Wear Forever Socks With Replaceable Toe & Heel Pattern | Sizes 10 to 12

What You Need:
BEEHIVE SCOTCH FINGERING, 3 Ply 3 skeins (1 oz. skeins).

Royal Society Double-Pointed Sock Needles No. 1

Important: ⅓ ounce more yarn is required to replace heels or toes. If you have ⅓ ounce on hand in contrasting color and do not object to contrasting heels or toes, you can use this for making the new heels or toes. To replace both heels and toes, 1 ounce extra is required.

GAUGE: 8 sts make 1 inch; 11 rnds make 1 inch.

Cast on 68 sts very loosely (for all sizes). Divide sts on 3 needles. Join, being careful not to twist sts, and work around tightly in ribbing of k 2, p 2, for 5 inches. Next rnd: Knit around, decreasing evenly around to 60 sts. Work in stockinette stitch (knit each rnd) until piece measures 11½ inches in all. Next rnd: With spare needle knit 15 sts from 1st needle. Slip the last 15 sts of previous rnd off 3rd needle onto other end of spare needle (30 sts for heel). Divide the remaining 30 sts on 2 needles for instep, but do not knit them.

HEEL … Turn and work over heel needle only. 1st row: K 1, p 28, k 1. 2nd row: K 1, slip 1, alternately across, ending with k 2. Repeat these 2 rows alternately until there are 29 rows, then work as follows: With right side facing, k 17, k 2 together, k 1, turn. Slip 1, p 5, p 2 together, p 1, turn. Slip 1, k 6, k 2 together, k 1, turn. Slip 1, p 7, p 2 together, p 1, turn. Continue in this manner, always working 1 st more on each row until 18 sts remain, ending with a purl row. This completes heel. Break yarn.

Place the 30 instep sts onto 1 nee­dle, then continue with either of the following methods:

Cast-On Method … Cut a strand of colored yarn about 24 inches long for marking. With right side facing, using marking yarn and leaving an end 8 inches long, knit across 9 of the 18 heel sts. With another needle and same marking yarn, knit across the remaining 9 heel sts. With spare needle and main color yarn (leaving an end for fastening later), knit across these last 9 sts again, then cast on 16 sts onto end of same needle (Illus. No. 1). There should now be 25 sts on this (1st) needle. With 2nd needle, knit across the instep sts. Cast on 16 sts onto 3rd needle, then knit across the 1st 9 heel sts with same needle. There are 80 sts in rnd. Continue with directions for "Foot."

Bound-Off Method … Cut 3 strands of colored yarn, each about 24 inches long, for marking. With right side facing, using one strand of marking yarn and leaving an end 8 inches long, knit across the 18 heel sts. Using second strand of marking yarn and spare needle (to be referred to as 1st needle), pick up 16 sts along left side of heel (Illus. No. 2). Stitches for instep are on 2nd needle. With right side facing, using third strand of marking yarn and remain­ing spare needle (to be referred to as 3rd needle), pick up 16 sts along other side of heel, then place the first 9 sts of heel needle onto end of this same needle (25 sts on needle). Place remaining 9 heel sts onto beginning of 1st needle. Join main color yarn at beginning of 1st needle and knit 1 rnd (80 sts in rnd). Continue with directions for "Foot."

FOOT … Decrease for instep as follows: 1st rnd: On 1st needle, knit to 3 sts from end, then k 2 together, k 1. Knit across 2nd needle. On 3rd needle, k 1, slip 1 st as if to knit, k 1, pass slipped st over knit st, knit to end. 2nd rnd: Knit around. Re­peat these 2 rnds alternately until 60 sts remain. Work straight until piece measures (from back of heel) 8 inches for size 10, 9 inches for size 11, 10 inches for size 12 (or about 2 inches less than desired size when completed).

TOE … 1st rnd: Knit to last 3 sts on 1st needle, then k 2 together, k 1. On 2nd needle, k 1, slip 1, k 1, pass slipped st over knit st, knit across to last 3 sts, then k 2 together, k 1. On 3rd needle, k 1, slip 1, k 1, pass slipped st over knit st, knit to end. 2nd rnd: Knit around. Repeat these 2 rnds alternately until 24 sts re­main. With 3rd needle, knit across sts of 1st needle. Break yarn. Using a strand of marking yarn about 12 inches long, weave sts together as follows: Thread marking yarn into sewing needle and hold the two knit­ting needles parallel to each other. Insert the sewing needle, as if to knit, into the first st on front needle and drop this st off needle. Insert, as if to purl, into next st on front needle and draw yarn through, but leave st on needle (leave an end about 4 inches long).

* Insert, as if to purl, into first st on back needle and drop this st off nee­dle. Insert, as if to knit, into next st on back needle and draw yarn through, but leave st on needle. In­sert, as if to knit, in first st on front needle and drop st off needle. Insert, as if to purl, into next st on front needle and draw yarn through, but leave st on needle. Repeat from * (Illus. No. 3) until all sts are woven together. Darn in ends of marking yarn.

Note: If Bound-Off Method was used for working heel, pull out strand of colored yarn from each side of heel, thus releasing 16 instep sts. Pick these 16 sts up on needle (Illus. No. 4) and bind off, using main color.

Finishing … Using ends of marking yarn, sew openings at sides of heel on wrong side. Draw sock onto sock form and press with hot iron through wet cloth (do not rest weight of iron on sock). Allow sock to re­main on form until thoroughly dry.

TO REPLACE HEEL
Open seams at sides of heel and pull out marking yarn, thus releasing sole and heel sts. Pick up sole sts on one needle and rip heel back to begin­ning. (If you find it difficult to rip, cut heel a few rows from beginning and rip only the few remaining rows.) Pick up the 30 sts of heel on 2 needles (Illus. No. 5). Place all heel sts onto 1 needle, join main color yarn and follow directions for "Heel" until 18 sts remain. With marking yarn, weave sole and heel sts to­gether (Illus. No. 6). Sew openings at sides of heel.

TO REPLACE TOE
Pull out marking yarn from end of toe. Rip back to beyond hole or en­tire toe, as desired (if you find it dif­ficult to rip, cut sock a few rnds from beginning of toe and rip only the few remaining rnds). Pick up sts so that instep sts are on one (2nd) nee­dle, and remaining sts are divided between 1st and 3rd needles. Join yarn and re-knit, following direc­tions for "Toe."