Women's Socks

Basic Sock Pattern for Fingering Weight Yarn

Gauge: 7.5 st/inch on 2mm, 2.25mm or 2.5 mm needles
Size: to fit approx. an 8" ankle
Materials: approx 375 to 420 m of fingering weight yarn
Cuff: Cast on 60 (64) stitches and do K2, P2 ribbing for 1.5 to 2"
Leg: Switch to stockinette stitch (knit every round) and continue to desired length (usually 5.5 to 6").
Heel: Leaving 30 (32) instep stitches on needles 2 and 3 (15 & 15 or 16 & 16) put remaining 30 (32) stitches on 1 needle and work heel flap back and forth over this needle.
Regular heel stitch:
Row 1: sl1, *k1, sl1* repeat from * across ending with k1
Row 2: sl 1, purl across
Work even in heel stitches until heel flap is about 2.25" long.

​Turn Heel:
Working in short rows over heel flap stitches: 
Row 1: sl 1,k 19 (20), ssk*, turn * see below 
Row 2: sl 1, p10, p2 tog, turn 
Row 3: sl 1, k 10, ssk turn
Repeat rows 2 & 3 until all stitches are used and there are 12 stitches on the needle.
Gusset:
Knit first 6 stitches. Rounds now start in the middle of heel flap. Knit remaining 6 stitches with new needle (needle 1 ), pick up one stitch in each of the slipped edge stitches along the heel flap, and 1 additional stitch where heel flap and instep join. Work across instep (needles 2 & 3) . Pick up and knit one stitch where instep and heel flap join and one stitch in each slipped stitch along the edge of the other side of the heel flap, work remaining 6 stitches (needle 4). Needles 1 and 4 should have the same number of stitches, these are for the foot. Knit one row.
*Next row: Knit to last 2 stitches on needle 1, K2tog. Work instep stitches on needles 2 & 3. On needle 4 ssk, knit to end. Work 2 rounds in plain knitting. Repeat from * until there are 15 (16) stitches on each needle. 60 (64) stitches total.
Foot: Continue in plain knitting on these 60 (64) stitches until foot is desired length (allow approx. 2" for toe decrease)
Toe: Decrease round:
Needle 1: work to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1
Needle 2: K1, ssk, knit to end.
Needle 3: Work to last 3 stitches K2tog, K1
Needle 4: K1, ssk, knit to end
Work 3 rounds even
(Work decrease round work 2 rows even ) 2 times
(work decrease round, work 1 round even) 3 times
Work decrease round each round until 8 stitches remain on needles.
Graft stitches together to close toe.
***ssk: Slip stitch as if to knit, slip stitch as if to knit, insert left needle into the front of these 2 slipped stitches from left to right and K2tog.***