Basic Toe Sock
Pattern
Size
Woman's - exact size to be determined
by length of foot (sizing instructions to
come later)
Yarn
About 300 yards of fingering weight
self striping yarn.
Needles
One set of 5 #2 (2 3/4mm) double
pointed needles, or size needed to get
gauge. It may be helpful to have a few extra needles when you are shifting stitches
around for the toes.
Gauge
15 stitches and 21 rounds = 2 inches in stockinette stitch, in the round.
Notes for creating the perfect toe socks
Try on as you go. Toes come in all shapes and sizes. If you need more stitches to
accommodate chubbier toes, by all means, cast them on!
If you are knitting the socks for someone else, draw around their foot and use that
as a template.
Above all else, avoid gaps. This is written into the pattern my picking up stitches
between toes, but it if still looks like you are going to have a gap, pick up another
stitch and knit it together with the next one. Voila! Gap gone.
Toes are relatively square, so when you reach proper toe length, just pull thread
through stitches cinch up, and secure. This means no kitcheners stitch or toe
decreases
While the goal is knitting the perfect toe socks, let’s face it…..Nobody is perfect.
Here’s the good news: If anyone looks between your toes, you are already
comfortable enough with then that you won’t be concerned that they will criticize
your knitting
Cuff
Using the long tail cast on cast on 64 stitches. Arrange the stitches on four of the double
pointed needles with 16 stitches on each needle. Being careful not to twist your stitches,
prepare to knit in the round. Work k2, p2 ribbing for 1 ½”.
Leg
Work in stockinette stitch in the round for 3 ¼” past the cuff.
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Heel flap
Knit across first two needles so you have 32 stitches on one needle, and 16 each still on
the other two. Now you will be working back and forth on the needle with 32 stitches.
Proceed as follows:
Row 1: slip first stitch as if to purl and purl to the end.
Row 2: slip first stitch as if to knit and knit to the end.
Repeat these two rows until heel flap measures approximately 2 ¼”, ending with purl
row.
Turn heel
Row 1: knit 18, sl 1, knit 1, PSSO, knit 1, turn.
Row 2: sl 1, p6, p2 tog., p1, turn.
Row 3: sl 1, knit to 1 st before the gap, sl 1, knit 1, PSSO, knit 1 , turn.
Row 4: sl 1, purl to 1 st before the gap, p 2 tog, p 1, turn.
Repeat rows 3 and 4 until you have worked all of the stitches, ending with purl
row.
Setting up for Heel Gusset
With right side facing, knit across heel stitches.
With a new needle, pick up and knit 12 stitches on side of heel flap.
With a new needle, knit across the next two needle so you now have the 36
stitches for the top of the foot on 1 needle.
With a new needle, pick up and knit 12 sts along the left side of the heel flap.
Now, knit half of the heel sts onto that same needle.
Slip the rest of the heel sts onto needle #1.
This point, at the middle back of the heel now marks the beginning of the rounds.
Now you will be using only 4 needles (3 holding sts., 1 working them).
Shaping Heel Gusset
Round 1: k to last 3 sts on needle #1, k2 tog, k1, k across 36 sts on needle #2, k1,
ssk, k to end of needle 3.
Round 2: k around.
**repeat these two rounds until you have 16 sts on needles 1 and 3. This will give
you a total of 64 sts, so you are now back to the same # you started with at the
beginning of the ribbing.
Foot
Relax, kick back, and knit your little heart out with no shaping until foot measures about
2" less than the desired finished foot length or where you want the toes to start.
Toes – Instructions for left foot
Big toe:
Knit 4 and slip those stitches onto the last needle.
With a new needle, k 11.
With a new needle, k 11 again
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Cast on 3 new stitches and join so you are working the big toe in the round on a
total of 25 stitches (11, 11, and the 3 you just cast on). Distribute the stitches
however you are most comfortable for knitting in the round.
Knit in the round in stockinette stitch until the big toe is the desired length.
Cut yarn, draw through stitches and cinch up. Secure and work in end.
Next toe:
In the place next to the big toe (what will ultimately be in-between the toes, where
you cast on the 3 stitches, pick up and knit 3 stitches. Now knit 5 stitches, cast on
3, and knit 5 from the underside of the foot. Distribute stitches for working toe in
the round and work to desired length, draw yarn through stitches, cinch up.
Secure and work in end. Cut yarn.
Remaining toes:
You will now have 16 stitches left on each needle for a total of 32 stitches, or
half. Work the last three toes in exactly the same manner as the first two, picking
up stitches where you cast on before and casting on stitches between toes. For the
last toe it is unnecessary to cast on the stitches because you won’t be working
anymore toes.
Now, knit another sock, simply reversing the toes, work in
any ends, block if necessary, and admire your work
Abbreviations
k= knit
p= purl
st= stitch
sts= stitches
k2 tog= knit 2 together
p2 tog= purl 2 together
ssk= slip, slip, knit
PSSO= pass slipped stitch over
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