Winter is such a good time of year to put on warm clothes and snuggle up with a good book!
I was looking for a pattern for socks knit with worsted weight yarn because I wanted to make my mom some socks to wear to bed or around the house as slipper socks. We live in an area with cold winters so we both appreciate the comfort of thick, warm socks. There aren’t too many patterns out there for simple worsted weight socks so I thought I would put one together.
This pattern is written for the magic loop method and is easily adaptable to be made larger or smaller. These socks would be wonderful for someone who has swollen ankles as they would not dig in to the skin. The yarn I chose is very soft, inexpensive and easily washed by machine. They could also be worn over a pair of thinner socks for extra warmth. I chose a cotton/acrylic blend but they could easily be done up in a wool blend or superwash wool. I am not a fan of hand washing socks so I would not choose a regular wool or something else that would felt easily. I like to buy extra yarn so that I do not run out and I found two balls to be more than enough.
Materials: (1) ball of Bernat Denim Style yarn or any other soft worsted/aran weight yarn (196 yards). I just barely got one pair of socks out of one ball. If you made smaller socks, one ball would be enough, but if you wanted to make a bigger pair, get two balls just to be safe. You’ll also need one size 7 long, flexible circular needle, and one large yarn/tapestry needle for grafting the toe and weaving in ends.
Gauge: 9 stitches/2 inches worked in stockinette in the round
Abbreviations:
- K-Knit
- P-Purl
- Sl – slip
- SSK – slip, slip, knit (slip them as to knit, slide them back to left needle and knit them together through the back loops)
- K2tog – Knit two together
- P2tog – purl two together
Cast on 44 stitches. The long tail method of casting on is good and stretchy for a sock opening. Pull out a loop in the middle of your stitches and join, being careful not to twist.
Knit 2×2 ribbing (K2, P2) for 2 1/2 inches or as desired. Then switch to stockinette stitch and knit for another two inches or as long as desired.
Heel Flap:
Turn your work so the inside of the sock is facing you. Work back across the stitches you just knitted:
Sl 1, p across 21 stitches. Turn. (You may need to move a couple of stitches from the other needle so you have 22 stitches across your heel flap.)
Then: Sl 1, knit across.
Repeat these two rows a total of 10 times.
Turning the heel:
You will have just finished a knitted row. Turn the work so you will be purling (you will be looking at the inside of the sock):
P13, p2tog, p1, turn
Sl1, k5, SSK, k1, turn
Sl1, p to the gap you made in the last row, p2tog to close gap, p1, turn
Sl1, k to the gap you made in the last row, SSK, k1, turn
Continue decreasing to close the gaps made in the previous row until all stitches have been worked. You will have 14 stitches left.
Picking up for the gusset:
You will have a line of large loops made from slipping stitches on the edge of the heel flap. Pick up each of these loops, along with a couple of extra stitches near the beginning of the instep. This will help prevent a hole where the gusset joins the heel flap.
Then knit across the instep.
Then pick up the same number of stitches on the other side of the heel flap as you just picked up on the first side. Knit 7 stitches on the heel part you just turned and place a marker. This marker will be the beginning of your round.
Gusset shaping:
You should have the instep (top of foot) on one needle, and the gussets and sole on the other. The marker should be in the middle of the heel. You will start a round at this marker.
Knit one round.
On the second round, knit until 3 stitches before the end of the needle. K2tog, k1. Then knit across the instep needle. When you get to the beginning of the sole needle, k1, SSK, then knit to the end of the round.
You will then knit one round plain. Then work a decrease round, and then a knit round, and repeat until you have 22 stitches on the sole needle (44 stitches total). The foot will be the same diameter as the leg. Continue in stockinette stitch until your foot is as long as desired. I like to start the toe when the foot comes up to the base of my big toe.
Toe Decreases:
Starting at the marker, knit until 3 stitches before the instep needle. K2tog, K1.
At the beginning of the instep needle, K1, SSK, knit until 3 stitches left on instep needle, then K2tog, K1. At the beginning of the sole needle, K1, SSK, then knit to the end of the round.
Then knit the next round plain.
You will alternate a decrease round with a knit round until you have 10 stitches left on each needle – 20 stitches total.
Use the kitchener stitch to graft the toe closed. Weave in ends.
I am more than happy to answer questions or address problems or mistakes in the pattern. Please feel free to leave a comment and I will address any issues or questions that come up.
