This pattern is targeted for the new sock knitter using dpn's (my personal preference).
Its written in two sizes, for an average foot and a larger foot (a 9-10 shoe size). The large size directions will always
be listed in paranthesis ( ). You may want to highlight your size before getting started. .
Don't be intimidated by the length of the instructions, these are designed to make knitting socks easy for you.
TIPS or Helpful Hints will be located in boxes throught the instructions.
An ounce of trust.... some times the directions will sound quirky....but trust that they will get you to the next step.
TIP
To avoid SSS or Second Sock Syndrome, two socks can be knitted simultaneously. All you need is two balls of yarn and
two sets of needles or 10 dpn's. Resulting in a completed pair of socks at the end of this tutorial. This is also a good idea to make insure ribbing, leg & foot dimensions are equal on each sock. Take each step complete it on sock #1
and then repeat the step for sock #2. Voila....a perfect pair of socks!
CAST-ON
On one needle, cast on 48(56) stitches loosely. If a loose cast-on is a challenge, try using two needles together.
I have used a long-tail cast-on, but any cast on you are comfortable with will work.
Now divide the cast on stitches between 3 needles.(I find using 3 needles here is much easier than trying to juggle 4
needles at this point....we will add the fourth needle after the ribbing)
Slip the stitches purlwise dividing the stitches as follows:
16,16,16 (19,19,18).
Once your stitches are divided between the 3 dpn's, its time to join them to start working in the round.
Your needles can easily form a triangle, slide the stitches on the 2 end needles to the opposite side of the needle.
Tail and working yarn should be on the needle on your right.
VERY IMPORTANT - make sure your stitches are all facing the same way and did not get twisted.
Join by taking the the needle with the working yarn and tail and inserting into the first stitch of the 3rd needle knitwise
(make sure you grab the working yarn and not the tail) to make your first knit stitch and complete the join.
CUFF
TIP
The first row is the hardest part of making the sock. The dpn's seem to take on a life of there own.
Remember you are only ever working on two needles at a time, ignore the others. The first couple of rows may feel
awkward, but once you're past that it will be smooth sailing.... I promise!
Now take the 4th needle, as your working needle & contine in a K2,P2 rib. Remember you have already K1,
so on needle to the left of the working yarn you will k1,p2 (k2, p2)* *repeat to next to last stitch on third needle
and k1 as the last stitch.
When you have finished the ribbing on the 1st needle, that empty needle now becomes your working needle.
(Give your first stitch a little tug to minimize any gaps and prevent ladders)
Moving to the next needle, remember to position yarn to the back for a knit stitch and yarn to the front for a purl
stitch to eliminate any yarnovers or extra stitches.
Once you have completed your first row, your tail from the cast-on, will serve as your row marker.
Continue the K2,P2 Rib for 12 to 18 rows. If you have a row counter - this makes it easy to keep track.
Personally, I loathe ribbing but will usually rib 15 - 18 rows, but 12 will work just fine.
You have now completed the Cuff!
LEG
Knit one round
We are now going to add our 5th needle. This will actually make things easier, not more difficult as it might sound.
At the begining of the next row, knit 12(14) stitches, then start a new working needle untill you have 12(14) stitches,
Continue until you have 12(14) stitches on 4 needles.
Note that the needles are numbered and will refer to the needle to the left of the tail as needle #1,
and the needle to the right of the tail as needle #4.
This will make more sense to you once we get to the heel.
Continue to knit the leg until your work equals 9"(8.5") from begining of cuff, ending on needle #3.
If you would like to make a shorter sock, knit until desired length. If you would like a longer
sock, additional yarn will be needed.
HEEL
Once you have the desired length of leg....We will begin the heel on needle #4
or the needle to the right of the tail.
On needle #4, Slip the first stitch, knit 1 stitch and repeat (Slip 1, K1) until the end.
Now continue in the same pattern of Slip 1, knit 1 from needle #1 onto the same needle.
Resulting in 24(28) stitches on the needle, going from four needles to three needles.
TIP
The slip 1, Knit 1 pattern is making a more durable heel to extend the life of your socks. Cool huh!
Needles #2 & #3 will still have 12(14) stitches on each needle. These needles will rest
while we work on the heel.
Turn work,on wrong side, slip first stitch and purl the remaining of the stitches. While we are working on the heel
it is IMPORTANT to always slip the first stitch of each row.....this will help us to form the gusset/ankle.
Turn work, on right side, Slip, knit repeat to end.
Continue for a total of 23(25) rows.
TURNING THE HEEL
The following instructions will seem quirky, this is where the ounce of trust comes in...
but if followed carefully will be fun....just take one step at a time.
Row 1: Wrong side row: Purl (no need to slip the first stitch) to two stitches beyond the center
Average size 12 + 2 = 14 stitches
Large size 14 + 2 = 16 stitches
then p2tog (purl 2 stitches together as one), Purl 1 more stitch.
You should have 7(9) stitches remaining. We are not going to do anything with these yet.
Now TURN work to start next row.....and trust it will be OK.
TIP
We are doing short rows to create the bottom of the heel. You will start to see it transform in a few more rows.
