Apirka Socks Pattern

Apirka is a Gaelic name that means “pleasant.” These socks will keep you pleasantly warm and cozy, whether worn in an office or trekking through the snows! They are worked from the top down with calf shaping for a snug fit. The socks start at the widest part of the calf, and then narrow as they approach the ankle.
The pattern continues seamlessly down the heel. The afterthought heel that is used here is easy to work and allows for working in the round instead of back and forth on a heel flap with two colors. In fact, the heel is worked like a top down toe, including grafting the last few stitches together. The heel stitches are worked with the waste yarn as a placeholder, and then the sole stitches are worked on top of the waste yarn. The sock will look like a tube until the waste yarn is removed and the live stitches put back on the nee-dles to work the heel.
This pattern can be worked with any needle configuration (DPNs, two circulars or magic loop). Stitches can be arranged on your needles however you like, since the instructions refer to stitch counts and charts instead of specific needles. Most of the instruc-tions for this pattern are charted.