Toe-up Merino Socks

(Fingering weight merino wool, size 0 needles)
(Instructions adapted from Denise and JG)

Square Toe Cast On
Using the half hitch (simple backward loop ) and the single SMALLER dpn, make 8 loops on the needle.
Using one of your set of dpn’s knit across the 8 loops on the smaller needle. These stitches will form the top of the foot.

Turn the knitting over so that the bottom of the cast on loops are on top . The tail of yarn from the cast on and the yarn from the ball will both be at the right hand side. Take the cast on tail and move it over top of the yarn from the ball.

Taking the smaller dpn again, pick up the rightmost four of the loops as shown in the diagram and knit them using one of the regular dpn’s. Repeat this with the other four loops and a third regular dpn.

You should now have sixteen stitches on 3 dpn’s. You are finished with the smaller dpn, put it away so you won’t be tempted to knit with it! If you want to work with a set of five dpn’s. transfer four of the stitches from the first needle to another one. You will need to mark the beginning of your round if you do this.

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Toe Increases
Increases are made:
• After the first stitch and before the last stitch on needle 1 (the needle with 8 stitches that forms the top of the sock)
• After the first stitch on needle 2
• Before the last stitch on needle 3

Don’t forget that you need to make the increases symmetrical - use one form of your choice at the start of needle 1 and two and the other at the end of needle 1 and 3

Increase in each of the next two rounds, to a total of 24 stitches. Then change the rate of increase to every other round.

Round 1: Increase one stitch each needle as follows:
Needles 1 and 3: k1; lift the stitch below the stitch on the left needle and knit it; k to the end of needle.
Needles 2 and 4: k to within 1 st of end; lift the stitch below the stitch on the right needle and knit it; k1.
Round 2: Knit.
Repeat these two rounds until there are 18(19) stitches on each needle ( 72(76) stitches in all).

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Foot

Knit on 72(76) stitches, trying on the sock from time to time until you reach the point where the leg meets the top of the foot. This is about 6.5 inches from the tip of the toe. End at one of the sides of the foot, that is, above one line of toe increases.

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Gusset Increases

The rounds begin at the next needle, which will be called needle #1. The stitches on needles 1 and 2 are the sole of the sock, and on needles 3 and 4 are the instep.
Round 1:
Needle 1: K1, lift the stitch below the stitch to the left and knit it, k to the end of needle.
Needle 2: Knit to within 1 st of end; lift the stitch below the stitch just knitted and knit the lifted stitch, k1.
Needles 3 and 4: Knit plain (or knit in desired pattern).
Round 2: Knit around plain. (or knit in desired pattern on needls 3 and 4)

Repeat these two rounds 11(11) times altogether. Needles 1 and 2 have 29(30) sts, and needles 3 and 4 have 18(19) ( 94(98) sts in all).

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Heel Extension

Place the heel sole stitches on their own needle as follows:
Knit 18(19) stitches from needle 1 onto needle 4.
SSK (that is, slip 1 st as if to knit, sl 1 as if to knit, knit these 2 sts together through back loop), k 9(9) from needle 1 and 11(11) from needle 2 onto the heel needle. Slip the remaining 18(19) sts from needle 2 onto needle 3. There are now 36(38) stitches held on each of needles 3 and 4; you will work back and forth on the heel needle only.
Row 1: Turn, P2 tog, p across row.
Row 2: Turn. SSK, k across row.
Repeat these two rows until 8(8) stitches remain, ending with a wrong-side row.

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Heel Flap

Turn, sl 1, knit across heel.
Pick up 13(14) stitches by knitting along the decrease edge. Turn.
Sl 1 as if to purl, p back across the heel and pick up 13(14) stitches by purling along the other decrease edge. Turn.
You now have 34(36) sts on the heel needle. You will be knitting the heel flap upward, incorporating one stitch from the adjacent instep needle each time you turn.
Row 1: Sl 1 as if to knit, k across row to the last st. Sl 1, sl 1 from the next needle, k these 2 together through back loop. Turn.
Row 2: Sl 1 as if to purl, p across row to the last st. Sl 1 as if to p, sl 1 from the next needle, p these 2 together. Turn.
Repeat these two rows for a total of 17(18) times, ending with a purl row. You should have 72(76) stitches ( 34(36) on the heel needle and 19(20) on each instep needle).
Turn, sl 1, and knit a full round, adjusting stitches so that there are 18(19) on each of four needles.

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Begin the leg and cuff

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Instep Patt: Slip Stitch Boxes (adapted from 99 Knit Stitches)

SK3 = [slip next st on cn and hold in front, K third st on left needle do not drop, K 1st and second sts on left needle and drop all 3 sts, K1 from cn]

BS1 = WYB slip 1

(always slip as if to purl)
Round 1: knit across
Round 2: K3 P2 *k5 P2* k3
Round 3: knit across
Round 4, 5 : repeat round 2 and 3
Round 6: (P2, BS1) twice *P3, BS1, P2, BS1* P2
Round 7: P2, BS1, K2, BS1 *P3, BS1, K2, BS1* P2
Round 8: (P2, BS1) twice *P3, BS1, P2, BS1* P2
Round 9: K2 [SK3] *K3 [SK3]* K2
Round 10: K3 P2 *K5 P2* K3

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Leg Patt: Crossover Rib (From Sensational Knitted Socks)

Round 1: *K2 P2*
Round 2: *[Work 5 sts (K1 YO K1 YO K1) into next 2 sts tog - treat the 2 sts tog as 1 st when working the 5 sts] P2*
Round 3: *K5 P2*
Round 4: *K3 K2tog P2*
Round 5: *K4 P2*
Round 6: *K2 K2tog P2*
Round 7: *K3 P2*
Round 8: *K1 K2tog P2*