The ribbing pattern for these socks I found in an article in the Nov/Dec 2002 issue of Piecework Magazine, which was about a pair of wrist cuffs, adapted from "Weldon's Practical Knitter, 15th Series", published in England in the late 19th century. I liked the pattern, and I told myself that after all, wrist cuffs are only a sock without a foot.

Piecework quoted Weldon's as saying "These cuffs are knitted in a variation of the fluted bannister pattern, which is very elastic, therefore the cuffs fit closely round the wrist and are warm and comfortable." Since I was planning a birthday present pair of socks for a friend who wears size 10 wide shoes, and she wouldn't be there for me to try them on and get them exact, a generous cast on and a very elastic ribbing sounded like the best combination.

I adapted the ribbing pattern to my comfortable gauge and needle size for socks, and in a larger cast-on to fit the size wanted. The original pattern called for 00 double-pointed needles, cashmere/silk fingering weight, and a gauge of 10 ½ stitches per inch. I knit very tightly, and knit with 2 size 3 circular needles to a gauge of 9 stitches per inch in Regia wool sock yarn. This produces a dense sturdy sock fabric. You may need to adjust the needle size or cast on for different sizes. This sock would probably work fine at a lower stitch per inch gauge, it just would not be as thick and dense a fabric. The instep stitches stay on one needle throughout, and the heel stitches on the other.

Cast on 80 stitches onto two needles held together. Remove 2nd needle. Move half the stitches to the second needle. Join, being careful not to twist the cast-on row. Work 13 rounds of K3, p2 ribbing. Then work one round of *K1, p4; rep from * around.

Pattern rounds:
Rnd 1: *K4, p1; rep from * around.
Rnd 2: *K3, p2; rep from * around.
Rnd 3: *K2, p3; rep from * around.
Rnd 4: *K1, p4; rep from * around.

Repeat the 4 pattern rounds until your leg is long enough. I used 12 pattern repeats for about five inches. End on a K1, p4 row.

When you are satisfied with the length of the leg, begin your heel flap on the 20 stitches on one needle while the other waits.

Row 1:
Sl 1 purlwise, * K1, Sl 1 knitwise; repeat from * around, end with K1.

Row 2:
Sl 1 purlwise, p18, K1

Repeat the above two rows a total of 18 times.

Turning the heel:
Knit 22, k2tog, k1, turn
sl1, p5, ssp, p1, turn
sl1, k6, k2tog, k1, turn
sl1, p7, ssp, p1, turn
s1, k8, k2tog, k1, turn
sl1, p9, ssp, p1, turn
sl1, k10, k2tog, k1, turn
sl1, p11, ssp, p1, turn
sl1, k12, k2tog, k1, turn
sl1, p13, ssp, p1, turn
sl1, k14, k2tog, k1, turn
sl1, p15, ssp, p1, turn
sl1, k16, k2tog, k1, turn
sl1, p17, ssp, p1, turn
sl1, k18, k2tog, k1, turn
sl1, p19, ssp, p1, turn
sl1, k20, k2tog, turn
sl1, p20, ssp, turn
k22 (you may want to place a marker after 11 stitches, as gusset and toe decrease rows start there. I found at this tight a gauge the marker caused laddering and left it out)

Picking up Gusset stitches:
With the same needle that you've just K22 with, pick up 18 or 19 stitches along the side of the heel flap. Pick up one more stitch in the intersection where the heel flap meets the instep stitches, to prevent a hole.

Switch to the instep needle, start the pattern rows again, with a K4p1 row. The instep needle will simply be following the pattern rows all down the foot.

With the empty end of the heel stitches needle, pick up one stitch where the heel flap meets the instep. Then pick up 18 or 19 stitches along that side of the heel flap.

(Yes, at this point you will have 60 to 62 stitches on that needle. It is a bit tricky at first, but gets easier quickly)

Gusset:

Knit across the heel stitches and the other gusset stitches to the last 2 stitches, K2tog.

Knit next row of pattern on the instep needles.

Heel needle, K2tog, knit across.

Knit next row of pattern on the instep needles.

Heel needle, knit to center. Your gusset rows now start from here.
Round 1 - knit to last 3 stitches of heel needle, K2tog, K1. Instep needle, continue pattern. Heel needle, K1, SSK, knit to center/marker.
Round 2 - K all sts.
Continue this until the heel needle has 40 stitches on it.

Foot:

For the foot, knit in pattern on the instep needles and in stockinette on the heel needles until the foot is two inches short of the end of the toes. For the size 10 foot and my gauge, that was a total of 30 pattern repeats from the beginning of the sock to the toe.

Toe:

The pattern repeats end here, you will knit all stitches. Again, the row 'starts' at the middle of the heel needle, use a marker if need be.

Round 1 - knit to last 3 stitches of heel needle, K2tog, K1. Instep needle, K1, SSK, knit to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1. Heel needle, K1, SSK, knit to center/marker.

Round 2 - K all sts.

Continue this until there are 16 stitches left on each needle. Knit one round. Knit to the end of the heel needle. Slip the 4 sts closest to the needle ends over their adjacent neighbors. Use the kitchener stitch to join the remaining instep stitches to the remaining heel stitches.