UPDATE: I have updated this pattern and I have made a series of video tutorials showing how to knit toe-up socks. My Happy Socks tutorial series is available HERE.

If you have been following my blog for a while, you will know that I am learning how to knit, and particularly learning how to knit socks. I can knit socks, and now I can actually knit socks that fit! I am so chuffed with myself, I can’t suppress smiling.

I have had quite some struggles with socks, they were too long, too wide, too narrow, you name it, I had it. I bought a recipe by Sox Therapist on how to make a cardboard mold of your feet and using them to knit socks. And they work like a charm.

Sock knitting supplies

To knit socks that fit I believe you need a cardboard mold of your feet, knitting needles, ChiaoGoo circular knitting needles are my favorite, and yarn. I am a big fan of self-striping yarn. For my first pair of socks that actually fit I used Scheepjes Metropolis, a classic sock yarn. An optional gadget you don’t really need, but that is great to have is a cozy for your needles; I have these from TIEN en MIEP Designs. Extra things that have found their way into my project bag are printed patterns, pens, stitch markers, a round counter, and even some cotton yarn if I need to insert a lifeline into my work. All happily chucked into my sock knitting project bag by Studio Stationary.

Scheepjes Metropolis yarn is available from Wool Warehouse (Ships International) and Caro’s Atelier (NL/EU) and well as many other Scheepjes Stockists.

Toe-up Sock – Free Knit Pattern

I am using the word pattern here loosely. What I am giving you here is the pattern I used to knit my socks. With my tension, this pattern gives a UK size 6/EU size 39 sock. I am giving you this method so that you have a starting point to adjust the pattern to your own needs. I link to video tutorials by several YouTubers who have really helped me get the hang of knitting.

Materials

• 2.5mm/80cm circular needles
• 2.5mm double pointed needles (DPNs)
• Self-striping sock yarn
• Cardboard mold

Abbreviations

• kte – knit to end, knit all stitches on the current needle to the end
• kte-1 – knit all stitches on the current needle to one stitch before the end
• k – knit
• p – purl
• m1r – make one right, increases a stitch to the right
• m1l – make one left, increases a stitch to the left
• st(s) – stitch(es)

Pattern

1. Toe
   • Round 1 Cast on 20sts using Judy’s magic cast-on, 10sts per needle [20 sts]
   • Round 2 kte on both needles [20 sts]
   • Round 3 (k1, m1r, kte-1, m1l, k1) on both needles [24 sts]
   • Round 4 kte on both needles [24 sts]
   • Repeat Rounds 3 and 4, 9 times [60 sts]
2. Foot
   • Round 23 kte [60 sts]
   • Repeat Round 23, 50 times till it reaches the indicated line on the cardboard mold [60 sts]
3. Heel
   • Knit a heel on the 30 sts from needle 1. The first time you knit a heel, it is a good idea to keep the sts from needle 2 safe by putting them on a stitch keeper. Also insert a safety line through the stitches of needle 1 so you can easily frog back if needed.
   • Knit an easy heel, such as a German Short Row (GSR) heel, or the Fish Lips Kiss heel. I use a separate pair of DPNs to knit the heel.
4. Leg
   • Round 54 kte [60 sts]
   • Repeat Round 54, 60 times till the desired length of the sock is reached [60 sts]
5. Cuff
   • slip 2 sts from needle 2 to needle 1 so that the stitches on both needles are dividable by 4
   • Round 125 repeat (k2, p2) till end of both needles [60 sts]
   • Repeat Round 125, 15 times [60 sts]
6. Fasten off
   • fasten off using a stretchy bind-off

Finished socks

My finished socks are so warm! I have never had wool socks before, and I just didn’t realize how warm they are. No more cold feet for me next winter.

I now feel confident enough that I know what I am doing to knit my hand-dyed-by-myself rainbow yarn into a pair of socks. I will show you those when they are finished.

With love,
Esther

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