PROJECT: Sock It To Me...

Given today's little splurge, sock knitting has begun and bugger it, this one's for me.

Using Elizabeth Bennett's Sock Program I am trying a basic pattern in opal. This for the horrible post-broken ankle misshapen lefty.

Materials
Yarn: Opal green/cream/blue
Needles: size 2mm
Gauge: 9 stitches per inch
Ankle circumferance: 11 inches
Cast On
Cast on 100 stitches.
Divide the stitches evenly on 4 needles (excellent, 25 each needle - maths even I can do!).
Join, being careful not to twist stitches.
Place marker at beginning of round, between needles 1 and 4.
Knit K1, P1 ribbing for 1 inch.
Change to stocking st and knit until sock measures 8 inches or desired length.

Heel Flap
Now knit the heel flap:
Divide stitches for heel flap.
Knit 25 stitches (to end of needle 1).
Set 50 stitches aside (on needles 2 and 3) for instep.
Turn work. S1, and purl back 24 stitches (all the stitches on needles 1 and 4).
Knit heel flap in heel stitch:
Row 1: k1, s1 across.
Row 2: s1, p across.
Repeat until heel flap is square (about 2.5 inches).

Turn Heel
This is a round heel:
Slip 1, knit 32 stitches, SKP, k1, turn.
Slip 1, purl 15, p2tog, p1, turn.
Slip 1, knit 15, SKP, k1, turn.
Slip 1, purl to next-to-last stitch before gap, p2tog across gap, p1, turn.
Repeat until all stitches have been worked, ending on a purl row.
Knit across to end of needle.

Gussets
Now pick up for the gussets:
With needle 1, pick up one stitch through each slip stitch loop on edge of heel flap.
M1 raised increase at beginning of instep stitches.
Knit across the instep stitches.
M1 raised increase at end of instep stitches.
With needle 4, pick up one stitch through each slip stitch loop on edge of heel flap.
Still with needle 4, knit to center of heel.
You should now have:
(1) half the heel stitches and the first group of picked-up gusset stitches on needle 1;
(2) half the instep stitches on needle 2;
(3) the second half of the instep stitches on needle 3;
(4) the second group of gusset stitches and the second half of the heel stitches on needle 4.
Now decrease for the gussets:
Next round: knit to 3 sts from end of needle 1, k2tog, k1.
Instep (needles 2 and 3): k2tog, knit to 2 sts from end, k2tog.
K1, SSK, k to end of needle 4 (at center of heel).
Note: You decrease four stitches in this round. The extra decreases at the beginning and end of the instep needle remove the M1 raised increases from the previous round. On future rounds, you will decrease only two stitches per round, not four.
Knit even around.
Decrease one stitch at the end of needle 1 and at the beginning of needle 3, as above, every other round until 100 stitches remain.

Instep
Knit even until sock measures 6 inches from back of heel or desired length.
If the future wearer of the sock is available:
Try on the sock (the ninja sock of death, with all the needles sticking out).
It should reach to about the beginning of the toes.

Toe
This is a standard toe shaping:
Decrease round:
Needle 1: K to 3 sts from end, k2tog, k1.
Needle 2: K1, SKP, knit to end.
Needle 3: K to 3 sts from end, k2tog, k1.
Needle 4: K1, SKP, knit to end.
Knit one round even. Alternate decrease and plain rounds until 25 stitches remain.
Place stitches on 2 needles and graft together.

Weave in any loose ends of yarn.