Moon Phase Socks Pattern

These socks are worked cuff down and have the phases of the moon worked in stranded colorwork. The heel flap is done with the eye-of-partridge stitch for a little added texture. For the main color, I used a yarn that was naturally dyed by my mother with avocado pits and skins.

I have only provided one size but you can adjust this by increasing/decreasing your needle size to change the gauge or by adding stitches before/after the colorwork pattern at the back of the leg.

Skills Required/Techniques Used

Knit & purl, cast-on, stranded colorwork, kitchener stitch/grafting, & working in the round.

Yarn

CYC #1 Super Fine.

Sock shown knit in:

Knit Picks Stroll Bare (75% Fine Superwash Merino Wool, 25% Nylon); 462 yards/422 m; 3.5 oz/100 g: 

MC - naturally dyed with Avocado; 1 skein.

Cloudborn Fibers Highland Superwash Sock Twist (80% Wool, 20% Nylon); 178 yards/163 meters; 1.76 oz/50 g: 

CC - Oatmeal Heather; 1 skein.

Needles

US 1.5/2.5 mm needles for working small circumference in the round: DPNs, 2 circulars or 1 long circular. 

Or size needed to obtain gauge.

Notions

Stitch markers (M); stitch holder; tapestry needle.

Gauge

32 sts and 44 rnds = 4 in/10 cm square in stockinette stitch using US 1.5/2.5 mm needles worked in the round.

Size Information

Sizes

One size.

Finished Measurements

Sock circumference, not stretched: 7.5"/19 cm. 

Sock circumference should be approximately 10% smaller than your actual foot/ankle circumference.

Leg length: Adjustable to fit.

Foot length: Adjustable to fit. Finished length should be about ½"/1.3 cm shorter than actual foot length.

The sock shown measures 7.5"/19 cm sock circumference, and 8.8"/22.35 cm foot length.

Moon Phase Colorwork Chart

DIRECTIONS

Cuff

Using US Size 1.5/2.5 mm needles and MC, CO 60 sts using a long-tail or preferred cast on. Distribute across needles as you prefer and join work in the round, being careful not to twist. Place marker or note start of round.

Work *K1, P1* ribbing until the piece measures 1.5"/3.8 cm from CO.

Leg

Setup Rnds 1-2: In MC, Knit around.

Rnds 1-10: Join CC and work the Moon Phase Colorwork Chart once.

Break CC.

In MC, knit until the piece measures 6"/15 cm from CO, or desired length to top of heel.

Heel

Heel Flap

The heel flap is worked back and forth across 30 sts.

Setup Row: K15, place the next 30 sts onto a spare needle or holder to work later for instep, turn.

Row 1 [WS]: Sl1, Purl across, turn.

Row 2 [RS]: (Sl1, K1) repeat across, turn.

Row 3 [WS]: Sl1, Purl across, turn.

Row 4 [RS]: Sl2, (K1, SL1) repeat to last two sts, K2, turn.

Repeat rows 1-4 seven more times, for a total of 32 rows.

Turn Heel

Row 1 [WS]: Sl1, P16, P2tog, P1, turn.

Row 2 [RS]: SL1, K5, SSK, K1.

Row 3 [WS]: SL1, P to 1 stitch before gap, P2tog, P1.

Row 4 [RS]: SL1, K to 1 stitch before gap, SSK, K1.

Repeat rows 3-4 until all heel stitches have been worked, ending with a WS row — 18 sts rem.

Gusset

Take instep stitches off hold.

Setup Rnd: Sl1, K17 heel sts, then pick up and knit 18 sts along selvedge edge of the heel flap, PM,  K30 instep sts, PM, pick up and knit 18 sts along selvedge edge of the heel flap, K9 sts from heel, PM for BOR. — 84 sts total.

Round begins at the center of the heel.

Rnd 1: K9, K16tbl, K2tog, SM, K30 SM, SSK, K16tbl, knit to end — 2 sts dec'd.

Rnd 2: Knit to 2 sts before instep, K2tog, SM , K20, SM, SSK, knit to end — 2 sts dec'd. 

Rnd 3: Knit around.

Rnd 4: Knit to 2 sts before instep, K2tog, SM , K20, SM, SSK, knit to end — 2 sts dec'd. 

Rnd 5: Knit to 2 sts before instep, K2tog, SM , K20, SM, SSK, knit to end — 2 sts dec'd. 

Rnd 6: Knit around.

Repeat Rnds 4-6 four more times, for a total of 18 rows — 60 sts rem.

Foot

Knit until piece measures 1.63"/4 cm less than the desired foot length.

Toe

Rnd 1: Knit. 

Rnd 2: Knit to 3 sts before marker, K2tog, K1, SM, K1, SSK, knit to 3 sts before marker, K2tog, K1, SM, K1, SSK, knit to end — 4 sts dec'd.

Repeat rnds 1-2 a total of 9 times, for a total of 18 rows — 24 sts rem.

Knit across to marker, break yarn leaving a 12"/30 cm tail.

Kitchener remaining stitches.

Note: When doing the Kitchener stitch don't do the first two setup stitches. Then, when you have one st rem on each needle, slip the st on the front needle off and then slip the st on the back needle off without working them.

Finishing

Weave in the loose ends. Block if desired.

© Alaksya, 2021

Version 1, July 2021

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