Shur'tugal

by Alice Yu
A cuff down heel flap sock with a simple 8 stitch pattern that flows into the heel and toe. A sock meant to be worn by a Shurtugal, a Dragon Rider, to keep his or her feet protected and toasty warm during long flights with their dragon or, as in the case of my FIL Frank, for whom these socks were designed, by a retired Shurtugal happily tending his garden.
Originally published in www.theinsideloop.com Autumn 2008 Updated April 2009

Sizes
Medium (Large) To fit foot circumference: 22.5 (25)cm / 9 (10) inches

long tail method as usual. This gives you greater elasticity and also a nice rolled edge.

Right Twist: K2tog, leaving sts on left hand

needle; with the right needle, knit into first st again (the st closest to the tip of the left needle), and drop both sts from left needle.

Materials
Yarn: 329m / 360 yds fingering weight yarn.
The sample is knit in the medium size using Socks That Rock Lightweight in Rainforest Jasper. The actual yardage required will vary depending on your gauge and how long you knit the cuff and the foot. As a guide the test samples for this pattern used: Medium size measuring 21.5cm / 8.5 inches toe to heel and 21.5cm / 8.5 inches heel to cuff: 285m / 310 yds. Large size measuring 25.5cm / 10 inches toe to heel and 23cm / 9 inches heel to cuff: 329m / 360 yds.

Left Twist: Sl 2 sts knitwise one at a time, and

put both back onto left needle in this position. With the right needle, knit into the back of the second st, leaving the st on the left needle, then knit into the back of both the first and second sts and drop both from the left needle.

Notes
This sock is worked from the cuff down, with a flap heel, gusset, and decreased toe. The sock may be worked with dpns, 1 short circular needle, 2 circular needles or 1 long circular needle (using the "Magic Loop" method).

Needles: Size 2.5mm / US 1.5 needles (double

pointed needles, 2 circular needles or 1 long circular needle) or size needed to obtain correct gauge Markers are used (as necessary) between the sole and instep stitches; these markers also indicate the spots where you would change needles, if applicable.

Notions: stitch markers, tapestry needle

Directions are given for the medium size, with

Gauge
32 sts and 48 rnds = 10cm / 4 inches in stocking stitch. 6 repeats of 8-st Wickerwork pattern = 10cm / 4 inches k

the large size in brackets. Where no brackets are given, directions apply to both sizes.

Abbreviations
- knit - make 1 - purl - place marker - round - slip k2tog - knit 2 together m1 p pm rnd sl wyif - with yarn in front ssk - slip 2 sts one at a time as if to knit, then knit those 2 sts together through the back loop

p2tog - purl 2 together

st(s) - stitch(es) Right Twist Left Twist

Special Techniques
Doubled tail long-tail cast-on: Double the
length of the tail and fold it in half; treat the doubled strand as the tail and cast on using

knit on RS purl on WS purl on RS knit on WS

Shurtugal

Cuff
Cast on 64 (72) sts using doubled-tail long-tail cast-on. Arrange sts evenly on needles, and join in the round, being careful not to twist the cast-on edge. Use the tail from the cast-on to mark the beginning of the round. Commence 2x2 ribbing as follows: Rnd 1: K1, [p2, k2] 15 (17) times , p2, k1. Repeat Rnd 1 until piece measures 2.5cm/1 inch from caston edge.

Leg
Commence working leg pattern from Leg Chart: Work from Leg Chart, repeating Rnds 1-12 until piece measures approximately 15cm/ 6 inches from cast-on edge. For both sizes, end with Rnd 12 of the Leg Chart. Rnd 1: *K1, p2, k2, p2, k1; repeat from * 8 (9) times. Rnd 2: *K1, p1, Right Twist, Left Twist, p1, k1; repeat from * 8 (9) times. Rnd 3: *K1, p1, k1, p2, k1, p1, k1; repeat from * 8 (9) times. Rnd 4: *K1, Right Twist, p2, Left Twist, k1; repeat from * 8 (9) times. Rnd 5: *K2, p4, k2; repeat from * 8 (9) times. Rnd 6: Knit to end. Rnd 7: *K1, p2, k2, p2, k1; repeat from * 8 (9) times. Rnd 8: *Left Twist, p1, k2, p1, Right Twist; repeat from * 8 (9) times. Rnd 9: *P1, k1, p1, k2, p1, k1, p1; repeat from * 8 (9) times. Rnd 10: *P1, Left Twist, k2, Right Twist, p1; repeat from * 8 (9) times. Rnd 11: *P2, k4, p2; repeat from * 8 (9) times. Rnd 12: Knit to end.

Heel
Next 4 rnds: Work the 32 sole sts following Rnds 14 of the Heel Chart and work the 32 (40) instep sts following Rnds 1-4 of the Leg Chart. Note: The first 32 sts of the round are the sole sts; the remaining 32 (40) sts are the instep sts.

