Knitting a Coptic Sock: The Practical Bit

The Pattern

Materials: 100 g Jacobs Fleece Wool, 1 darning needle, scissors

Size 7/8

Tension is based on 10 stitches = 5cm and 3 rows =1cm

Big Toe
Create 18 stitches
Row 1: Stitch the 18 stitches from left to right
Round 2: Join stitch 18 to stitch 1 and start knitting in the round
Continue to knit in the round until
Round 12: Knit every other stitch (9 stitches)
Knit in the round until
Round 15: Knit one stitch and then knit very other stitch (5 stitches remain)
Round 17: Knit every other stitch until 2 stitches remain
Round 18: Knit the remaining stitches together to close the hole

Other toes
Create 36 stitches
Row 1: Stitch the 36 stitches from left to right
Round 2: Join stitch 36 to stitch 1 and start knitting in the round
Continue to knit in the round until
Round 12: Knit 3 stitches then skip 1; repeat until to end (27 stitches)
Knit in the round until
Round 15: Knit one stitch and then knit very other for the next 10 stitches, knit every stitch end to end (22 stitches remain)
Round 16: Knit one stitch and then knit very other for the next 10 stitches, knit every stitch end to end (17 stitches remain)
Round 17: Knit one stitch and then knit very other for the next 10 stitches, knit every stitch end to end (12 stitches remain)
Round 18: Knit every stitch
Round 19: Knit the remaining stitches together to close the hole

Foot
Place both completed toes alongside each other so the open ends are aligned. (You may find it easier to pin them together). Using the stitches along this bottom edge, knit 54 stitches in the round joining the two toes together.
Continue knitting in the round until the foot both reaches your ankle and the underside can be pulled to the back of your foot/heel.
To get the right size and fit, keep trying the the sock on.


Ankle
Create 60 stitches
Round 1 – Foundation chain of 60 stitches
Round 2 – Join stitch 60 to stitch 1
Continue to knit in the round until
Round 5: Knit 5 stitches then skip a stitch, then 5 stitches and skip a stitch again until you reduce the stitches to 50.
Continue to knit in the round until it measure 6 cm or the length required from the top of the sock to top of the foot.


Heel Flap
When the Ankle reaches the top of the foot part of the sock stop knitting in the round.
Count 17 stitches in from the first stitch and pick up 16 stitches centrally from the ankle piece to create the heel flap – there should be 17 stitches on either side of the flap.
Knit these 16 stitches backwards and forwards until the flap measures 8 cm or reaches to the base of the foot.

Then you need to knit a rectangular piece, 17 stitches wide, which reaches from the bottom of right hand side of the ankle of the sock under your foot and round to the bottom on the left hand side of the ankle.
This can either be knitted separately and stitched to the sock at the end or it can be knitted onto the bottom of the ankle by the heel flap and grafted to the sole of the sock before being joined to the other side of the ankle. Again, keep trying on the ankle part to check it fits!

You now have a two-toed Coptic sock

Note: Remember that you need a left and a right pair, so which way round you stitch the foot part to the ankle part of the sock is very important when making your second sock!

If you get small holes across the sock just back fill them with the same stitch.