Cable Socks in Novita 7 Veljesta - 11 - Downloadable PDF

Cable Socks in Novita 7 Veljestä – Advanced Knitted Sock Pattern by Minna Metsänen

This downloadable PDF pattern by designer Minna Metsänen guides knitters through the construction of a pair of beautifully textured cable socks, worked in the robust and characterful Novita 7 Veljestä yarn. Designed for size 38/39, the pattern is rated advanced and offers a rewarding challenge for experienced sock knitters who are comfortable with cables, gusset shaping, and working in the round on double-pointed needles. The pattern is available as a free downloadable PDF.

What Is Being Made

The project is a pair of knitted cable socks featuring prominent cable panels running along the top of the foot and up the leg, combined with classic ribbing at the cuff. The socks are constructed from the cuff downward, incorporating a traditional gusset heel worked flat before returning to working in the round for the foot. The finished socks are both functional and decorative, making them an excellent project for knitters looking to develop or showcase their cable and sock construction skills.

Materials Used

• Yarn: Novita 7 Veljestä, an aran weight yarn from the Finnish brand Novita. Approximately 250 g is required for the pair.
• Needles: Novita double-pointed needles, 3.5 mm, or the size needed to achieve the correct gauge. A set of four double-pointed needles is used throughout the pattern.

Gauge

The pattern specifies a gauge of 21 stitches in stockinette stitch = 10 cm. Achieving the correct gauge is especially important in sock knitting to ensure proper fit around the foot and leg.

Stitch Patterns and Techniques

The pattern draws on several distinct stitch patterns and construction techniques, making it a genuinely multi-faceted knitting project:

• Ribbing: The cuff begins with a *k2, p2* rib repeat, which provides elasticity and a neat, traditional finish at the top of the sock.
• Stockinette Stitch: Worked in the round by knitting every round, stockinette forms the background fabric of the sole and portions of the leg.
• Cable Pattern: The defining feature of these socks, the cables are worked according to two separate charts — Chart I and Chart II — as well as accompanying written instructions. Needles II and III carry the cable pattern across the top of the sock. Chart I begins from a marked arrow point, starting with 8 stitches from the left side of the cable in a *k2, p2* arrangement before the cable crossings begin. Cables require the knitter to track pattern rounds carefully, particularly through the heel turn, where a note must be made of which cable round to resume after the heel is completed.
• Working in the Round: The socks are cast on and worked entirely on four double-pointed needles. Stitches are distributed across the needles — 26, 14, 14, and 26 stitches — with the beginning of the round placed at the centre back of the sock, between needles I and IV.
• Gusset Increases: A traditional gusset is shaped by working increases on both sides of a central set of gusset stitches. Increases are made every second round for a total of 6 increase rounds after the initial setup, building the gusset to 16 stitches. On alternate rounds, the gusset stitches are simply knitted.
• Heel Turn (Worked Flat): The heel is worked back and forth in rows on needles IV and I only, using a series of short rows with slip stitches and paired decreases. Decreases include k2tog through the back loop on right-side rows and p2tog on wrong-side rows, with stitches slipped at the beginning of each row to create a neat selvedge. This technique produces a snug, well-fitted heel cup.

Stitches Used