Chunky Wool House Socks

Instructions

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1. 1Cast on and ribbingCast on 36 (40) sts and divide them over 4 needles, 9 (10) per needle. Join without twisting and place a marker. Work *k2, p2* rib for 10 rounds (about 4 cm).
2. 2LegKnit 20 more rounds; the leg will be about 12 cm. Heavy yarn grows fast, so check your measurement every few rounds.
3. 3Marking the heelOn the next round, knit the first 18 (20) sts with waste yarn. Slip these stitches back to the left needle and knit them again with the main yarn, then knit to the end of the round. The waste yarn holds the place of the heel, which is knitted later; for now the sock continues as a tube.
4. 4FootKnit every round until the sock measures 9 (10) cm less than your foot length from the waste yarn row (15 cm for a 24 cm foot). This allowance comes from the toe and the heel, each of which takes up about 4.5 (5) cm.
5. 5ToeDivide the stitches into two halves of 18 (20) sts (needles 1-2 and needles 3-4). Round 1 (decrease): on each half: k1, ssk, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1 (4 sts decreased). Round 2: knit. Repeat these 2 rounds until 20 sts remain, then work the decrease round every round until 12 sts remain. Cut the yarn leaving 25 cm and graft the 6+6 sts with Kitchener stitch.
6. 6HeelCarefully unpick the waste yarn and place the live stitches on two needles: 18 (20) sts below and 18 (20) above. Join the main yarn, picking up one extra stitch at each corner, for 38 (42) sts. On the first round, k2tog each extra corner stitch with its neighbor to return to 36 (40) sts. Then work the heel exactly like the toe: alternate decrease and plain rounds until 20 sts remain, decrease every round to 12 sts, and graft with Kitchener stitch.
7. 7FinishingWeave in all ends on the inside; close any gaps at the heel corners with the tails. Knit the second sock the same way. Hand-wash the wool socks in lukewarm water and dry flat; to keep them from slipping on wooden floors you can add dots of liquid latex to the sole.