A free sock pattern by Judy Becker
Note: This pattern was updated on 05/05/2007
Errata in previous version: Row 1 of the heel turn should be as follows (change in bold)
Row 1: P1, K19, PM, M1R, K16, M1L, PM, turn (there will be 18 stitches between the markers – 16 original + 2 increases — 20 stitches to the right of the first marker and 20 unworked stitches to the left of the second marker)
The color and pattern of these socks reminded me of the upper Henry’s Fork of the Snake River, where I spent many happy childhood days roaming the woods.
The sock was designed to be knit from the toe-up using two circular needles. (Try knitting both at once!) The pattern could be adapted easily to DPNs by dividing the stitches into four equal portions.
The stitch pattern is a modified form of a 16-row/8-stitch pattern that is usually knit with YO increases to create a more open, lacy look. Knit with closed increases as on these socks, the pattern forms a faux-cable that looks complex but is actually quite straight forward to knit.
Snake River Socks were inspired by Sockbug’s top-down River Rapid Socks pattern.
Instructions are for women’s size medium. Since the stitch pattern is essentially a rib, it is quite stretchy and will accommodate most widths. Pointers for increasing the length and width are given below. Knitting with different yarn and/or needles to adjust the gauge is another possibility.
To increase foot length: Knit several straight K-all rounds after completing the toe and before starting the stitch pattern.
To increase width: Add extra purl stitches between the pattern repeats on the instep. Do not add extra stitches to the sole. After completing the heel, increase the number of purl stitches between the pattern repeats on the leg.
SIZE
- Women’s medium
MATERIALS
- Koigu KPPPM [160m / 50g, 100% Merino wool]; color: P521 (light green with dark green and orange speckles); 2 skeins
- 2 sets US #1 (2.5mm) circular needles, or size to give gauge
- Extra DPN or cable needle or stitch holder
- Stitch markers
GAUGE
- 8 sts / 12 rows = 1†in stockinette stitch
INCREASING
- M1L: Insert left needle into left loop of stitch two rows below last completed stitch. Knit this stitch through the front loop.
- M1R: Insert right needle into right loop of stitch just below the next stitch. Place it on to the left needle and knit it through the back loop.
ABBREVIATIONS
- Circ – circular needle
- M1L – Left-leaning increase. Use the one above or any other increase of your choosing.
- M1R – Right-leaning increase. Use the one above or any other increase of your choosing.
- K2Tog – Knit two stitches together
- P2Tog – Purl two stitches together
- SSK – Slip the next two stitches to the right needle as if to knit. Place the left needle through the front loops of the two slipped stitches and knit them together.
- Tbl – Knit stitch through back loop
- PM – Place Marker
- RM – Remove Marker
- WYIB – With yarn held in the back
- WYIF – With yarn held in the front
- AI2K – As if to knit
- AI2P – As if to purl
FAUX-CABLE STITCH PATTERN:
Rnd1: P1, K6, P1, repeat
Rnd2: P1, K6, P1, repeat
Rnd3: P1, M1R, K2, SSK, K2, P1, repeat
Rnd4: P1, K6, P1, repeat
Rnd5: P1, K1, M1R, K2, SSK, K1, P1, repeat
Rnd6: P1, K6, P1, repeat
Rnd7: P1, K2, M1R, K2, SSK, P1, repeat
Rnd8: P1, K6, P1, repeat
Rnd9: P1, K6, P1, repeat
Rnd10: P1, K6, P1, repeat
Rnd11: P1, K2, K2Tog, K2, M1L, P1, repeat
Rnd12: P1, K6, P1, repeat
Rnd13: P1, K1, K2Tog, K2, M1L, K1, P1, repeat
Rnd14: P1, K6, P1, repeat
Rnd15: P1, K2Tog, K2, M1L, K2, P1, repeat
Rnd16: P1, K6, P1, repeat
DIRECTIONS
Toe
Using Magic Cast-On, cast on 20 stitches total (10 on each needle).
Rnd 1: K to end of round
Rnd 2: Circ 1 — * K2, M1L, K to within 2 stitches of end of needle 1, M1R, K2.
Circ 2 — Repeat from *.
Repeat Rnd1 and Rnd 2 until there are 64 stitches total – 32 on each needle.
Foot
All rounds: Circ 1 — work next row from Faux-Cable stitch pattern
Circ 2 — P1, K until 1 stitch remains on left needle, P1
Repeat this round until the Faux-Cable stitch pattern has been repeated 3 times.
