Service Sock
A service-sock requires three skeins of knitting-yarn for two pairs, with No. 11 steel needles. Cast on 24 stitches on each of 2 needles, and 20 on the 3d. Knit 2 and purl 2 for 3½ inches.
Knit 10, or halfway across the 3d needle, pick up an extra stitch and purl it, keeping this always for the seam-stitch at back of leg, knit plain to end of round. Continue knitting plain and purling the seam stitch for four inches.
Knit to within 3 stitches of the seam-stitch, narrow, knit 1, purl the seam-stitch, knit 1, slip 1, knit 1, draw the slipped stitch over, and knit plain to end of round. Repeat, narrowing as directed every 6th round, 4 times. Now knit without decreasing for one inch.
For the heel: Place 15 stitches each side of the middle or seam-stitch, and knit back and forth, 1 row plain and 1 purl, alternately, for 25 rows, always slipping the 1st stitch. To turn the heel, slip the 1st stitch, knit 15, narrow, knit 1, turn work; slip 1, purl 2, purl 2 together, purl 1, turn, slip 1, knit 3, narrow, knit 1, turn; slip 1, purl 4, purl 2 together, purl 1, turn; slip 1, knit 5, narrow, knit 1, turn; slip 1, purl 6, purl 2 together, purl 1, turn; slip 1, knit 7, narrow, knit 1, turn; slip 1, purl 8, purl 2 together, purl 1, turn; slip 1, knit 9, narrow, knit 1, turn; slip 1, purl 10, purl 2 together, purl 1, turn; slip 1, knit 11, narrow, knit 1, turn; slip 1, purl 12, purl 2 together, purl 1, turn; slip 1, knit 13, narrow, knit 1, turn; slip 1, purl 14, purl 2 together, purl 1, turn; slip 1, knit 14, narrow. Proceed to pick up 17 stitches down side of heel next to needle just finished, knitting each as you pick it up; knit the 30 left on the needle for front of foot, and pick up 17 down other side of heel; then knit on with these half the stitches left at top of heel.
Knit 1 round plain; narrow the 2d round as follows: On 1st side needle knit to within 3 of end, narrow, knit 1; knit across front needle; on side needle knit 1, slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over, and knit to end. Decrease in this manner every 2d round until there are 15 stitches on each side needle, reducing them to correspond with the front needle, and making 10 narrowings for the instep.
Knit five inches without narrowing, then decrease for the toe in the following manner: Knit to within 3 of end of 1st side needle, narrow, knit 1; on front needle, knit 1, slip and bind as before, knit to within 3 of the end, narrow, knit 1; on other side needle, knit 1, slip and bind, knit plain to the end. Knit 2 rounds plain, and repeat last 3 rounds three times more; then decrease with 1 row plain between three times, and after that decrease every row until there are but 4 stitches on the front needle. Finish off neatly, drawing the toe together and darning in with a worsted-needle.