Free Pattern: Elven Socks

The Elven Socks are inspired by the cool evenings of late summer. They’re a little bit fancy and perfect for showing off. The lace is designed to show off colour changing yarns and add a bit of interest to your standard colourful socks. I mean who says you can't have lace and colour! The lace work is simple and satisfyingly quick, a great beginners lace. Pattern is written toe up and written for magic loop but is easily adaptable to DPNs. 

The free version of this pattern is a short guide to fit approximately UK size 4-5. A fully size adapted and formatted pdf version of the pattern can be purchased for instant download here.

Yarn: 4ply sock yarn. Sample is knitted in Hook & Light Falkland Merino 4ply, shop here!

Needles: 2.5mm circular needles or DPNs. Or size required to reach the gauge.

Gauge: 28 sts & 40 rows per 4” / 10cm

Stitches:

K (knit)

P (purl)

ssk (silp, slip, knit)

k2tog (knit two together)

ktbl (knit one stitch through the back loop)

w&t (wrap and turn)

yo (yarn over)

Sizing:

The pattern is written for a UK size 4-5 foot. It can be adapted by increasing or decreasing the total stitch count per sock by multiples of 24. A fully size adapted and formatted pdf version of the pattern can be purchased for instant download here.

Pattern

Stitch counts are written per sock, if you cast on for knitting two at a time, repeat the instructions for both socks.

Cast on:

I like to use Judy’s magic cast-on for toe-up socks (free tutorial here) and cast on both socks at a time on long circular needles.

Cast on 12 stitches for each sock (6 per needle). The rest of the pattern is written per sock, if you are knitting two at a time repeat each row of the pattern for both socks.

Toe:

Round 1: *K1, yo, K to last st on needle, yo, K1* twice. (4 sts increased)

Round 2: *K1, Ktbl, K to last two sts on needle, Ktbl, K1* twice

Repeat rounds 1 & 2 until you have a total of 48 stitches (24 on each needle)

Foot:

Start knitting the lace chart on the front panel of each sock only, there should be two repeats of the lace chart for each sock

Knit all the remaining stitches on the back of the sock

Continue to work the lace chart until the sock reaches 3.5 inches / 9 cm shorter than the total foot length

Make a note of where you ended on the lace chart as you will need to continue from this point after making the heel

The pattern looks best if you end after the two purl rows

Lace Chart:

Heel:

I like to knit the "Fish Lips Kiss Heel", this is a separate, paid for pattern. However it’s a great resource for any sock knitter and I highly recommend downloading it here.

However you can use any heel technique you prefer for example the short rows (free tutorial here):

On the back half (without lace):

Row 1: K all st until 1 st remains, w&t

Row 2: P all st until 1 st remains, w&t

Row 3: K until 1st before wrapped st from previous row, w&t

Row 4: P until 1st before wrapped st from previous row, w&t

Repeat rows 3 & R 4 until you have 6 "live" unwrapped st in the middle. Finish on a Purl Row.

Row 5: K to first wrapped st. Pick up the wrap and K it together with the wrapped st, w&t. (2 wraps around this stitch)

Row 6: P to first wrapped st. Pick up the wrap and P it together with the wrapped st, w&t.

Row 7: K to the double-wrapped st, pick up both wraps and K them to tog with the wrapped st, w&t.

Row 8: P to the double-wrapped st, pick up both wraps and P them tog with the wrapped st, w&t.

Rep rows 7 & 8 until all wraps have been picked up and worked together with their respective sts.

Leg:

On the front stitches only continue to work the lace chart from where you left off until you reach either row 12 or 24 of the lace chart

Now continue to work the lace chart on the both the front and back panel until the leg reaches approximately 1.5” / 4cm less than your desired length

Make sure to end the leg after two purl rows for the cleanest look

Finishing:

Work 1x1 ribbing for 1.5” / 4cm

Bind off using a stretchy bind off method, free tutorial here

Weave in the ends & wash and block