Apple Picnic Socks
By KnitFasterAriel
The Apple Picnic Socks were initially created to wear with Doc Marten boots, with a row of
apples poking over! These socks are knit from the cuff down with a 2x2 ribbed cuff, a wrap and
turn short row heel, and stranded colorwork. The toe is finished with kitchener stitch.
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Sample:
The sample was knit with magic loop, size 2. Sample used approximately 40 g/150 yd base color,
24 g/105 yd red, 4 g/16 yd brown, and 3 g/13 yd green.
*Note - sample moves the “picnic” smaller motif one over.
Sizing: 1 (2) 3
To fit foot circumference of: 8 (9) 10.5 inches
Recommended 1 inch of negative ease
Materials: fingering weight sock yarn
[Sample used: Cascade Yarns Heritage Sock in Limestone, Valley Yarns Huntington in Sunset,
Dirty Water DyeWorks Lillian in Old Brown Dog, and scrap green sock yarn)
Gauge: 36 sts x 38 rnds
Needles:
For ribbing: 2.25 mm/US 1 (note: 2.5 mm can be used, but the cuff will be looser)
For heel, leg, and toe: 2.5 mm/US 1.5
Techniques and Tricks:
When knitting colorwork, be consistent through the socks on which color is dominant. The
dominant color should be floated below the background color. Sample sock has white as the
background color. When there are three colors, Brown is held dominant.
For more information on color dominance:
https://paper-tiger.net/2013/11/09/stranded-knitting-the-importance-of-color-domina
nce/
For more information on stranded colorwork with more than two colors:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEzWdMlKj_Q
Knit your floats loosely to keep the fabric from bunching and being inelastic. You should catch
floats every 6-9 stitches based on your own personal comfort. I catch floats every 7 stitches,
because experience has taught me that my toes will manage to snag any longer floats! For this
sock, I caught floats by lifting the float on the next row and knitting it together with the main
color. This allowed my floats to be as elastic as possible, as I was only securing them after they
had been knit:
1. Knit the floats without catching:
2. On the next row, before the stitch you intend to catch the float on, use one of your
needles to lift the float onto your needles in front the stitch:
3. K2tog the lifted float and the stitch. You’re captured the float!
For more information on the traditional way of catching floats:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RG6DqjJPiI
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Abbreviations
BOR = beginning of round
k = knit
K2tog = knit two together
*__* = repeat
m1L = make one left
MC = main color
p = purl
P2tog = purl two together
PM = place marker
RS = right side
ssk = slip slip knit
sl = slip
sts = stitches
WS = wrong side
INSTRUCTIONS
Cuff:
Cast on 56 (64) 72 stitches with MC on 2.25 mm needles. PM for BOR. Join to work in the
round, being careful not to twist the work.
Ribbing: *k2, p2* to end of round
Working ribbing for 10 rounds, or until desired length
Leg:
With MC and 2.5 needles, work increase round:
Size 1: *k14, m1L* to end of round. 4 sts increased, 60 sts total
Size 2: *k8, m1L* to end of round. 8 sts increased, 72 sts total.
Size 3: *k6, m1L* to end of round. 12 sts increased, 84 sts total.
Knit the chart in your size. Bolded boxes indicate the repeat. Continue to desired leg length:
Sizes 1 and 3: Stop after rows 13, 22, 35, or 44.
Size 2: Stop after rows 12, 21, 33, or 42.
Short Row Heel:
Using color of choice and on the 2.5 mm needles, we will work the heel back and forth on half of
the stitches.
For a visual tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zu5YAKsAEpY
Note: this tutorial is for a toe-up sock, but the technique is the same for cuff down.
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Personalization notes:
● If you wear your socks hard, size down to 2.25 mm heels.
● You can adjust the heel depth depending on your preference. For wider heels, leave
more center sts and less unworked sts. For more narrow/deeper heels, leave less center
sts and more unworked sts.
Size 1 (30 heel stitches)
Row 1 (RS): Sl1, [k12, k2tog] twice. Turn work to WS, leaving one st unworked. 2 sts
decreased, 28 sts for the heel in total.
Row 2 (WS): Sl1, p25. Turn work to RS, leaving one st unworked.
Row 3 (RS): Sl1, k24.Turn work to WS, leaving two sts unworked.
Row 4 (WS): Sl1, p23. Turn work to RS, leaving two sts unworked.
Row 5 (RS): Sl1, k to 1 st before the gap. Turn work.
Row 6 (WS): Sl1, p to 1 st before the gap. Turn work.
Repeat Rows 5 and 6 until:
Row 20 (WS): Sl1, p7, turn work. You should have 8 center stitches and 10 unworked
stitches on each side
Row 21 (RS): Sl1, k6, ssk with 1 st from both sides of the gap. M1L, picking up from the
bar between the gap. Turn work.
