib stitch.

Heel Turn

Row 1: K4, skp, k1, turn.
Row 2: P to end of Ndl 1, p4, p2 tog, p1, turn.
Row 3: K to end of Ndl 2, k to 1 st before gap in work, skp, k1, turn.
Row 4: P to end of Ndl 1, p to 1 st before gap in work, p2 tog, p1, turn.

Rep Rows 3 and 4 till there are 12 sts between the gap and the beg/end of rnd.

Row 5: K to end of Ndl 2, k to 1 st before gap in work, skp, turn.
Row 6: P to end of Ndl 1, p to 1 st before gap in work, p2 tog, turn.

Rep Rows 5 and 6 till 52 sts rem. Each ndl should hold 12 sts on the heel side of the gap and 14 sts on the instep side.

Rnd 7: K to 1 st before the gap, m1 (by inserting the rhn under the horizontal strand between the st just worked and the one about to be worked and knitting through the back of the loop), skp, k to last 11 sts on Ndl 1, p1, (p1, k3, p1) 4x, p1, k to 1 st before gap on Ndl 2, m1, k2 tog, k to end of rnd.
Rnd 8: K15, p1, (p1, k3, p1) 4x, p1, k15.

You have finished the heel and are ready to start working the foot with Rnd 1 of the Clover Rib stitch.

Foot.

Rnd 1: K15, p1, (clover rib), p1, k15.
Rep Rnd 1 till there are 17, 18 or 19 (small, medium, or large) reps of clover rib stitch down the ankle and instep, starting at the ribbing.

Toe

Place markers after St # 8, 17, 34, and 43. There are invisible markers at the end of each ndl. In all, there are 6 markers.

Rnd 1 and all odd rnds: K.
Rnd 2: K to marker, sm, (ssk, k to marker, sm) 2x, k to marker, sm, (ssk, k to marker, sm) 2x: 48 sts.
Rnd 4: * k2 tog, k to marker, sm * (6 sts decreased).
Rnd 6: * K to 2 sts before marker, ssk, sm * (6 sts decreased).
Rep Rnds 3-6 till 6 sts rem.

Break yarn, draw tail through live sts, and pull to close hole.

Weave in ends, and wear with style.