Worked from the toe up with a gusset heel, these socks will fly off your needles.

The Alcedo Socks are the eleventh project in Boost Your Knitting, a programme to help you grow your knitting skills.

SIZES
XS (Small, Medium, Large, XL, XXL)
To fit foot circumference: 18.5 (20, 21, 22.5, 24, 25.5) cm [7¼ (7¾, 8¼, 9, 9½, 10) in]
Actual foot circumference of sock (unstretched): 16 (17, 18.5, 20, 21.5, 23) cm [6¼ (6¾, 7¼, 8, 8½, 9) in]
Foot and leg length are fully adjustable within the pattern.
Finished sock measures 0.5cm [¼ in] less than actual foot length to ensure good fit. Sample is shown in size Large with leg length 17cm [6¾ in] and foot length 24cm [9½ in].

YARN
Schoppel Wolle Admiral 6ply (sport weight (between 4ply and DK)); 75% wool, 25% polyamide; 400m per 150g ball)
Turquoise/ Türkis (4780); 1 x 150g ball

NEEDLES AND NOTIONS
2 sets 2.75mm [US 2] circular needles for working Judy’s Magic Cast On, or size needed to match tension
1 set 2.75mm [US 2] needles in your preferred type for working small circumferences in the round, or size needed to match tension (optional)
Stitch markers
Tapestry needle

TENSION
26 sts and 36 rounds to 10cm [4in] over stocking stitch in the round, after washing and blocking
30 sts to 10cm [4in] over texture pattern in the round, after washing and blocking (unstretched)

PATTERN NOTES
These socks are worked from the toe up, starting with Judy’s Magic Cast On. For this method two sets of circular needles are required. Once you have established working in the round, you may wish to change to your preferred needles for making socks. The foot is worked with stocking stitch on the sole and a simple knit and purl texture pattern on the instep. A toe-up gusset heel is worked, and then the leg is worked in the texture pattern throughout. The socks are completed with a ribbed cuff.
As an alternative to working Judy’s Magic Cast On, you could use a simple waste yarn cast on. Once the toe is complete, you would then remove the waste yarn and graft the resulting stitches together using Kitchener stitch.

SPECIAL TECHNIQUES
Photo tutorials for the following techniques can be found within this book:
Toe-up gusset heel

The following video tutorials can be found on our website.
Toe-up gusset heel
Judy’s Magic Cast On
Waste yarn cast on (optional)
Kitchener Stitch (optional)