The Birthday Socks

I just turned 30. I'm still not sure how I feel about this event. What I do know is that it was a beautiful wonderful lovely warm day (and the nieghbourhood kids were in hiding! Yes!) and I couldn't enjoy it due to my back deciding it needed to pinch the sciatic nerve and leave me turtled all day.

Still hurts. Damn you, nerves. Perhaps more frozen spinach will help the pain (as far as I'm concerned frozen spinach is only good for a cold compress).

I did manage to finish my birthday socks. See, the first one is a Nixen-Socken.
Loved how it twisted as originally worked; when mirrored by its mate it looks even cooler. As it seemed a shame to hoard the mirror-pattern... I share it! (Please see link for other pattern)

This is a really easy pattern. Any questions, ask or google. Your choice!

Left of Nixen

sts - stitches
st - stitch
k - knit
k-f/b - knit front and back loops
w/t - Wrap and Turn
SSK -slip 2 sts as if to knit, knit together
YO - yarn over

I used a skein of Plymouth Socketta yarn in Plum colorway. It reminds me of a spring flower or a warm evening's sunset..so it's perfect for this time of year. It's also a nice cotton/wool blend which seems like it would make a nice breath-y summer sock.
I used a set of 5 US2 DPNs. I'm a US size 9.5, give or take.
To re-size remember this stitch pattern is worked over 6 stitches!

I did these toe-up (I'm rather hooked). I cast on 16 stitch total, 8 on each of two needles, Turkish style. I love this cast on but you can use whatever on you prefer.
Knit the first row, knitting 4 stitches onto 4 different needles (so it will be 4, 4 4, 4). Pull the tail though the stitches as a row end marker (or add a row end marker)
Next row after slipping marker knit one, knit front and back, knit rest of needle.
Second needle: knit 2. Knit-front-back loops, knit one.
Third needle: knit one, knit front-back loops, knit two.
Fourth needle: knit two, knit front-back loops, knit one. You will be at start of new row and will have increased 4 stitches.

Continue in this fashion:

ROW 1 K1, K-f/b, knit to last 2 sts (on next needle). K-f/b, K2, K-f/b, knit to last two stitches. K-f/b, K1 (At stitch marker)

ROW 2 Knit all

Repeat these two rows until you have 66 sts (or resized number divisible by 6!). When 66 sts are reached, work the foot of the sock in stockinette until the sock is two inches shorter then the foot. You are now ready to start a short row heel.
(Seriously, these are easier then heel flaps!)

Place the bottom 30 sts on a single needle for the sole. There will be 36 instep stitches. Double check that you are not twisting the body of the sock so that the toe is all weird. (Yes.. I have done this.)

Row 1 Knit to the last stitch of the heel needle. Wrap and Turn that last stitch.
Row 2 Purl across the heel needle until you reach the last stitch. Wrap and Turn Purlwise that stitch.

Repeat these two rows until you've ten stitches on each side wrapped (total of twenty wrapped stitches) and ten unwrapped stitches in the middle.

Now, pick up the first wrapped stitch, and knit (as one) the wrap and the stitch.
Turn work, slip one st, purl across to first wrap on the other side and repeat the pick up purlwise. (slight difference)
Turn, Slip one and knit to first un-worked wrap. Pick up.
Repeat this procedure until all wrapped stitches are worked and heel is complete.

Congrats. Mostly done!

Knit 6 rows (or more if you want the lace further from the heel)

Begin pattern at beginning of 7th row.

ROW 1 *2k, SSK, 2k, YO* Repeat this stitch pattern. Be careful not to loose any stitches as the YO's are at the end of the repeat!
ROW2 KNIT ALL (Original calls for a purled row between lace.. if you want to match existing socks which are purled between pattern rows.)

Repeat this till desired sock size. My little summer socks have 12 repeats of these two rows. (24 rows total)

To end, I worked three rows of 3x3 ribbing. I knit the first three sts (the higher part of the lace), and purled the last three (lower part of the lace).

Bind off as follows for a lacy very stretchy edge: Knit one. Yarn Over. Knit one. Slip needle under YO and leftmost stitch and slide both over the right most stitch. Repeat. Use a little crochet hook if it proves difficult to slide the YO and lift knit st over the right st. Use that same hook to slide the yarn tail though the very first bound off stitch to avoid a gap in the edge.

Tuck in yarn ends and enjoy!
For the record, my pattern makes ones that look like the sock with the yellow at the top. It mirrors the Nixen pattern. Please do not profit from this pattern. If anyone asks for this, send them back here to get it themselves. :)