The Barley-sugar Columns cabled socks are done!

This is probably the best shot of one of them showing the cables. Note the cheap-o "sock blocker" made out of a wire hanger. (I'm no Joan Crawford)




And here is the pattern. Consider it my Christmas, or Chanukah, or Solstice, or Kwanzaa, or New Year's gift to you. (if it's not too grand of me to say that).

It's not proofread but I think everything's correct in it.

Barley Sugar Columns cabled socks.
EAC, December 10, 2006

(these socks are based on a modification of the "Column Twist" stitch pattern out of Vogue Knits Stitchionary volume 2. I lengthened the k1, p1 section to enhance the "Greco-Roman column effect." As it turns out, the style of the cable is very similar to a style of column known either as the Solomonic Column or the Barley-Sugar Column. Thanks to Lydia at http://homepage.mac.com/nikandre/iblog/index.html for that piece of information, which gave the socks their name).

I used slightly less than two skeins of Invicta Sheepjes color 1342 (a light cream color, like typical marble). Any sockweight yarn would work, probably a solid light color is best to show the pattern. I would estimate it takes somewhere between 400 and 420 yards to make a pair of socks to fit an “average ladies’” foot. I take a size 7 1/2 to size 8 1/2 shoe (European size: 38) and these socks were designed to fit me. It is possible to lengthen them by adding either more rounds of the pattern repeat or more plain rounds at the toe.

They fit (snugly) an 11 1/2 circumference calf and narrow to fit an 8 3/4 inch circumference foot. If you have really slender ankles you might consider using the foot pattern (with only 4 purl sts between the patterns) on the leg rather than the leg pattern.

I think it goes without saying that I hold the copyright to these and I request that you not reproduce this pattern for sale or without my name at the top. You are free to make copies of this pattern to use yourself, to give to friends, or to give away as a "freebee" with the sale of yarn (especially if it's yarn you've spun yourself!) as long as my name remains on the pattern. You are also free to make socks for yourself, as gifts for others. If you wish to sell or raffle these socks for a charity reason, please contact me in advance to get my okay.

Gauge: 9 sts to the inch in plain stockinette; 13 rows to the inch in stockinette (row gauge is not crucial).

I used a set of 5, size 1 double pointed needles to achieve this gauge. You are welcome to use circular needles if you wish, modify instructions as necessary.

Loosely cast on 78 stitches. (I cast on over two needles held together.)

Join in a round and work in k1 p1 rib for 1 1/2 inches.

For the leg pattern, you will probably want to arrange the stitches so that you are either starting or ending a purl section at the end of a needle. This avoids ladders in the purl sections

This is a 34 round pattern with a 13 stitch repeat most rows, and a 14 stitch repeat for the cabled part.

Round 1: *p3, k7, p3*
Rounds 2-10: *p3, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p3*
Rounds 11-12: repeat Round 1
Round 13: purl
Rounds 14-15: repeat Round 1
Round 16: purl
Round 17: *p3, k3, make 1 using lifted bar increase, k4, p3* (You will now have 14 sts per repeat)
Rounds 18-22: *p3, k8, p3*
Round 23: *p3, slip 4 sts to cable needle and hold in back, k4, then k4 from cable needle, p3*
Rounds 24-28: repeat Round 18
Round 29: *p3, k3, k2tog, k3, p3* (you are now back to a repeat of 13)
Round 30: purl
Rounds 31-32: repeat Round 1
Round 33: purl
Round 34: repeat Round 1

Work through this pattern two full times (68 rows), then work rounds 1-10 once more.
Work Round 11 as a decrease: *p1, p2tog, k7, p3*
Work Round 12 as a decrease: *p2, k7, p1, p2tog* - you should now be down to a total of 66 sts in the round or 11 sts per pattern repeat.

Rearrange the stitches so that there are three of the “columns” on the instep needles, with a border of 2 purl sts at the beginning and end of instep (this should be 33 sts). You will have 33 sts for the heel.

Knit the 33 heels sts onto a single needle. Decrease 1 st in the middle of the heel so you are down to 32 sts (this makes the heel math easier). Purl one row.

Now knit the heel sts in pattern:
Row 1 (RS): *slip 1, knit 1* across
Row 2 (WS): slip 1, then purl the rest of the sts

Repeat these two rows for a 2 1/2 inch heel flap. This took me 34 rows. End after completing a purl row.

Turning the heel. This is a "band heel" also known as the "German strap heel."
Row 1: slip 1, knit 23 stitches, knit 2 together, turn
Row 2: slip 1, purl 16 stitches, purl 2 together, turn.
Row 3: slip 1, knit 16 stitches, knit 2 together, turn.

Repeat rows 2 and 3 until all the heel sts have been worked. You should have 18 sts on the needle. Knit 9 sts onto an empty needle and knit the other 9 sts onto an empty needle.

With that needle, pick up another 20 sts along the side of the heel flap.

Now, begin the instep in pattern again. You will be starting with round 13.
After completing round 13 across the instep, pick up 20 sts on the other side of the heel flap and knit the 9 remaining heel sts onto that needle.

Knit round 14
Then, on round 15, begin the gusset decreases. You will do this every odd-numbered round until you are down to 17 sts on each of the gusset needles, and 33 instep sts.

To decrease for the gussets, on needle 1, knit to 3 sts from the end, k 2 tog, k1. On needle 3 (or 4, if you are using 2 needles for the instep sts), k1, ssk, knit to end.

Foot pattern (slightly different from leg pattern as it has fewer sts, 11 per repeat most of the time)
Round 1: *p2, k7, p2*
Rounds 2-10: *p2, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p2*
Rounds 11-12: repeat Round 1
Round 13: purl
Rounds 14-15: repeat Round 1
Round 16: purl
Round 17: *p2, k3, make 1 using lifted bar increase, k4, p2* (You will now have 12 sts per repeat)
Rounds 18-22: *p2, k8, p2*
Round 23: *p2, slip 4 sts to cable needle and hold in back, k4, then k4 from cable needle, p2*
Rounds 24-28: repeat Round 18
Round 29: *p2, k3, k2tog, k3, p2* (you are now back to a repeat of 11)
Round 30: purl
Rounds 31-32: repeat Round 1
Round 33: purl
Round 34: repeat Round 1

Work through the pattern, decreasing as instructed, until there are 67 sts remaining: 33 on the instep needle(s) and 17 on each gusset needle.

You will be completing the repeat you began with Round 13. Then complete another full pattern repeat of 34 rounds and do the first 16 rounds of the pattern again (a total of 71 rounds on the foot). This worked out to about 7 1/8 inches of foot for me.

Work plain rounds until the foot is 7 1/2 inches or about 2 inches short of the required finished length. For me, this was five rows.

Then, do the decreases for the toe. I am assuming you have the sts on three needles, 17-33-17.

Round 1, needle 1: k to last 3 sts, k2 tog, k1. needle 2: k 1, ssk, knit plain to last 3 sts, k 2 tog, k 1. Needle 3: k 1, ssk, k to end.
Knit 3 rounds plain.
Round 5: as Round 1
Knit 2 rounds plain
Round 8: as Round 1
Knit 2 rounds plain
Round 11: as Round 1
Knit 1 round plain
Round 13: as Round 1
Knit 1 round plain
Round 15: decrease on both gusset needles but only do one of the decreases on the instep needle (this will even up the number of sts)
Knit 1 round plain.
Now, decrease every row as per Round 1 of the toe until 24 sts remain (12 on top, 12 on bottom. Weave the stitches together using the Kitchener stitch, block, and enjoy.