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There are so many beautiful sock patterns out there, yet over the past couple years, I find myself repeatedly gravitating toward the method I’m sharing today because they’re simple, quick to make, durable, and most of all they fit my feet well. Every time. Without fail.
So I wanted to share my method for making these here because I’m asked about them often enough that I figured it was time to just go ahead and write a blog post about them. Apologies in advance to those who are newer knitters. If you’re looking for a sock pattern to guide you through the process, this probably isn’t going to be the most helpful of instructions because I’m not a pattern writer and I don’t spell everything out for you, but if you do some research on the basic construction of a sock, this might still be doable.
Another note before we begin: I almost always use a US2/2.75mm circular needle for sock knitting rather than DPNs, so I’ll be writing my notes as such. Also, because sock yarn gauge tends to vary, I will often adjust my cast on number by four. So although I wrote the notes below using 52 stitches as the cast on number, I consider it more of a baseline. If the gauge seems light, I’ll cast on 56. If the yarn seems thicker than normal, I’ll go down to 48.
If you make these, I’d love to hear how they worked for you. Also, if you read through my notes and have suggestions or questions for clarity, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below.
Simple Sport/DK Sock Notes
Using a US2/2.75mm circular needle and two strands fingering weight sock yarn held together, cast on 52 stitches with the German Twisted Cast On method.
Cuff
Divide the stitches so they are distributed evenly in half between each needle. Join in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches, and work 20 rounds K1, P1 ribbing.
Leg
Knit 30 rows.
Garter Heel Flap
For this next section, work only half (26) of the stitches on the needle flat (back and forth) to create a heel flap. The other half of the stitches will be set aside for now, and will make up the top of the foot.
Knit 26 stitches. Turn your work and knit the same 26 stitches until you reach the beginning. Continue until you have 30 rows and 15 garter ridges, ending on a wrong side.
Turn the Heel
(Right Side) Continuing on just the 26 heel flap stitches, knit until you are 9 stitches away from the end. SSK and then knit one. Turn your work so you’re facing the wrong side, and with yarn in back, slip the first stitch from your left needle onto your right needle. Knit until 9 stitches away from the end and SSK, knit one, and then turn.
(Right Side), With yarn in back, slip the first stitch on your left needle to your right needle. Knit until you are 7 stitches away from the end, SSK to close the gap and then knit one. Turn your work so you’re facing the wrong side, and with yarn in back, slip the first stitch from your left needle onto your right needle. Knit until 7 stitches away from the end and SSK to close the gap, knit one and turn.
(Right Side), With yarn in back, slip the first stitch on your left needle to your right needle. Knit until you are 5 stitches away from the end, SSK to close the gap and then knit one. Turn your work so you’re facing the wrong side, and with yarn in back, slip the first stitch from your left needle onto your right needle. Knit until 5 stitches away from the end and SSK to close the gap, knit one and turn.
(Right Side), With yarn in back, slip the first stitch on your left needle to your right needle. Knit until you are 3 stitches away from the end, SSK to close the gap and then knit one. Turn your work so you’re facing the wrong side, and with yarn in back, slip the first stitch from your left needle onto your right needle. Knit until 3 stitches away from the end and SSK to close the gap, knit one and turn.
At this point, all the heel flap stitches have been worked, and you have now turned the heel.
Pick Up Stitches
With right side facing, knit the heel flap stitches. When you get to the end, begin picking up stitches along the side of the heel. Pick up 16 stitches total.
Knit the 26 stitches that belong to the top of the foot.
Pick up 16 stitches along the other side of the heel flap, and place marker if needed to indicate beginning of round.
Gusset Decreases
Arrange the stitches on your needle so that the picked up stitches and the heel flap stitches are on one needle together (needle 1), and the 26 top of foot stitches are on the other (needle 2).
Continue knitting on needle 1 until 3 stitches remain. K2tog, K1. Knit the top of foot stitches/needle 2. On needle 1 again, K1, SSK and then knit until you reach the beginning of the round.
K1 round.
Continue in this way, decreasing the stitches for the gusset at the beginning and end of needle 1 every other row until the number equals the number of stitches on needle 2 (26).
Foot
Continue knitting in stockinette until you are 1 inch away from where you want your sock to end.
Toe Decreases
Make sure you have an even number of stitches on each needle.
Row one: Needle 1: k1, SSK, knit until 3 stitches remain, k2tog, knit last stitch. Needle 2: k1, SSK, knit until 3 stitches remain, k2tog, knit last stitch.
Row two: knit all stitches.
Repeat rows one and two, decreasing every other row, until you have 12 stitches remaining on each needle. Graft the toe closed with kitchener stitch and weave in ends.
To download these sock notes, click here.
PIN IT FOR LATER
Thanks for these notes! I am so over knitting socks that get holes within a few months. I am looking forward to trying these out. ❤️
You’re very welcome! I hope you like them if you end up knitting a pair. We wear the heck out of ours and haven’t had any holes yet. I know it’ll happen eventually, but they really do seem more durable from what we’ve experienced so far.
I dunno… I think even a beginning sock knitter could follow these instructions super easily… In fact, I’m rather wishing that the first time I’d ever knit socks, I’d had these instructions to follow.
Now… what weight yarn does fingering held double make? DK? Worsted? (I’m thinking about what from my handspun stash I might use…)
Well that’s encouraging to hear. I suppose I was thinking a newer knitter might not know the abbreviations, but i suppose it’s nothing they can’t google. 🙂
When I hold two strands of fingering, I usually end up somewhere between sport and dk, so if you have something like that in your stash it should work out.
Thank you for writing this post & for your recent vlog as well. I love that you share your vulnerabilities as homesteaders – there are so many challenges and the to-do list is endless. You balance those well with footage of your beautiful daughters enjoying themselves. We have a similar, but more seasonal set-up here in Nova Scotia where we only live on the farm in the summer & grow a very big garden as well as raising some chickens and continuously improving the 250 yr old unheated farmhouse. I dont share many of our challenges online to be honest but seeing your video makes me realize that maybe I should. Oh ! and the whole reason for this comment was to ask how many stitches you cast on for your daughters socks. My little one, Willow, is 20 months now & in desperate need of some wool socks.
Thank you, Samantha. I tend to appreciate transparency when folks share about homesteading (or anything really), so I guess it’s rubbing off in the way we’ve been sharing. It’s all part of the process, I suppose, and it’ll be fun to look back on later in life.
Where do you stay when you aren’t in the old farmhouse? It sounds beautiful.
To answer your question, I cast on 36 stitches when I made socks for my 5 year old, so for a 20 month old I might try 32 and go from there.
Thank you for sharing this pattern- could I ask what size shoe do you wear?
I wear a size 9 and have rather hobbity-type feet. My husband is a men’s size 11, and these socks numbers work well for both of us, though I will often knit the heel flap a little longer for him (and consequently pick up a few more stitches along the sides).
I liked the pattern but am still hesitant about trying socks. Sandy
Thank you so much for sharing. I just finished one and plan on making many more for the family this Christmas. I’ve never used this type of heal flap before and I’m wondering about how it will wear.
Thanks dear, perfect explanation, simplicity is always the best.
Claudia
(Italy)
I knit also only
Simple socks, when I knit them with ajour I don’t like them at my feet so back to my basic socks