Work 9 more rounds, ending on row 9 of the Faux-Cable stitch pattern.
Gusset
Rnd 1: Circ 1 — work next row from Faux-Cable stitch pattern
Circ 2 — P1, M1L, K until one stitch remains on left needle, M1R, P1
Rnd 2: Circ 1 — work next row from Faux-Cable stitch pattern
Circ 2 — P1, K until one stitch remains on left needle, P1
Repeat these two rounds 11 more times – (56 stitches on Circ 2) – ending on row 1 of Faux-Cable stitch pattern
Last Rnd: Circ 1 — work row 2 of Faux-Cable stitch pattern
Circ 2 — Work heel turn and heel flap
Note: If knitting two socks together, complete the turn and heel flap of one sock before starting the turn and heel flap of the second sock.
Row 1: P1, K19, PM, M1R, K16, M1L, PM, turn (there will be 18 stitches between the markers – 16 original + 2 increases — 20 stitches to the right of the first marker and 20 unworked stitches to the left of the second marker)
Row 2: Sl 1 st WYIF AI2P, P15, turn
Row 3: M1R, K14, M1L, turn (20 stitches between markers)
Row 4: Sl 1 st WYIF AI2P, P13, turn
Row 5: M1R, K12, M1L, turn (22 stitches between markers)
Row 6: Sl 1 st WYIF AI2P, P11, turn
Row 7: M1R, K10, M1L, turn (24 stitches between markers)
Row 8: Sl 1 st WYIF AI2P, P9, turn
Row 9: M1R, K8, M1L, Turn (26 stitches between markers)
Row 10: Sl 1 st WYIF AI2P, P7, turn
Row 11: M1R, K6, M1L, Turn (28 stitches between markers)
Row 12: Sl 1 st WYIF AI2P, P5, turn
Row 13: M1R, K4, M1L, (30 stitches between markers), do not turn, K across increases from previous rows to within 4 stitches of marker, P3, WYIB Sl 1 st AI2P, RM, replace slipped stitch on left needle, P2Tog, turn
Row 14: Sl 1 st WYIF AI2P, P to within 4 stitches of marker, including across increases from previous rows, K3, Sl 1 st AITK, RM, SL 1 st AITK, place tip of left needle through front loops of two slipped stitches and knit them together
Heel Flap
Row 1: Sl 1 st WYIB AI2K, K3, *Sl 2 st, K2, repeat from * 4 times, Sl 2 st, P3, P2tog, turn
Row 2: Sl 1 st WYIF AI2P, P25, K3, K2Tog, turn
Repeat these two rows 17 more times, melding one gusset stitch into the heel flap on each row. When finished, there will be 2 unworked stitches to the right of the right of the heel flap and 2 unworked stitches to the left of the heel flap.
Last Row: Sl 1 st WYIB AI2K, K5, * P2, K6, repeat from * 1 time, P2, K3, P2, P2tog, p1, do not turn.
Go back to knitting in the round.
Ankle
Rnd 1: Circ 1 — work row 3 from Faux-Cable stitch pattern
Circ 2 — P1, move next st to cable needle or spare DPN, P1, replace held st on left needle, P2Tog, P1, K3, * P2, M1R, K2, SSK, K2, repeat from * 1 time, P2, K3, P4
Rnd 2: Circ 1 — work row 4 from Faux-Cable stitch pattern
Circ 2 — P3, K4, * P2, K6, repeat from * 1 time, P2, K4, P3
Rnd 3: Circ 1 — work row 5 from Faux-Cable stitch pattern
Circ 2 — P2, K5, * P2, K1, M1R, K2, SSK, K1, repeat from * 1 time, P2, K5, P2
Rnd 4: Circ 1 — work row 6 from Faux-Cable stitch pattern
Circ 2 — P1, K6, * P2, K6, repeat from * 1 time, P2, K6, P1
Rnd 5: Circ 1 — work row 7 from Faux-Cable stitch pattern
Circ 2 — P1, K6, * P2, K2, M1R, K2, SSK, repeat from * 1 time, P2, K6, P1
Rnd 6: Work next row of Faux-Cable stitch pattern across both needles.
Repeat Rnd 6 until all rows of Faux-Cable stitch pattern have been worked a total of three more times, ending with row 16.