Row 22 (WS): Sl1, p7, p2tog with 1 stitch from both sides of the gap. M1Lp, picking up
from the bar between the gap. Turn work
Row 23 (RS): Sl1, k8, ssk, m1L. Turn work.
Row 24 (WS): Sl1, p9, p2tog, m1Lp. Turn work.
Row 25 (RS): Sl1, k until one stitch before gap, ssk, m1L. Turn work.
Row 26 (WS), Sl1, p until one stitch before gap, p2tog, m1Lp. Turn work.
Repeat Rows 25 and 26 until all unworked stitches have been worked. 28 stitches total.
Now work an increase row (RS): Sl1, k13, m1L, k14, m1L. 2 sts increased, 30 sts on the
needle. Cut the yarn.
Size 2 (36 heel stitches)
Row 1 (RS): Sl1, [k6, k2tog] four times, k2. Turn work to WS, leaving one st unworked. 4
sts decreased, 32 sts for the heel in total.
Row 2 (WS): Sl1, p29. Turn work to RS, leaving one st unworked.
Row 3 (RS): Sl1, k28.Turn work to WS, leaving two sts unworked.
Row 4 (WS): Sl1, p27. Turn work to RS, leaving two sts unworked.
Row 5 (RS): Sl1, k to 1 st before the gap. Turn work.
Row 6 (WS): Sl1, p to 1 st before the gap. Turn work.
Repeat Rows 5 and 6 until:
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Row 20 (WS): Sl1, p11, turn work. You should have 12 center stitches and 10 unworked
stitches on each side
Row 21 (RS): Sl1, k10, ssk with 1 st from both sides of the gap. M1L, picking up from the
bar between the gap. Turn work.
Row 22 (WS): Sl1, p11, p2tog with 1 stitch from both sides of the gap. M1Lp, picking up
from the bar between the gap. Turn work
Row 23 (RS): Sl1, k12, ssk, m1L. Turn work.
Row 24 (WS): Sl1, p13, p2tog, m1Lp. Turn work.
Row 25 (RS): Sl1, k until one stitch before gap, ssk, m1L. Turn work.
Row 26 (WS), Sl1, p until one stitch before gap, p2tog, m1Lp. Turn work.
Repeat Rows 25 and 26 until all unworked stitches have been worked. 32 stitches total.
Now work an increase row (RS): Sl1, k7, m1L, [k8, m1L] three times. 4 sts increased, 36
sts on the needle. Cut the yarn.
Size 3 (42 heel stitches)
Row 1 (RS): Sl1, k4, k2tog [k5, k2tog] five times. Turn work to WS, leaving one st
unworked. 6 sts decreased, 36 sts for the heel in total.
Row 2 (WS): Sl1, p33. Turn work to RS, leaving one st unworked.
Row 3 (RS): Sl1, k32.Turn work to WS, leaving two sts unworked.
Row 4 (WS): Sl1, p31. Turn work to RS, leaving two sts unworked.
Row 5 (RS): Sl1, k to 1 st before the gap. Turn work.
Row 6 (WS): Sl1, p to 1 st before the gap. Turn work.
Repeat Rows 5 and 6 until:
Row 22 (WS): Sl1, p13, turn work. You should have 14 center stitches and 11 unworked
stitches on each side
Row 23 (RS): Sl1, k12, ssk with 1 st from both sides of the gap. M1L, picking up from the
bar between the gap. Turn work.
Row 24 (WS): Sl1, p13, p2tog with 1 stitch from both sides of the gap. M1Lp, picking up
from the bar between the gap. Turn work
Row 25 (RS): Sl1, k14, ssk, m1L. Turn work.
Row 26 (WS): Sl1, p15, p2tog, m1Lp. Turn work.
Row 27 (RS): Sl1, k until one stitch before gap, ssk, m1L. Turn work.
Row 28 (WS), Sl1, p until one stitch before gap, p2tog, m1Lp. Turn work.
Repeat Rows 27 and 28 until all unworked stitches have been worked. 32 stitches total.
Now work an increase row: Sl1, k5, m1L [k6, m1L] five times. 6 sts increased, 42 sts on
the needle. Cut the yarn.
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Leg:
Continue in colorwork pattern until 1.25” (1.5”) 1.75” shorter than desired length.
Toe:
In the toe color, we will work alternating knit and decrease rows to form the toe.
Row 1: knit one round. If needed, place a marker after 30 (36) 42 sts, marking the halfway point.
Row 2 (decrease row): [k1, ssk, k to last 3 sts before marker, k2tog, k1] twice. 4 sts decreased.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until 40 sts remain.
Work the decrease row five more times until 20 sts remain.
With a darning needle, join remaining sts with kitchener stitch.
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Sizes 1 and 3:
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Size 2:
