Trigonometric socks for Hikers

Have a bunch of small balls of yummy wool

yarn 10-20 grams each, leftovers from other
projects? Are they approximately of the
same yarn weight?

Put them to a good use with these fun to knit

‘trigonometric’ socks.

A little too much of a yarn for a pair of

socks? Keep that extra yarn to re-knit the
toe, sole and heel, once you wear them out.

These socks feature:

 re-knittable toe, sole and heel;

 color work is done in intarsia
technique.

Finished size: women’s medium; Gauge/tension: 1 inch = 7 stitches x 11

rows in stockinette
Needle size: 0 (2.0 mm), 2 circular or a set
of 5 double pointed.

Yarn: Pure wool, in 7 colors. Approximate

weight in grams: white - 25, grey – 20, sky
blue – 20, blue – 15, red – 15, pink – 20,
navy – 10.

Extras: tapestry needle; for 1 sock: 1 stitch

holder; 1 stitch marker. Optional: polyester
sewing thread in the colors matching the
colors used for toe, sole, and heel (grey, sky
blue, blue, navy blue).

Introduction

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These socks are designed for hikers, so they are meant to be worn. To prolong the life of the
socks I suggest as an option to reinforce the re-knittable part with polyester sewing thread of
matching color. The polyester thread will provide the framework for easy crafting of the parts
where the wool yarn is thinned out due to wear. Once you are tired of crafting those thinned-out
areas, and/or when polyester thread is worn-out as well, the toe, sole, and heel can be unraveled
from the tip of the toe, and re-knitted with new yarn. It is advisable to keep extra yarn of the
same yarn weight and in the same color palette in your stash for the new toe, sole and heel, once
there is a need to re-knit them.

The directions below are provided for 2 circular needles.

The socks are knitted in 4 steps:

Step1: knit in the round from the top of the cuff to the beginning of the heel flap;

Step2: knit the instep flat;

Step3: knit flat heel, gusset, and sole, connecting with instep at the end of each row.

Step4: finish the sock knitting the toe in the round, and closing the toe with kitchener
stitch.

Knitting directions

Calf: Cast on 64 stitches with long-tail cast-on. Divide stitches between 2 circular needles: 32 stitches
on needle # 1 and 32 stitches on needle #2. Join in the round. Mark the beginning of the round with stitch
marker.

Knit 28 rounds in 1x1 ribbing on 2 circular needles.

Foot: Knit in 10 rounds stockinette stitch. Switch to grey color yarn and knit 8 more rounds in stockinette
stitch.

Instep: Instep is knitted forth (knit) and back (purl) on half of the stitches.
Leave 32 of the stitches on one circular needle (needle #2), and knit the instep using the other one only
with other 32 stitches (needle #1).

Knit row: sl 1, k31;

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Purl row: sl 1, p31.

Knit alternating knit and purl rows starting with the knit row.

After completing the third row, switch from grey color to knitting according to the Color chart 1 for one
sock and to Color chart 2 for the other sock which is the mirror image of the first one.

The last instep row is purl row.

Tip: Many intarsia instructions advise to wind all your yarn on bobbins, or cut the yarn of each color into
strands of a couple of yards in length and hang them at the back of your work, or wind those strands in
mini-hanks.

You actually do not need to do anything like that in order to keep your yarn untangled.

Place your yarns, as is, into any kind of an open box (I use plastic containers) in the same order as they
come in color chart you are knitting. See Figure 3, where it is shown for knitting 2 socks at a time.

Figure 3. Illustration of positioning the yarns for intarsia knitting.

When it comes to color change always twist the old and new color putting the old yarn on top, and hold
the new yarn up from the bottom. Do not change position of your yarn in the box. Thus strands of yarn
will be twisted on, knit row (if you start color chart on knit row), and untwisted on the following purl row.

This trick works only if you follow the next trick:

When you finish the row, and need to change direction, always turn you work in one direction for knit
rows, and in the opposite direction for the purl rows. In this case the yarns for each sock and between 2
socks will also be twisted on one row, and untwisted on the following row.

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Heel flap: Take the stitches on the circular needle #2. Optional: add to the yarn sewing polyester
thread in grey color to reinforce the heel.

Row 0: sl1, p31;

Row 1: (sl 1, k1) x 16;

Row 2: sl1,p31;

Row3: sl 1, k2, (sl1,k1) x 14, k1;

Repeat rows 1,2,3 until 24 rows are completed.

