Simple Socks In Fingering of Sock Weight Yarns

Cuff Down Formula

Yarn: 450 yds of sock weight yarn (these are designed for Regia or Baby Ull wool yarns, which needs two balls of yarn per pair).

Needles: US size 1 and 2, either 2 16” circular needles or sets of double point needles (either 4 or 5 needles to the set, I prefer 5 needle sets and use Brittany needles because the yarn doesn’t slip off them).

Miscellaneous Notions: Stitch markers, 2 or 3, I like the safety pin ones from Clover, or split ring markers ONLY;

Yarn needle; reinforcing nylon (Regia does not need this, neither does Socka or Wildfoote) in a matching or complimentary color.

Measure the foot of the intended victim, er, recipient <G>.  Use the directions in How To Make The Right Size Socks to do this.

These simple socks are designed for a woman’s foot, and a ball of Regia or Baby Ull will make a sock large enough to fit a wide foot up to 10 inches long.

On the smaller needles, cast on 65 stitches, using a long tail cast on, or your favorite stretchy cast on, since this needs to fit over the foot and up the calf.  Whichever type of needles you are using cast on all your stitches on one needle and then distribute them evenly over the other needle(s), slipping the stitches as if to purl from the first needle to the next, using 3 more needles if you choose to use double points in a set of 5, so you have 4 needles with stitches 16 stitches per needle, plus one extra on the last needle).  Make sure your stitches are not twisted on the needles, and slip the first stitch onto the last needle, and pass the last stitch cast on over this stitch, slip it back to the first needle, placing a marker around the cast on row for the beginning of the round.

Cuff/Leg

Work 1” of K1, P1 ribbing in the round.  Change to larger needles on the next round and work in stockinette stitch (knit all stitches) to a total length of 6”.

Heel Flap

If you are using dpn, knit the stitches from the first two needles onto a single needle in the following manner: sl1 (slip all sl stitches as if to purl), k1 across 32 stitches (do not work the remainder of the stitches, for this part you are working in rows), put one of the empty needles down in a safe place, I usually put it in the cuff near the cast on so I don’t lose it.  Turn your work and purl all stitches on the next row.  Work these two rows (sl 1, k1 across, purl back) for 2 ½ “.   End after working a purl row.

Turning the Heel

Knit across the first 21 stitches, k 2 tog, k1, turn.

Purl 12, p 2 tog, p 1, turn.

You are now working short rows, which means that you will not knit all the stitches across in each row.

Knit across the row to the last stitch before you see the opening between stitches, knit this last stitch together with the next stitch and k 1, turn.

Purl across to the last stitch before the next gap, purl this stitch together with the next one, purl 1, turn.

Work these two rows until you have worked the last two stitches together in each direction across the row.

Gusset

Knit across the end of the heel, and then along the side of the heel flap pick up 16 stitches, and one additional stitch in the corner at the instep, knit across the instep, pick up one stitch in the next corner, and 16 stitches along the next edge.  Knit the first 11 stitches on the first needle, place marker.  You should have (on dpn’s) 28 st on the first and last needles and 16 st on the middle two needles.  Work one round knitting the last two stitches on the first needle together, the next two needles even, knit the first two stitches on the last needle together through the back. (On circular needles knit the first two stitches together and the last two stitches together through the back on the heel needle).

Next row, needle 1, knit to the last three stitches, k2tog, k1, knit next two needles even, needle 4, k1, k2tbl, knit to end (on circulars knit the decreases over the first and last three stitches of the heel needle, BUT work them k1, k2tbl at the start of the needle and k2tog, k1 one and the end of the needle).

Next row, knit around.

Alternate these two rows until needles 1 and 4 have 12 st remaining on each (or the circular heel needle has 32 st remaining).

Foot

Work on the 64 st until the foot measures 2” less than the total length of the person’s foot from the back of the heel.

Toe

Round 1

Needle 1: knit to the last three st, k2tog, k1.

Needle 2: k1, k2tbl, k across.

Needle 3: k to the last 3 st, k2tog, k1.

Needle 4: k1, k2tbl, k across

Round 2

Knit even

Work these two rows until 8 st remain on each side, on dpn’s, slip all st on each side to a single needle for grafting.

Grafting the Toe

Break yarn, leaving about a foot for grafting.  Thread the end into a yarn needle (yn).  Hold the two needles parallel to one another, with the yarn end coming from the first stitch on the back needle.  Using the yarn needle like a knitting needle, insert the needle as if to purl into the first st on the front needle, pull yarn through, but leave this st on the needle, then insert the yarn needle into the first st on the back needle as if to knit, leaving this st on the needle, too.  Go back to the first st on the front, and knit it off, and then insert the yn into the next st to purl and leave the st on, go to the back needle and purl off, and then insert the yn as if to k, and leave on.  Work this way until all st have been grafted off.  Darn in the ends.