I want to make work socks for my Dad for X-Mas but am overwhelmed by the amount of patterns out there! I purcashed some worsted weight wool that I would like to use.
Every pattern I find is either to fancy or to complicated! Crazy cast ons or complicated kitchener stitch.
Can anyone help? I’ve never made socks before but I know we have a huge community of sock knitters on here. Send me some links gals and guys.
Thanks,
XOXO:muah:
I would suggest trying the Silver Sock Classdifferent methods are discussed, and it is a very plain sock. Once you get your first sock off the needles and you find out how simple they are, the fancy patterns will be simple.
Another site to look at is the Knitting Fiend’s Sockulators plug in some simple numbers about the foot that will wear the sock and out comes a simple pattern.
For me the simplest sock is toe up.
- Use a figure eight cast on (half way down the page) or Judy’s Magic Cast on
- do a short row heel
- 2x2 or 2x4 ribbing on the leg
- then bind off using Jenny’s surprising stretchy bind off (check YouTupe for Cat Bordhi’s explanation (I learn better from pictures then written words)
- Come over to Any Sock Knit-a-Long 3 and ask questions. We talk about everything and sometimes even mention socks.
I also recommend Silver’s Sock Toutorials, I’m pretty sure there’s one for worsted weight.
Here is another very basic men’s sock from lion brand, in worsted weight.
It does have kitchner stitch for the toe, but if you really really don’t want to learn that, just continue the decreasing down to about 6-8 stitches, then cut the yarn, thread a needle, run it thru all the stiches and close it up like you might do at the top of a hat.
my recommendation:
I just worked these and they are a charm!
The heel is the most difficult part of any sock (but really doable, don’t worry!). On this pattern the heel gets worked in short rows and has a diagonal line runnig up the side.
Here is a pic of my frist attempt:
you can do that in any yarn. Just make a swatch for knowing how many stitches you will have. And you need to know how wide around the sock shall be. If you need any help, let me know.
Oh, if the link just puts you to the log-in page of ravelry: the signing up is for free and there is tons of useful stuff on ravelry. Just getting used to it is a little strange (lots of forums, marketplace, articles, patterns, library and the like… just do what you want there). You can also write me a PM about this.
I was intimidated by sock knitting until I got “Knit Socks,” by Betsy Lee McCarthy from my local library. It is a great book to learn how to knit socks, with some of the most user friendly patterns I’ve seen; and it even simplifies the kitchener stitch. I’ve become an avid sock knitter, now, and make about a dozen pairs each year…in between other projects. 
dpnfan1
I totally agree with toe up and short row heel sock!
I cast on about 10 -16 stitches, increase 4 every other row until I have the measurement of the ball of the foot I’m knitting for, start the heel about two inches short of the length of the foot, do a k3p1 rib for the calf, and knit till it’s tall enough or I run out of yarn (whichever comes first, usually run out of yarn!).
Cast off with a needle several sizes larger than what you’re knitting with for elasticity. It’ll look wierd until you get it on a leg, but, trust me, you’re going to need more stetch than you realize.