Colorful Lace Socks (Free Knitting Pattern)

Socks fit shoe size: 6-9 (8-12)
 
NOTE: Slip stitches in lace pattern as if too knit. Slip stitches for heel shaping as if to purl.
 
PATTERN STITCH
Lace
Round 1 and all odd numbered rounds: Knit.
 
Rounds 2, 4 & 6: *K1, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo; repeat from * around.
 
Round 8: *K1, yo, ssk, k5, k2tog, yo; repeat from * around.
 
Round 10: *K2, yo, ssk, k3, k2tog, yo, k1; repeat from * around.
 
Round 12: *K3, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k2; repeat from * around.
 
Round 14: *K4, yo, sl 1, k2tog, psso, yo, k3; repeat from * around.
 
Repeat Rounds 1-14 for pattern

SOCKS
Leg
Loosely cast on 50 (60) sts, dividing sts on 3 double-pointed needles. Join to work in the round, being careful not to twist the sts. Place stitch marker to mark end of round. Work in k1, p1 ribbing for 1½” 3.8 cm). Change to Lace pattern, work even until piece measures 7” 18 cm) from beginning. K1 round, increasing 2 (0) sts evenly in the round – 52 (60) sts.

Heel Flap
Divide the sts so that there are 26 (30) sts on first needle for heel and the remaining sts equally divided between the 2nd and 3rd needles for instep; 13(15) sts on each instep needle. Work back and forth over the heel sts only.
 
Row 1 (WS): *Slip 1, p1; repeat from * across.
 
Row 2: Slip 1, knit to end. Repeat these 2 rows alternately for a total of 27 rows, ending with a WS row.

Turn Heel
Row 1 (RS): Slip 1, k14 (16), ssk, k1; turn.
 
Row 2: Slip 1, p6, p2tog, p1; turn.
 
Row 3: Slip 1, k6, ssk, k1; turn.
 
Row 4: Slip 1, p7, p2tog, p1; turn.
 
Row 5: Slip 1, k8, ssk, k1; turn.
 
Row 6: Slip 1, p9, p2tog, p1; turn.
 
Row 7: Slip 1, k10, ssk, k1; turn.
 
Row 8: Slip 1, p11, p2tog, p1; turn.
 
Row 9: Slip 1, k12, ssk, k1; turn.
 
Row 10: Slip 1, p13, p2tog, p1; turn. End sizes 6 – 9 with 16 sts remaining. Continue for sizes 8 – 12.
 
Row 11: Slip 1, k14, ssk, k1; turn.
 
Row 12: Slip 1, p15, p2tog, p1; turn. End sizes 8 – 12 with 18 sts remaining. Work one row across the 16 (18) sts.

Gusset
With first needle, pick up and knit 18 (18) sts along left side of heel. With 2nd needle, knit across all 26 (30) instep sts. With 3rd needle, pick up and knit 18 (18) sts along other side of heel, then with the same needle, knit across half of the heel sts. Keep the remaining sts on the first needle; there are 26 (27) sts on each heel needle.
 
Round 1: Knit to last 3 sts on first needle, k2tog, k1; knit across 2nd needle; on 3rd needle, k1, ssk, knit to end.
 
Round 2: Knit. Repeat these 2 rounds until 52 (60) sts remain; there are 13 (15) sts on first needle, 26 (30) sts on 2nd needle, and 13 (15) sts on 3rd needle. Work even until piece measures 8 (11)” [20 (28) cm] from back of heel, or until piece measures 2” (5.1 cm) less than desired total length.

Shape Toe
 
Round 1: Knit to last 3 sts on first needle, k2tog, k1; on 2nd needle, k1, ssk, knit to last 3 sts on instep needle, k2tog, k1; on 3rd needle, k1, ssk, knit to end.
 
Round 2: Knit. Repeat these 2 rounds until 28 (32) sts remain. Work Round 1 only until 12 (16) sts remain. Knit the sts from needle 1 onto needle 3. There are 6 (8) sts on each needle. Cut yarn, leaving a 15” (38 cm) tail.

Grafting Using Kitchener Stitch
Thread yarn needle with yarn tail. Hold the 2 needles parallel to each other. To begin, run the yarn needle knitwise through the first st of the front needle and leave it on the needle. Run the needle purlwise through the first st of the back needle and leave it on needle.
 
Step 1: Run yarn needle knitwise through the first st of the front needle and slip it off. Run the needle through the next st on the front needle purlwise, and leave it on the needle.
 
Step 2: Run the needle through the first st on the back needle purlwise and slip it off, then run the needle through the next st on
the back needle knitwise and leave it on.
 
Repeat these 2 steps, maintaining tension so grafted sts are the same size as existing sts of sock. When there is only one st left on each needle, slip the st off the front needle knitwise, and the stitch off the back needle purlwise. Bring the remaining yarn to the inside of the sock and weave in ends.

ABBREVIATIONS
K = knit; P = purl; k2tog = knit 2 stitches together; p2tog = purl 2 stitches together; ssk = slip, slip, knit; yo = yarn over
 
Thanks to Red Heart for the permission to share this pattern.