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Basic ankle socks

(1 customer review)

Basic ankle socks

(1 customer review)

This is my favorite recipe for simple knitted summer socks that I love to wear with sneakers. I have written the pattern for fingering weight yarn but it can easily be adapted to different yarn weights.

  • Sizes: XS (S, M, M2, L) / 56 (60, 64, 68, 72) sts. The length of the foot can be adjusted.
  • Yarn: Fingering weight sock yarn

The pattern is available for free below.

Sizes

Sizes

Select size with approximately 0.8″ [2cm] of negative ease. Measure your foot circumference around the ball of the foot.

56 (60, 64, 68, 72) sts. Length of foot can be adjusted.

Foot circumference (unstretched)

7 (7.5, 8, 8.5, 9)″ [17.5 (19, 20, 21, 22.5) cm] around

Gauge, Notions, Needles

Gauge

32 sts and 40 rows per 4″ (10cm) in stockinette after blocking.

 

Notions

Measuring tape, scissors, piece of scrap yarn, tapestry needle

Recommended Needles

US 0 30″ [2mm 80cm] or longer circular needles.

Adjust needle size to obtain the correct gauge.

If you need help with needle selection please read this guide.

Yarn

recommended yarn

Sample uses fingering cotton sock yarn Regia Cotton Tutti Frutti (420m (459 yds) / 100 g). The yarn has plenty of delicious self-striping color options. You can purchase the yarn from Lovecrafts and Etsy.

Other suitable yarns

Here you can find a guide for selecting a good quality yarn for your sock knitting project.

yardgage

Reagia Cotton Tutti Frutti

    • 1 skein (420m (459 yds) / 100 g)

Or a similar amount of fingering weight sock yarn (420m (459 yds) / 100 g)

Easy ankle socks pattern

Abbreviations

Knitting abbreviations used in this pattern you can find here.

About the pattern

This pair of summer socks is knitted toe-up in one piece. The pattern is written for the magic loop method (for 2 needles) but can easily be adjusted for double-pointed needles (4 or 5 needles) as well.

This pattern is suitable for self-striping yarn because the heel construction does not break the striping pattern.

1. Cast on

CO 20 sts (10 sts / needle). Sample uses the Turkish cast-on method.

Divide the stitches evenly on two needles. Knit one round.

A total of 20 sts for the toe.

2. Shape the toe

Increase round

  • Needle 1: k1, m1r, k to 1 st from end, m1l, k1.
  • Needle 2: Work the same way as Needle 1.

A total of 4 sts increased.

Increase every other round until you have a total of 56 (60, 64, 68, 72) sts (or until you reach the desired circumference).

Measure the length of your toe and write it down. This measurement is used for calculating the heel placement.

In the example, the toe measures 1.5″ (3.5 cm).

3. Work the foot

Knit in the round until your work measures

Desired lenght of socks foot - the length of your toe after increases

I recommend making the sock 0.5″ (1 cm) shorter than the foot you are knitting it for.

If you are gifting the socks you can use this size chart for estimating the foot length based on shoe size.

For instance if my foot length is 24.5cm I need to knit until my work measures 24.5cm – 3.5cm – 1cm = 20cm.

4. Place stitches for the cuff on a scrap yarn

  • Needle 1: Take a piece of scrap yarn in a different color and leaving the working yarn aside, use it to k the sts on Needle 2. Then, transfer all those sts back to the left needle (without twisting) and k over the scrap yarn using the working yarn.
  • Needle 2: k all sts.

5. Heel

  • Needle 1: k1, ssk, k to 3 sts from end, k2tog, k1
  • Needle 2: Work the same way as Needle 1.

Decrease every other round until you have a total of 20 sts (10 sts / needle) remaining.

Ready to close the heel.

6. Close the heel

This is how the heel looks like after you have closed it.

7. Unravel the stitches placed on the scrap yarn

Unravel the scrap yarn and place the stitches evenly on two needles. You should have now a total of 56 (60, 64, 68, 72) sts (or a similar amount as you had for the body of your slipper).

This is how your work should look like after removing the scrap yarn.

8. Make the back of the heel

In order to improve the fit of the slippers, we are going to make the back of the heel a little bit higher by knitting a few extra rows.

With the back of the heel and RS facing you attach the yarn to the work.

  • Row 1 (RS): K to the end of the needle, pick up and knit 1 st between the needles. Turn your work.
  • Row 2 (WS): P to the end of the needle, pick up and knit 1 st between the needles. Turn your work.

Repeat rows 1 & 2 twice more. A total of 62 (66, 70, 74, 78) sts.

Turn your work and k one round.

With the back of the heel and RS facing you attach the yarn to the work.

9. Bind-off

Bind-off using the i-cord bind-off method as follows:

CO 3 sts (sample uses knitted cast-on method).

*(k2, k2tog tbl, slip the sts from the right needle back to the left needle), repeat from * to BOR.

Binding off the cuff stitches.

Share your finished object!

I would be happy to see your version! You can share it with me on Instagram by tagging me @knitgrammer or leaving a review with an image below.

1 review for Basic ankle socks

    Marlene Vieira
    July 12, 2022
    Gorgeous
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