KATH MARTIN

MELBOURNE SOCKS •
@MINDFUL.MELBOURNE.MAKER
This is my go-to basic sock recipe that I use when knitting up a Yarn
variety of fingering weight (4ply) cuff down socks. This recipe is the
Any fingering weight (4ply) sock yarn
‘home base’ for most of my socks – a concept that inspired the
Approx 400m per 100g
name, as Melbourne is my home base.
Needles
I tend to mix and match the heel and stitch patterns depending on
the yarn and the kind of mood I am in. The pattern contains a few 2.25mm / US1 sock needles of choice
options for both. I hope this helps you with your sock knitting!
I tend to use either magic loop with a 40″
Cast On circular needle or a 9″ circular needle

Cast on 56 (64) 72 sts using the German Twisted Cast On method.

Gauge
If I’m using magic loop, I normally cast on fairly tightly over both 36 sts x 48 rows = 10cm (4″) in
needles held together with the needle tips pointing in the same stockinette [blocked]
direction. This stretchy cast on method gives me the perfect
amount of stretch for the cuff of my sock. Once all the sts are cast
Sizes
on, carefully pull one of the needle tips out from the cast on sts.
Fingering weight sock patterns often
When I knit my sock on 9″ circulars, I tend to cast on using magic come in a standard range of sizes based
loop and then transfer my stitches onto the small circular needle on regularly used cast on numbers –
once I’m a few rounds in to achieve this same tension. But you can small (56 sts), medium (64 sts) and large
do what works best for you. (72 sts).

Join in the round. These numbers may vary slightly

between patterns depending on the
Cuff options designer and the type of pattern, but
once you have knitted a few pairs of
I generally aim for 20-25 rounds for my cuffs but I do adjust this socks you will come to know the stitch
depending on my mood, my patience, if the yarn is self-striping or if I count you prefer depending on your
am limited in the amount of contrast yarn I have. gauge and your preferred fit.

2x2 rib – (k2, p2) repeat until end of round for all rounds I wear a size 9 (US) women’s shoe and I
almost always choose to knit a medium
1x1 rib – (k1, p1) repeat until end of round for all rounds or 64 st sock.

1x1 twisted rib – (ktbl1, p1) repeat until end of round for all rounds

Self-striping – k one of the above rib options until you reach a

colour change, then on the first st of a new colour stripe I knit every
st of that round back to that first st in the new colour and then I
restart whichever rib pattern I was doing – this gives a beautiful
clean line to the colour changes in your rib fabric.

Colour pop – cast on as above with a contrast colour, knit two

rounds of your preferred rib option using that yarn, then switch to
your main or second colour on the third round, knit every st of the
third round back to the first st in the new yarn and then restart the
Shortie socks with contrast heel flap and turn and
twisted rib cuff
ribbing pattern. This will create a nice contrast at the cuff with a
clean line at the colour change.
Tips & Tricks
Place a lightbulb stitch marker every
Self-striping colour pop – make the initial slip knot at the first 10 or 20 rows on your leg and foot while
colour change and hold the ‘tail’ towards the front of the needles knitting your sock to help count your
when casting on, then commence preferred rib option. This will give rounds and to motivate you!
a thin line of a contrast colour at the top of the cuff.

Leg Options Don’t be intimidated by any of the sock

knitting steps or techniques.
Vanilla – k every st of every round [k the number of rounds for your
preferred leg length] There are so many helpful YouTube
videos that walk you through how to do
Rib – k and p in your preferred rib pattern for the whole round (if you each technique if you get stuck.
want ribbing all around the leg of the sock) or just for the first half of
the sts (if you only want ribbing on the front). I like (k2, p2) or (k3, Reach out to me if you want me to point
p1) as basic rib options. you towards the videos that helped me
the most when I was learning.
Self-striping slipped sts – for added interest with colour changes
in self-striping yarn, k every st in every round until you come to the
first st of a colour change. From the first st of the new colour
Don’t stress about your stitch counts
commence the following pattern: (k3, sl1 purlwise) repeat to the
too much when knitting the heel and
first st of the new colour.Repeat this for every colour stripe. You
picking up for the gusset, you can easily
can also slip that same st on the second round for a more dramatic
get back to your cast on number during
effect.
the gusset decreases by just doing more
or fewer decreases – it really won’t
The length of the leg is entirely up to you. As a guide: for shortie
affect your sock too much if you have a
socks I knit 4-8 rounds of leg; for mid length socks I knit 30 – 40
few extra stitches here and there!
rounds of leg; for longer socks I knit around 60 rounds of leg.

Heel options If you can, try the sock on the foot you
I’ve given you the option of either a heel flap and gusset or are knitting it for as you knit it to make
afterthought heel. I use an afterthought heel for most self-striping sure it fits.
socks where I don’t want to disrupt the striping pattern, otherwise
the heel flap and gusset is my preferred heel. You will know it is time to start the toe
when the sock is long enough to cover
[If you want to use an afterthought heel – skip these heel just over half the pinkie toe.
instructions and go to Foot instructions]
Want to memorise your sock numbers
Heel Flap so you don’t have to look at a pattern?
K across the first half of sts, then the start the slipped stitch heel
flap on the second half of sts of that round. You can divide your cast on number to
guide you for each element as follows:
Row 1 – (sl1, k1) repeat to end of row
Cast on = 64 sts, 32 sts per needle
Row 2 – sl1, p to end of row
Heel flap = 32 sts x 32 rows (half of 64)
Slipped stitches on heel = 16 (half of 32)
Repeat these two rows 14 (16) 18 times in total, resulting in 14 (16)
Gusset pick up = 16 each side
18 slipped sts on the heel flap. Finish with Row 2.
Heel turn 1st row = Sl1, k16... (half of 32)
Toe final st count = 16 (half of 32)

