The Game is Afoot Socks Knitting Pattern

“Come, Watson, come!” he cried. The game is afoot. Not a word! Into your clothes and come!”—Sherlock Holmes, “The Adventure of the Abbey Grange,” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

See? Sherlock Holmes really did say that; he never did say: “Elementary, my dear Watson!” (though perhaps he should have.)

This sock is meant to be a tribute to Holmes and Watson—an elegant and classic sock. It combines a simple rib with a pair of easy to memorize cables; but, just to give it a twist (like the best Sherlock Holmes stories)—it features a few unusual elements. At first glance, the sock looks like it has a traditional heel flap and gusset, but a closer examination shows this is not so. The heel is a Strong Heel, which means that the gusset is built together with the heel flap. The gusset also has the same rib as the rest of the sock. The back of the heel continues with the cable and also uses slipped stitches for extra strength. The cable and the rib patterns also continue all the way to the toe.

Yarn

SweetGeorgia Yarns Tough Love Sock (80% Superwash Merino/20% nylon; 425 yds [389 m]/115 g): Color Apple Pie), 1 (1, 1) balls/skeins.

Needle/Hook

Size US 1.5 (2.5 mm) needles: dpns, Flexitips, or 32” circulars.

Or size needed to obtain gauge

Gauge

 32 sts and 44 rows = 4" [10cm] in St st after blocking

Size

S (M, L): 6 ¾ (7 ¼, 7 ¾ )" [ 17 (18, 19)cm] calf circumference

Notions

Tapestry needle, stitch markers, cable needle.

The Game is Afoot Socks have been designed by Jill Bickers.