Row 2: Slip 1, K5, k2tog, k1 TURN
Row 3: Slip 1, P6, p2tog, pi TURN
TIP
When k2tog or p2tog you will begin to see an obvious gap that you are pulling together
Row 4: Slip 1, K7, k2tog, k1 TURN
Row 5: Slip 1, p8, p2tog, p1 TURN
ROW 6: slip 1, k9, k2tog, k1 TURN
Row 7: slip 1, p10, p2tog, k1 TURN
Row 8: slip 1, k11, k2tog, k1 TURN - STOP if you are making the average size.
Continue if you are making the the larger size.
Row 9: slip 1, p12, p2tog, p1 TURN
ROW 10: slip 1, k13, k2tog, k1 TURN
You did it! You should have the 14(16) stitches remaining on your needle
GUSSET/ANKLE
In this step, we will pick up stitches utilizing the slipped stitchs on the heel to form the gusset/ankle.
Hold heel flap to see the slipped stitches....it has a tendancy to roll inward.
Pick up 12(14) stitches evenly along heel. Put your needle under both sides of the slipped stitch
TIP
I like make my last picked up stitch in the stitch between the leg and the heel to prevent a hole from
forming.
Knit across needle #2 and #3
Now pick up 12(14) stitches evenly along heel. I like to start this side in stitch between the leg and
the heel to prevent a hole from forming and using the slipped stitches for the remainder of the picked up stitches.
Now you have stitches on 4 needles again. But we need to position them slightly.
Thats right....its trust time again....
From your short row heel, knit 7(8) stitches onto the same needle that you just picked up the 12(14)
stitches or a total of 19(22) stitches on your needle.
Next, slip purlwise the remaining stitches onto the first needle where you picked up stitches, which should also
now have 19(22) stitches on it.
Guess what....we are now back to our 4 needle positions
Needle #1 is once again lined up to the left of the tail and the bottom of the heel, Needle #4 is to the
right of the heel and the bottom of the heel. Needles #2 & #3 are the top of the foot.
TIP
Give the first stitch on needle #1 an extra tug to insure no gaps form along the bottom of the foot.
Starting with needle #1 knit across all 4 needles one row.
Now we will begin the decreases to form the gusset/ankle. We will decrease every other row, so you may want to use your
counter to keep track. Decrease on odd number rows and work even on even number rows.
Row 1 : on needle #1, knit until last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1, knit across needles #2 & #3, on needle #4
k1, ssk, knit till end.
Note: ssk is slip 2 stitches(one at a time) knitwise onto working needle, then insert
left hand needle into stitches and knit together. this is a directional decrease that makes your sock look nicer.
Row 2: work even
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until needles #1 & #4 have 12(14) stitches remaining on each needle.
You will begin to see the gusset/ankle take shape...Cool huh?
FOOT
Knit even until foot measures 7"(8") from heel.
TOE
Now we will begin to decrease the sides between the top and the bottom of the foot forming the toe.
Like the gusset, this is a good time to pull out your trusty counter. We will make our decreases
on the odd numbered rows and work in an even knit stitch on the even numbered rows.
Row 1
Needle #1: knit to last three stitches, k2tog, k1
Needle #2: knit 1, ssk, knit remaining stitches
Needle #3: knit to last three stitches, k2tog, k1
Needle #4: knit 1, ssk, knit remaining stitches
Row 2
Knit even across all 4 needles.
You should start to see the toe beginning to form after just a few rows.....pretty cool and almost done!
Continue until all needles have 5(6) stitches on each of them.
Combine stitches on needle #4 and #1 by knitting across needle #1 leaving a total of 10(12) stitches on
one needle.
Slip purlwise the stitches from needle #2 to needle #3 leavin a total of 10(12) stitches on one needle.
Now all stitches should be evenly on two needles.
SEAMLESS TOE
The Seamless toe is the most comfortable of all closures and closly resembles those of commercially made socks.
Once again....the directions will feel a little quirky but with some trust and patience you
are moments away from your finished sock.
Cut your yarn leaving about 18" for you to work with. Thread your tapestry needle with the end of the yarn.
Position your sock so the working yarn is in the back and slide the stitches to the end of the right
side of the needle.
We will begin to weave the yarn thru our stitches either KNITWISE (as if to knit) or PURLWISE (as if to purl)
Insert the needle purlwise into the first stitch on the front needle and pull the yarn thru.
Insert the needle knitwise into the first stitch on the back needle and pull the yarn thru.
The first two stitches were our set up stitches, the following stitches we will repeat till the end.
Insert the needle knitwise into the first stitch on the front needle and at the same time slip the stitch off the needle
Insert the needle purlwise into the first stitch on the front needle and pull the yarn thru.
Insert the needle purlwise into the first stitch on the back needle and at the same time slip the stitch off the needle
Insert the needle knitwise into the first stitch on the back needle and pull the yarn thru
Repeat the last 4 lines until all stitches have slipped seamlessly off the needle.
YOU DID IT!!!!!
I find the last stitch to stick out and act a little wonky. Take your tapestry needle back up thru the last stitch to stitch it down so it
lays smoothly. I like to weave my end thru the top of the toe. And finish the sock by weaving the tail into the cuff.
Sock Tutorial for Sock/Fingering Weight Yarn
Sock Tutorial for Worsted Weight Yarn
Now you're ready to try one of these patterns. Happy Knitting!