2
Heel Turn
This link will take you to a handy chart
Row 1 – sl1, k14 (16) 18, ssk, k1, turn for men, women and children’s feet
Row 2 – sl1, p3, p2tog, p1, turn measurements. If you can’t try the sock
on, aim to knit the foot so the total
Row 3 – sl1, k4, ssk, k1, turn
length from heel to toe will be approx.
Row 4 – sl1, p5, p2tog, p1, turn 2.5cm (1″) shorter than the total foot
length for a nice fit.
Continue this pattern: sl1, k or p to 1 st before the gap, then ssk, k or
p2tog, p, then turn – until all sts are worked and all the gaps are
closed. The RS of the heel flap should be facing you.
To work out the placement of the
Gusset afterthought heel: measure your foot
K across the heel sts. Then, using the RH needle, pick up 14 (16) 18 length, then subtract 4cm (1.5″), use the
sts along the side of the gusset and then pick up an extra st in the answer to measure from the tip of the
gap between the gusset and the front of the sock. finished sock toe back towards the cuff
and mark that row.
K across the front of the sock in your desired pattern. Then pick up
an extra st in the gap between the front of the sock and the gusset. For example, I wear a women’s size US 9
Then pick up 14 (16) 18 sts along the other side of the gusset. You and I mark the row that is 19.5cm (7.75″)
should be back to the first st on the heel flap. This will be your new back from the tip of the toe for my heel
BoR for the gusset decreases. and it fits great.

I always adjust my magic loop needles so that the sts for the front of
the sock are on one needle, and the heel and gusset sts are all on
the second needle. If I am using a small circular needle, I place st
markers at each end of the front of the foot.

Rd 1 – k to 3 sts before RH side of the front of the foot, k2tog, k1, k

across front of foot (in pattern if required), k1, ssk, k to end of round
Rd 2 – k to end of round

Repeat these two rows as many times as required to get your total
st count back to 56 (64) 72.

Foot
Once the gusset decreases are complete, you can move your BoR
forward to the RH side of the front of the foot.

Vanilla – k every st of every round.

Rib/pattern – continue to knit and purl in the rib pattern used in the
leg section (or continue the slipped st patterning) for the first half of
the sts and then knit to the end of the round, so that the fabric on
the bottom of the foot is stockinette.
Stripey advent socks with afterthought contrast heel
Knit the number of rounds required for the sock to fit the foot you
and clean stripe transitions in the cuff
are knitting for.

3
Toe Glossary
I always knit the toe using magic loop. If you are joining a contrast BoR = beginning of round
colour for the toe, knit one plain row in the new colour. Then
commence decrease rows: k = knit

Rd 1 – *k1, ssk, k to 3 sts before the end of the first needle, k2tog, k2tog = knit two together
k1* repeat on second needle
Rd 2 – k to end of round ktbl = knit through the back loop

Repeat these two rounds until there are 28 (32) 36 sts in total. Then p = purl
start decreases every round.
p2tog = purl two together
Rd 1 – *k1, ssk, k to 3 sts before the end of the first needle, k2tog,
k1* repeat on second needle RH = right hand

Repeat this round until there are 12 (16) 20 sts in total. RS = right side

Use Kitchener stitch to graft the remaining toe sts closed. sl1 = slip one stitch purlwise

[If you want to use an afterthought heel – insert it at this point] ssk = slip slip knit

Afterthought Heel st(s) = stitch(es)

An afterthought heel is similar to knitting the toe, but with added
fabric at the start. I always use magic loop to knit this type of heel.

Place a lightbulb stitch marker through a single st in the middle of

the row where you want your heel. Using one end of your long
circular needles, pick up the right leg of every st in the row below
the marked st. Pull the needle through once there are 28 (32) 36 sts
on the needle. Turn the sock 180 degrees and using that same end
of the needle, pick up the right leg of every st in the row on the
opposite side of the marked row. Because you have turned your
sock, this will also be the row below the marked st.

You should now have 56 (64) 72 sts in total picked up on your

needles, with a row of sts between the two picked up rows. Pull the
lightbulb stitch marker up, stretching the st in the row between the
needles and carefully cut this st. Unravel the yarn in that middle
row back to the edge of each row leaving 2 sts knitted on each side.
This prevents holes in the corners of your heel. Now you can start
knitting your heel.

K 5 plain rounds first. This adds fabric to the heel to improve the fit
across the instep. You can adjust this number of plain rows up or
down depending on your foot shape.

Then commence decrease rows:

Stripey advent socks with afterthought heel and
Rd 1 – *k1, ssk, k to 3 sts before the end of the first needle, k2tog, contrasting cuff, heel and toe
k1* repeat on second needle
Rd 2 – k to end of round

4
Repeat these two rounds until there are 20 (24) 28 sts in total. Use
Kitchener stitch to graft the remaining heel sts closed. Contact me at
mindfulmelbournemaker@gmail.com
Finish if you have any questions about
Sew in the ends. Wash and block. Enjoy! knitting these socks.