Construction:  Toe Up with Short Row Toe 
Needle:  One 24” 2.0 mm (US 0) circular needle. 
Cuff:    8 inches  - women's size 6 shoe
Gauge:     9 stitches per inch, fingering weight sock yarn (Opal used in demo at the Fair) and reinforcement yarn

Short Row Toe Up Cast On:
Using waste yarn cast on 32 stitches using the provisional cast on technique. 
Using reinforcement yarn and sock yarn, short row until 11 stitches remain unwrapped.  End ready for a right side row.

Reverse Short Row Shaping:
Unwrap the stitches.  On the knit side, pick up the stitch from the front, on the purl side, pick up the stitch from the back.  Work the stitch together with its wrap.  Wrap next stitch, turn. Bring yarn forward, slip the next stitch, yarn back, slip the wrapped stitch back to the left needle, turn. This stitch now has two wraps.  Work all the wrapped stitches.

Begin Knitting Circularly:
Unzip your provisional cast on and place the stitches on the needle.  (A crochet hook can make it easier to transfer the stitches to the other end of the circular needle.  Knit across and continue to knit each side.  You now have 64 stitches, (32, 32)  Drop reinforcement yarn.

Begin Foot:
Continue stockinette stitch until your sock reaches where your leg connects to foot.  If desired, knit for an additional one-half inch to allow for ease. 

Begin Heel:
NOTE:  Heel is worked in rows on 32 stitches.  Work the heel flap on a second circular or two double point needles.  Leave the instep on the main needle.  You can add the reinforcement sock yarn back now, or when turning the heel.

Heel flap pattern: 
Row 1  Slip 1, knit across, 
Row 2  Slip 1, purl across

Work in heel flap pattern until you have 32 heel flap rows or until the flap reaches the edge of heel.  Be sure to try your sock on.  End with a purl row.

Turn Heel as Follows:
Row 1:  Sl 1, K16 sts, K2 tog, K1 turn, 
Row 2:  Sl 1, P5 sts, P2 tog, P1, turn, 
Row 3:  Sl 1, K6, K2 tog, K1, turn, 
Row 4:  Sl 1, P7, P2 tog, P1, turn
Repeat rows 3 and 4, increasing 1 additional K or P stitch after the Sl 1 until all side stitches are consumed.  End with a purl row.  Drop reinforcement yarn.

Gusset:
Knit across heel flap on the main circular needle.  Pick up and knit 16 stitches from the side of the heel flap plus knit one stitch in the gusset corner.  Pick up and knit the gusset on the other side.  This is a little tricky with just one needle.  You can use a crochet hook to pick up gusset stitches and transfer them to the main circular one.  There will be 32 stitches on the instep side and 53 stitches on the heel side.

Gusset Decrease and Heel Back Patterning:
Place markers after the 10 stitch and after the 42 to denote the edge of the heel flap and heel back patterning.  You should have 32 stitches between the markers. 

Rnd 1:  Heel side:  K1, SSK,  knit until marker.  Knit to next marker, knit until the last 3 stitches k2 tog, k1.   Instep side: knit all stitches
Rnd 2:  Knit all stitches
Repeat rounds until there are 64 total stitches, adjust so there are 32 on each side of the needle.

Begin Sock Leg and Rib:
Knit leg to desired height.  Knit ribbing in desired pattern.  When ribbing is approximately 2 inches or desired height, cast off loosely.  Sewn cast off:  With a tapestry needle, sew as if to purl 2, knit one and take it off the needle.  Continue until done.

Adapted and abbreviated from a Sole Solution pattern. 

This pattern has very little details on how to knit a sock, which is why I  call is the "Short hand Sock"  Sole Solution is software that creates a complete, customized pattern with lots of options and sizes. 
www.needletrax.com/sole_solution.htm

More sock knitting patterns, lessons, archives, and e-mail list
www.socknitters.com

Opal Chatters e-mail list and list of shops carrying Opal yarn
www.ptyarn.com/join.html
 

Katherine Long
www.world.std.com/~kcl
Marthas Vineyard Agricultural Society's Dukes County Fair August, 2003