Shurtugal

Rnd 1: Sole and instep: *K1, p2, k2, p2, k1; repeat from * 8 (9) times. Rnd 2: Sole and instep: *K1, p1, Right Twist, Left Twist, p1, k1; repeat from * 8 (9) times. Rnd 3: Sole: *K1, p1, k4, p1, k1; repeat from * 4. Instep: **K1, p1, k1, p2, k1, p1, k1; repeat from ** 4 (5) times. Rnd 4: Sole: *K1, Right Twist, k2, Left Twist, k1; repeat from * 4 times. Instep: **K1, Right Twist, p2, Left Twist, k1; repeat from ** 4 (5) times. At this point, the sole sts are worked back and forth in rows and the 32 (40) instep sts remain unworked. Row 1 (RS): M1, k32, m1. (34 sole sts) Row 2 (WS): Sl 2 wyif, *p6, sl 2 wyif; repeat from * 3 times. Row 3 (RS): Knit to end. Work Rows 2 and 3 above 15 times total; there will be 15 slipped sts along each side edge of the heel flap. Turn heel Row 1 (WS): Sl 1, p17, p2tog, p1, turn. Row 2 (RS): Sl 1, k3, ssk, k1, turn. Row 3: Sl 1, purl to 1 st before gap formed on previous row, p2tog (1 st from each side of gap), p1, turn. Row 4: Sl 1, knit to 1 st before gap formed on previous row, ssk (1 st from each side of gap), k1, turn. Repeat Rows 3 and 4 until 3 sts remain at either end on the outside edge of the gap. (22 sts in total) Next row (WS): Sl 1, purl to 1 st before gap formed on previous row, p2tog (1 st from each side the gap), p2tog, turn. (20 sts remain) Next row: Sl 1, knit to 1 st before gap formed on previous row, ssk (1 st from each side the gap), ssk. Do not turn. (18 sts remain)

Gusset

Tip for closing the gap between heel flap and instep stitches: When working gusset pick-up rnd, when you reach the instep sts, using instep needle, pick up and knit an extra st in the gap between the heel flap and instep sts; on following rnd, work this extra st together with the first instep st as a k2tog. After working last instep stitch, pick up and knit an extra st between instep sts and the heel flap; on the following rnd, work this extra st together with the last instep st as an ssk.

Shurtugal

Pick-up rnd Pick up and knit 15 sts up right side of the heel flap, pm, work across the 32 (40) instep sts in pattern as set, pm, pick up and knit 15 sts down left side of the heel flap. K18 across heel; k15 to marker. (80 [88] total sts with 32 [40] instep sts and 48 sole sts) Commence decreasing the gusset as follows: Rnd 1: Slip marker, work instep sts in pattern as set, slip marker, knit sole sts to marker. Rnd 2 (dec rnd): Slip marker, work instep in pattern as set; slip marker, ssk, knit to 2 sts before marker, k2tog. Repeat Rnds 1 and 2 until 32 sole sts remain. (64 [72] sts total).

Foot
Work even in pattern as set until foot (measured from back of heel) is about 7cm/2 inches less than desired length, ending with instep sts and Rnd 5 of the Leg Chart (both sizes). Toe

Rnd 1: Slip marker, knit sole sts to marker, slip marker; knit instep sts to marker. Rnd 2: Slip marker, knit sole sts to marker, slip marker; *k1, p2, k2, p2, k1; repeat from * 4 (5) times. Rnd 3: Slip marker, knit sole sts to marker, slip marker; *Left Twist, p1, k2, p1, Right Twist; repeat from * 4 (5) times. Rnd 4: Slip marker, knit sole sts to marker, slip marker; k2, p1, k2, p1, k2; repeat from * 4 (5) times. Rnd 5: Slip marker, knit sole sts to marker, slip marker; *k1, Left Twist, k2, Right Twist, k1; repeat from * 4 (5) times. Rnd 6: Slip marker, knit sole sts to marker, slip marker; knit instep sts to marker. Rnd 7: Slip marker, knit sole sts to marker, slip marker; *k2, Left Twist, Right Twist, k2; repeat from * 4 times. LARGE SIZE ONLY: K2, Left Twist, Right Twist, ending with last 2 instep sts unworked. Large size only: Move first and last 2 instep sts to needle holding sole sts, so that there are 36 sts each for the sole and instep. Move markers so that they are between sole sts and instep sts.

Shurtugal

Commence decrease rounds. Rnd 1 (dec rnd): *Slip marker, ssk, knit to 2 sts before marker, k2tog; repeat from * once more. (4 sts decreased) Rnd 2. Knit all sts around. Repeat Rnds 1 and 2, decreasing 4 sts every other round, until 28 sts remain (14 sts each for sole and instep), then repeat Rnd 1 only until 16 sts remain.

Finishing
Cut yarn, leaving a tail about 30cm / 12 inches long. Graft remaining sole and instep sts together using Kitchener stitch. Weave in loose ends and block lightly if desired. Put them on and find yourself a dragon!

Alice Yu owns and runs Socktopus, and gets by with the assistance of yarn fumes, caffeine and her funny little black pug named Deuce. Say hi to her as Socktopus on Ravelry, drop by www.socktopus.co.uk/blog to read all about her Socktopus capers, and follow her Twitter tweets as Socktopus.

Shurtugal