Ruth's Harvest Socks
By
Susan Sharpe
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These socks were named Ruth’s Harvest after a story from my childhood of a biblical woman called Ruth. It’s a story of faithfulness, hardship and love, and, at one point, Ruth has to glean wheat from fields to eat. The story has a happy ending as Ruth marries the farmer. Whenever I see a field of wheat I remember the story, so I designed this sock in remembrance of this powerful childhood heroine.
Ruth’s Harvest is a toe up sock with a heel flap with a Wheat Ear Cable on the front of the sock. It’s a slightly longer ankle length sock that I find is good to wear with ankle boots in the autumn.
Photographs: Andrew Sharpe Model: Lyndsey-Rose Sharpe
Size
Sizes: Medium ladies’ foot, lengthen to fit
Requirements
Yarn: 1 x 100g skein The Natural Dye Studio Chi (80% merino/20% bamboo, 366m/100g) in colour: Honeydew
Needles: Set of 4 x 2.5mm/US1.5 double pointed needles, or size needed to obtain correct tension.
Notions: Stitch markers, cable needle or extra double pointed needle, stitch holders
Tension
34 sts and 46 rows = 10cm/4inches in stocking stitch
Pattern Notes
Figure of eight cast on:
Using the sock yarn and two dpns held closely together side by side, but with enough gap to wrap yarn in between the needles, wrap the yarn around the needles in a figure of eight. For this pattern you need to have 16sts – 8 loops on each needle. Knit into the stitches on the top needle first, and then the bottom stitches with another dpn.
Wheat Ear Cable:
Round 1: k2, p1, k13, p2, k13, p1, k2
Round 2: as round 1
Round 3: p2, slip next 3 sts onto cable needle and hold at the back, k3, k3 from holder, k1, slip next 3 sts onto cable needle and hold in front, k3, k3 from holder, p2
Round 4: as round 1
Abbreviations
The Inside Loop list of standard abbreviations can be found here.
Instructions
Foot
Using figure of 8 cast on, cast on 16sts and distribute sts over 3 dpns.
Round 1: k
Round 2: needle 1: k1, m1, k6, m1, k1. Needle 2: k1, m1, k2, m1, k. Needle 3: k1, m1, k2, m1, k1
Continue to increase 2sts on every alt rnd as set until you have 68sts in total, 
k 4 rounds.
Now commence pattern as follows:
Needle 1: work rnd 1 of the Wheat Ear Cable pattern (34sts)
Needles 2 and 3: k all sts (17sts on each needle)
Continue as set, working the Wheat Ear Cable pattern for the instep on needle 1 and knitting the sole sts on needles 2 and 3, until the sock measures 7.5cm/3inches from end of heel, or required length, ending with rnd 4 of the Wheat Ear Cable pattern.
Heel Flap
Place the instep sts onto a stitch holder.
Slide all the sole sts onto one dpn; you will be working these sts backwards and forwards in rows.
Row 1: p to end
Row 2: sl1k, k to end
Row 3: sl1k, p to end
Repeat rows 2 and 3 until you have worked 35 rows, ending with a k row. Try sock on, as if you have a deep ankle you might need to do more rows.
Heel Turn
Row 1(ws): sl1k, p17, p2tog, pl, turn
Row 2 (rs): sl1k, k4, ssk, k1, turn
Row 3: sl1k, p to within 1st of gap, p2tog, pl, turn
Row 4: sl1, k to within 1st of gap, ssk, k1, turn
Rep rows 3 and 4 until all the sts are worked (19), ending with a p row.
Heel Flap and Gusset
On the 19 heel flap sts, sl 1, *k1, sl, repeat from * to end, then pm. Pick up 19sts from down the side of the heel flap, this is now needle 1. Knit up the instep sts, beginning with rnd 1 of the Wheat Ear Cable pattern, this is needle 2. Pick up 19sts from the other side of the heel flap, pm, k9 from the heel flap sts, this is now needle 3.You should have 91sts in total.
Round 1
Needle 1: k10 sts from heel flap, sm, k to end of needle
Needle 2: as set
Needle 3: k until marker, sm, *k1, sl 1, repeat from * until end of needle
Round 2
Needle 1: slk, k until marker, sm, k to last 3sts, k2tog, k1
Needle 2: as set
Needle 3: k1, ssk, k to marker, sm, k to end
Continue as set, decreasing on needles 1 and 3 every alternate round until there are 18sts on each of these needles, then work without decreasing until you have worked 26 rows heel flap rows.
Leg
Next round: k sts on needles 1 and 3 and work sts on needle 2 in Wheat Ear Cable pattern as set. Rep this rnd until sock is required length, ending with rnd 4 of Wheat Ear Cable pattern.
Cuff
Set up round: beginning with needle 3, work p1, k1 rib across needle. At beginning of needle 1, k2tog, then continue with pl, k1 rib to end of needle. Work Wheat Ear Cable pattern as set on needle 2.
Working the Wheat Ear Cable as set on needle 2, continue to work p1, k1 rib on needles 1 and 3 without further decreasing until required cuff length is reached, ending with row 4 of the Wheat Ear Cable pattern.
Finishing
Starting on needle 1, cast off in rib. On needle 2, cast off first 3sts in pattern, then cast off in rib to last 3sts and then cast these 3sts off in pattern. Cast off final needle in rib. Weave in loose ends. Repeat for sock two and enjoy!
Thank you to Margaret, Amber and Melanie for test knitting the pattern.
About the Designer
Susan lives in the UK and has been a knitter for over 25 years, cutting her knitting teeth on baby clothes for her children. She enjoys knitting (of course!), reading, listening to audio books, collecting hand thrown pottery and spending time with her family and cats. This is her first sock design and she hopes to do more designing work in the future. See more of her knitting on her blog, Celadon Crafts.
This pattern is copyright © 2008 to Susan Sharpe. All rights reserved.