Note: You will have yarn left over from making these Rainbow Socks - if you would like to use that yarn to make a lovely pair of Fingerless Gloves - the free pattern is here.

Size: S (M, L) to fit Women's shoe size 5-6 (7-8, 9-10)

Materials: Crystal Palace Kid Merino, 1-25g ball each of 5 colors. Choose from one of the following  colorways, or make up your own combination. Also try some of the new printed colors.

5 colors of Kid Merino are combined in stripes, 2 ends held tog.
Pairs of yarn colors: AA, AB, BB, BC, CC, CD, DD, DE, EE

Sock (make 2):
Leg: CO 55 (60,60) sts with 2 strands of A.

Work 8 (9,10) rnds of k3 x p2 rib.
With one strand A and one strand B, work 8 (9,10) rnds in rib.
With 2 strands of B, work 8 (9,10) rnds in rib.
With one strand of B and one strand of C, work 8 (9,10) rnds in rib.
With 2 strands of C, work 8 (9,10) rnds in rib.
With one strand C and one strand D, work 8 (9,10) rnds in rib.
With 2 strands of D, work 8 (9,10) rnds in rib.
With one strand D and one strand E, work 8 (9,10) rnds in rib.
With 2 strands of E, begin heel.

Heel:
Row 1(RS): k 27 (29,29), turn work.
Row 2(WS): sl 1, p25 (27,27), turn work.
Row 3(RS): sl 1, k24 (26,26), turn work.

Continue short rows in this manner, always slipping the first stitch of a row, until Row 18 (20, 20) (WS): sl 1, p9, turn work.

Row 1(RS): sl 1, k10, turn.
Row 2(WS): sl 1, p11, turn.
Row 3(RS): sl 1, k12, turn.

Continue in this manner until there are no more slipped sts.

With one strand D and one strand E, work the following rnd:

K28 (30,30), p2 (0,0), work k3 x p2 rib to end of rnd.

Repeat this rnd, changing the yarn for stripes every 8 (9,10) rnds in reverse order, until you have worked 41 (49, 57) rnds from heel [approx. 5.5 (6.25, 7)" from heel]. Begin toe.

Toe:
The toe is worked completely in Stst. Work the following rnds, continuing to change the yarn for stripes.

Dec rnd 1: k12, k2 tog, k2, ssk, k24, k2 tog, k2, ssk, k12.
Work 3 rnds even.
Dec rnd 2: k11, k2 tog, k2, ssk, k22, k2 tog, k2, ssk, k11.
Work 2 rnds even.
Dec rnd 3: k10, k2 tog, k2, ssk, k20, k2 tog, k2, ssk, k10.
Work 2 rnds even.
Dec rnd 4: k9, k2 tog, k2, ssk, k18, k2 tog, k2, ssk, k9.
Work one rnd even.
Dec rnd 5: k8, k2 tog, k2, ssk, k16, k2 tog, k2, ssk, k8.
Work one rnd even.
Dec rnd 6: k7, k2 tog, k2, ssk, k14, k2 tog, k2, ssk, k7.
Work one rnd even.
Dec rnd 7: k6, k2 tog, k2, ssk, k12, k2 tog, k2, ssk, k6
Dec rnd 8: k5, k2 tog, k2, ssk, k10, k2 tog, k2, ssk, k5.
Dec rnd 9: k4, k2 tog, k2, ssk, k8, k2 tog, k2, ssk, k4.
Dec rnd 10: k3, k2 tog, k2, ssk, k6, k2 tog, k2, ssk, k3.
Dec rnd 11: k2, k2 tog, k2, ssk, k4, k2 tog, k2, ssk, k2.
Dec rnd 12: k1, k2 tog, k2, ssk, k2, k2 tog, k2, ssk, k1.
Dec rnd 13: k2 tog, k2, ssk, k2 tog, k2, ssk.

Thread yarn needle through remaining sts and secure on wrong side. Weave in all ends.