Cuff
Rnd 1,2: P1, * K2, P2, repeat from *, end P1
Rnd 3,4,5: * P1, K3, repeat from * around
Rnd 6,7,8: * K2, P1, K1, P1, K2, P1, repeat from * around
Rnd 9: * K1, P1, repeat from * around
Continue in K1, P1 ribbing for approximately 1â€.
Finishing
Bind off loosely using stretchy bind-off technique (the pictured socks were bound off using a Kitchener bind-off).
Break yarn.
Weave in ends.
Enjoy your socks!
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[…] Snake River Socks (my spoilee for Secret Pal 10 made these and they look wonderful) River Rapids) (which look very similar to the Snake River socks Jaywalkers (because I see them everywhere on the net and they’ve grown on me!) […]
1Remark from New cast-on methods for knitting! « Adventures in Furryland — Wednesday, 3/28/2007 @ 1:09 PM
I’m going to try your pattern very soon 🙂
2Remark from Bianca Boonstra-Becker — Friday, 5/4/2007 @ 4:50 AM
[…] “Snake River Socks” Â free pattern […]
3Remark from Ideas patterns and inspiration: this page will be updated with more ideas as we grow! « Inspired By Nature KAL — Monday, 6/4/2007 @ 11:39 AM
[…] knit! Now what? What to take on vacation with me? I think I have decided on a pattern called Snake River, since we will most likely be taking a float trip on that river!! or possibly River Rapids. I think […]
4Remark from Photodee’s Blog » Blog Archive » Marian is done! And I am off!! — Saturday, 6/23/2007 @ 2:41 PM
[…] no time to knit another pair, they will have to do. Pattern: Snake River Socks Pattern Source: PersistentIllusion.com Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in Green Mountain Madness Needles: (2) KnitPicks Circular size 1 […]
5Remark from Snake River Socks « Guilty Pleasures — Tuesday, 1/22/2008 @ 11:10 PM
[…] Snake River Socks […]
6Remark from Sockenliste 2007 « das Web als Online Handarbeitsbuch — Monday, 3/24/2008 @ 4:58 PM
[…] March 18 tags: knit, socks, WIPs by smithsonjane I am currently working on Judy Becker’s Snake River Socks. I’m passed the heels now, working on the legs. Soon I hope to add them to my list of […]
7Remark from WIP: Snake River Socks « smithsonjane knits and spins — Wednesday, 3/18/2009 @ 6:41 PM
I just want to thank you for your amazing contributions to knitting in general; I am so appreciative! This is my favorite Toe-Up sock pattern. You do something amazing with the heel turn by eliminating the awful W&Ts that I can never get right – the heel of this sock works beautifully! And, of course, I LOVE the pattern. I wish I could figure out how to incorporate the heel turn technique into my other Toe-Up patterns, because sometimes I need to change things up a little. 🙂 Or maybe you could design us some more sock patterns? Anyway, just wanted you to know how brilliant I think you are and how much I appreciate you sharing that brilliance with the rest of us!
8Remark from Sarah Morgen — Thursday, 11/24/2011 @ 10:19 AM
Hi Judy,
9Thank you so much for this pattern, the magic cast-on, and all your contributions to the world of knitting. I’m just curious: Do you add a reinforcing thread when using Koigu KPPM, for heels and toes maybe? Just wondered.
Molly
Remark from Molly Parrish — Wednesday, 5/2/2012 @ 12:58 PM
I am making these socks and I think there is a mistake on the gusset increases. They start on pattern row 10 with a total of 12 rounds which increases the stitch count from 32 to 56. (12 X 2 = 24 sts. 32 + 24 = 56). This would make pattern row 3 the last row, not pattern row 1. Is this correct.
10Remark from Dale Lewis — Tuesday, 7/28/2015 @ 6:49 PM
[…] Snake River Socks […]
11Remark from Snakeing Pattern Round Up - The Knit Wit by Shair — Thursday, 2/4/2016 @ 6:01 AM
Thank you so much, Judy!
12Remark from Linda — Saturday, 9/24/2016 @ 11:09 AM
Just starting the SNake River Socks
Having trouble with the Faix=Cable
Rnd 3, 5, 7, 13 have 9 stitch repeats
not sure what I am doing wrong
Please help
13Remark from Kathy Reitz — Thursday, 3/8/2018 @ 4:56 AM
What does AI2K and AI2P mean please
14Remark from Judy Piekkola — Wednesday, 4/8/2020 @ 6:53 AM