Originally available in the March 2007 issue of the now-defunct Magknits, here is the Shimmer Sock pattern!  Enjoy.

Shimmer Socks

by Meg Croft

How many times have I started a pair of socks only to find that the pattern isn�t doing the yarn justice? Or the yarn is creating havoc with the pattern? This pattern was designed for hand dyed yarn that has a tendency to pool, spiral, or stripe. For best results, use a hand-dyed yarn with four distinct color changes. The picked-up and passed-over stitches bring small accent shimmers into areas of pooling color. Knit from the toe-up, this pattern allows the knitter to try on the sock for size, and to adjust the length of the leg for those knitters with less voluptuous calves than those of the designer.

Difficulty level

Intermediate

Size

8" [20 cm] around foot and 8" [20 cm] from top of leg to heel

Materials

2 skeins Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock (80% superwash wool, 20% nylon; 215 yd [196 m] per 57 g], color Desert Flower

set of 5 US 1 [2.5 mm] double pointed needles

US B [2.25 mm] crochet hook
fingering weight waste yarn in contrasting color

Abbreviations

LB: Lift bar between stitches onto the right needle as if to Make 1 stitch
PBO: Pass bar stitch over

Pattern

Casting on

Using a piece of waste yarn and crochet hook, loosely chain 38. (A helpful hint: make a small knot in the yarn closest to the last chain you made - this will be the side from which you will release stitches, also handy is to put a safety pin in the final loop.) With project yarn, pick up 36 stitches through the bottom bump of each crocheted chain, leaving a single crocheted chain stitch on either side as a buffer. Divide between 2 needles, 18 stitches per needle.

Short Row Toe

Knit across 35 stitches, bring yarn to the front as if to purl, transfer stitch 36 to the right needle without working it. Bring yarn around the stitch to the back and turn your work. Transfer stitch back the right needle without working it - yarn should remain in the front. Purl across to second to last stitch, bring yarn to the back as if to knit, transfer last stitch to the right needle and turn your work. Transfer stitch to the right needle without working it - yarn should remain in the back. Knit across row until stitch 34, repeat wrap, turn, and purl process leaving one more stitch every row until 14 stitches remain unwrapped (11 stitches on each side should be wrapped).

Knit across 14 unwrapped stitches, and without twisting the stitch, transfer the first wrapped stitch to the right needle. Carefully insert left needle tip under the wrap and lift it onto the right needle. Transfer the picked up wrap and the stitch back to the left needle without twisting. Knit the wrap and the stitch together firmly. Bring yarn to the front as if to purl, and wrap the next stitch without working it. (This stitch now has two wraps.) Purl across 15 stitches, transfer the first wrapped stitch to the right needle. Carefully insert left needle tip under the wrap and lift it onto the right needle. Transfer the picked up wrap and the stitch back to the left needle without twisting and purl the wrap and the stitch together firmly. Bring yarn to the back as if to knit, and wrap the next stitch without working it. Knit across row, and continue knitting stitches and BOTH WRAPS until all 36 stitches are live again.

You should now have a nice little toe-cap, with live stitches on one side, and the waste yarn on the other side. Carefully remove the waste yarn one stitch at a time (starting from where you marked your waste yarn) and put live stitches onto needles. Arrange stitches as follows: Needle 1: 19 stitches, Needle 2: 17 stitches, Needles 3 and 4: 18 stitches. With a coil-less safety pin or removable stitch marker, fasten to sock between needles 1 and 4. This marks the beginning of your row.

Knit one round.

Foot Lift-Stitch Pattern

Rnd 1: K1,*LB, knit 2 stitches, PBO, k2 stitches; repeat from * to last st, k1.
Rnd 2: Knit
Rnd 3: K3, *LB, knit 2 stitches, PBO, k2; repeat from * until 3 stitches remain, k3. (change made 10-30-2008)
Rnd 4: Knit

Starting with Row 1, begin foot pattern across needles 1 and 2. Knit across needles 3 and 4 (this will be the bottom of the foot). Continue working in pattern across needles 1 and 2 only. Needles 3 and 4 should be knit. Work in pattern for 5.5" [14 cm]. On a Rnd 3, and when the sock is long enough to be in line with your (or your recipient�s) ankle-bone, begin short row heel.

Short Row Heel

Start the short row heel across needles 3 and 4 (check to make sure that these are the needles used for the bottom of your foot), following the same directions for the short row toe, but leaving 16 stitches unworked, and wrapping 10 stitches on each side.

When all the stitches are live again, knit one row, and to prevent holes from appearing at the join of your leg and short row heel, pick up one stitch between needles 4 & 1, and 2 & 3, and immediately k2tog to keep 72 stitches in total.

Leg

Shift stitches: Begin Rnd 1 of Leg Lift-Stitch Pattern with K3, rearranging stitches while working in pattern as follows: Needle 1: 19 stitches, Needle 2: 18 Stitches, Needle 3: 18 stitches, Needle 4: 18 stitches - getting the last stitch from Needle 1. All needles now have 18 stitches.

Leg Lift-Stitch Pattern:

Rnd 1: *LB, knit 2 stitches, PBO, k2; repeat from * to last 2 stitches, k2.
Rnd 2: Knit.
Rnd 3: K2, *LB, k2, PBO; repeat from * to end.
Rnd 4: Knit.

edited 10-29-2008 for corrections.

Work in pattern for 5.5" [14 cm], or to desired length, leaving enough yarn for one inch of k2, p2 ribbing at the top. Bind off loosely, weave in your ends, and you are good to go.  For a neater ribbed top, k1,p1 around top and bind off with the tubular cast-off.