Turning the heel:

Row1: sl 1, p17, p2tog, p1 turn. Row 9: sl 1, p12, p2tog, p1 turn.

Row 2: sl 1, k5, ssk, k1, turn. Row 10: sl 1, k13, ssk, k1, turn.

Row 3: sl 1, p6, p2tog, p1 turn. Row 11: sl 1, p14, p2tog, p1 turn.

Row 4: sl 1, k7, ssk, k1, turn. Row 12: sl 1, k15, ssk, k1, turn.

Row 5: sl 1, p8, p2tog, p1 turn. Row 13: sl 1, p16, p2tog, p1, turn.

Row 6: sl 1, k9, ssk, k1, turn. Row 14: sl1, k16, ssk. (Do NOT turn).

Row 7: sl 1, p10, p2tog, p1 turn. After row 14 there are 18 stitches left on the
needle.
Row 8: sl 1, k11, ssk, k1, turn.

Gusset decrease:
Continue row 14 by picking up 15 selvage stitches along left side of heel flap, plus 1 stitch at top of the
gusset from the row below the stitches on the instep needle (needle #1), turn.

Foundation row 1: sl1, p33. Pick up 15 selvage stitches along right side of heel flap, plus 1 stitch at top
of the gusset from the row below the stitches on the instep needle (needle #1), turn.

Foundation row 2, step1: Sl1, knit until 1 stitch is left on the right needle.

Foundation row 2, step2: Slide that last stitch from left to right needle. Pick up the instep selvage stitch,
inserting the right needle from the back of the selvage stitch as if to purl. Insert the left needle into that
selvage stitch from the same side as it was picked up by the right needle, and slide both stitches back to
the left needle. Knit these 2stitches together. See Figure 1 for more details. Turn.

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Figure 1. Illustration of foundation row 3, step2 and of row 2, step2 in gusset decrease section - picking up selvage
stitches on the knit row.

Row 1, step1: Sl1, p2tog, purl until 1 stitch is left on the right needle.

Row 1, step2: Slide that stitch from left to right needle. Pick up the instep selvage stitch through the
rightmost loop as if to purl. Slide these 2 stitches back from right to left needle, and purl them together.
See Figure 2 for more details. Turn.

Figure 2. Illustration of Row 1, step2 in gusset decrease section - picking up selvage stitches on the purl row.

Row 2, step1: Sl1, ssk, knit until 1 stitch is left on the right needle.

Row 2, step2: act as described in foundation row 3, step2.

After completing row 2 switch from grey color to sky blue color. Optional: add sky blue polyester sewing
thread to the wool yarn for reinforcement and extra durability.

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until 26 stitches are left on the sole needle (needle #2).

Continue knitting the sole part of the sock picking up and knitting/purling selvage stitches from the instep
part of the sock as described in Row1, step 2, Row2, step2 and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

When 27 rows in sky blue color are achieved, change color to blue. Optional: add blue polyester sewing
thread to the wool yarn for reinforcement and extra durability.

When 39 rows in blue are completed, change color to navy blue. Optional: add navy blue polyester
sewing thread to the wool yarn for reinforcement and extra durability.

Finish when the last selvage stitch is picked up and knitted on the purl row. Turn, and knit all the stitches
on the sole needle.

Now you will be knitting in the round.

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Toe decrease:
Round 1:

Instep needle: k26;

Sole needle: k26;

Round 2:

Instep needle: k2, ssk, knit to last 4 stitches, k2tog, k2;

Sole needle: k26;

Round 3:

Instep needle: k2, ssk, knit to last 4 stitches, k2tog, k2;

Sole needle: knit to last 4 stitches, k2tog, k2;

Round 4:

Instep needle: k2, ssk, knit to last 4 stitches, k2tog, k2;

Sole needle: k2, ssk, knit to last 4 stitches, k2tog, k2;

Continue knitting as in round 4 until 4 stitches are left on each needle.

Rearrange stitches: slip the last 2 stitches from the instep needle to the sole needle, and slip the last 2
stitches from the sole needle to the instep needle. Graft stitches together with kitchener stitch, thus closing
the toe.

Weave-in ends, block.

List of abbreviations
k – knit

p – purl

sl - slip

ssk – slip, slip, knit these 2 stitches together

k2tog – knit 2 stitches together

p2tog – purl 2 stitches together

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4
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2 1 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 <- start knit row

Color Chart 1. Sock 1 instep.

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2 1 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 <- start knit row

Color Chart 2. Sock 2 instep.

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