Purl Heart Socks
I use a Turkish cast on. I cast on 16 stitches for each needle. Making the total on both needles of 32. I knit two socks on two circulars, toe up.
Increase two stitches per needle every other row till you get the desired amount of stitches that you need. I have (26 sts per needle. 52 total.)
I am a continental knitter so when I knit socks I prefer to purl. I purl across the Opposite needle. (Like if you look at your needles like a tea cup or a drinking glass. I purl on the opposite side that you would drink from). So these instructions will be purling most of the sock. If you prefer knitting you may need to adjust the way you do your lace heart.
The heart pattern takes up 13 stitches. So you need to do a little math to figure out where the thirteen pattern stitches are on the front of the sock.
Since I have 26 stitches per needle I would purl 6 sts then PM. Purl 13 sts PM. Purl remaining 7 sts. Purl across next 26 sts on other needle.
Heart Pattern: Across the 13 sts between markers. Then P across remaining sts of round.
Row 1: P6 yo, P2tog, P5
Row 2: P across all sts
Row 3: P5, yo, sl1, P2tog, psso, yo, P5
Row 4: P across all sts
Row 5: P4, yo, P2tog, P1, P2tog, yo, P4
Row 6: P across all sts
Row 7: P3, yo, P2tog, P3, P2tog, yo, P3
Row 8: P across all sts
Row 9: P2, yo, P2tog, P5, P2tog, yo, P2
Row 10: P across all sts
Row 11: P1, yo, P2tog, P7, P2tog, yo, P1
Row 12: P across all sts
Row 13: P2tog, yo, P3, yo, sl1, P2tog, psso, yo, P3, yo, P2tog
Row 14: P across all sts
Row 15: P1, P2tog, yo, P1, yo, P2tog, P1, P2tog, yo, P1, yo, P2tog, P1
Row 16: P across all sts
Purl around next 4 rounds.
Repeat heart pattern one more time.
While purling around the last row of the second heart pattern you can take the markers out.
Now you purl around the rounds until you get the length of the foot to where you need it for the heel. You can do whatever heel you like at this point.
I do an alternative heel described in ‘Crazy Toes and Heels” by Queen Kahuna. (http://www.queenkahuna-creations.com/ ) It is Short Row so I knit the foot till it is 1 1/2” inch less than the length that I need the foot to be.
Heel:
Work the heel on the opposite needles from the ones with your lace harts on it. You will be
working back and forth on this needle to turn the heel.
P2 sts onto stitch holder. P across stitches. Do the same for the second sock. Turn.
Slip 3 sts on another stitch holder. K across to next stitch holder. Do same for second sock. Now you have 2 Stitch holders on each sock. Turn.
1: sl 1 st onto stitch holder P across to next Stitch Holder. Repeat for Sock #2. Turn.
2: sl 1 st onto stitch holder K across to next Stitch Holder. Repeat for Sock #2. Turn
Repeat 1 & 2, till there are 10 sts left on each sock. If you have a wider heel you can leave more sts on the needles.
Above is an example of the heels with the stitch holders holding the stitches.
Now we start to do the turning of the heel.
K across to the st before holder.
Sl 1 st to right needle pick up purl bump from first st on holder K the slipped st and the purl bump together in back of st. Sl 1 st from holder onto right needle.
Repeat for sock #2 Turn.
1: sl 1 st P across to last st before holder. Sl st to right needle . Pick up Purl bump from next st on holder. P bump and slipped st together. Sl next stitch off of holder to right needle. Repeat for sock #2, Turn.
2: sl 1 st to right needle. K across to last st before holder. Sl 1 st to right needle pick up bump on back of next st on holder. K bump and slipped st together in back of st. Sl next st from holder onto right needle. Repeat for sock#2, Turn.
Repeat 1&2 till there is one stitch on stitch holders. On the purl row follow row 1 to last st on holder pick up purl bump of last st on holder and P with the slipped st just before it. Then P last st off of holder. Repeat for sock #2. P across pattern side of both socks. You will still have one stitch holder at the beginning of the next needle. With left needle pick up purl bump from st on holder then slip last st off holder onto left needle. P1, P bump and next st together. P across sock. Repeat for sock #2.
Heel is turned.
Continue Purling around both sides of both socks till you have them 4” inches from how long you want them to be.
Cuff Heart Pattern:
Now you need to take the number of stitches you have and subtract 39 (the amount of stitches that 3 heart patterns take up). Then divide the number of stitches that you have left by 3. You may need to add a couple of stitches to make it even. My stitches are a total of 52. After subtracting 39 I have 13 stitches left. Therefore I have to add 2 stitches to mine so that I will have 15 stitches divided by 3 will leave me with 5 stitches between heart patterns. I hope this isn’t too confusing.
P2, PM, P13, PM, P5, PM, P13, PM, P5, PM, P13, PM, P3.
Follow heart pattern between the markers that have 13 sts. P sts between other markers. Move markers as you go along.
After completing the heart pattern. Purl around socks.
Cuff:
P around socks for 4 more rows decreasing the amount of stitches that you increased just before the heart pattern.
Do a P2 K2 rib around socks until you have 2” of ribbing.
