Free Sock Knitting Pattern: The Homebody's Socks  

Picture this, you're all cosied up on the sofa, it's drizzling outside and you have absolutely nowhere to be. You've got your Homebody's Friend hot water bottle on the sofa with you, it's cosy, you're comfy underneath your knitting and there's no chance you'll be getting up any time soon. BUT! You have cold feet! Oh no! 

Well, do we have the perfect thing for you. We can fix these cold toes together... you do the knitting, we'll done the maths. Maybe you can use some leftovers from a sweater you've knitted recently, maybe you can make them in stripes, maybe you can knit matching ones for you and your bestie.

Am I ready to cast on this sock knitting pattern?

This free sock knitting pattern is for a simple, toe-up sock that makes a great first sock project for knitters. They’re designed for DK weight wool, which means they knit up quickly, and have a straightforward German short row heel turn.

The socks start with Judy’s magic cast-on for a seamless toe, and then are worked in magic loop on long circular needles.

If you're looking to knit these simple socks, chances are you have a fair few knitting skills already under your belt, but just in case there are some techniques you haven't come across before, I've included links to video tutorials for the cast-on, working in magic loop, working German short rows, and working a stretchy bind-off.

As usual, read the whole pattern through before you cast on so there are no surprises, and if you don't glue with the video I've linked to, just type the name of the technique into YouTube and find one you do like.

So, here we go!

 

The Homebody's Socks knitting pattern details

Size:

The pattern is written for an adult-size pair of socks in 4 different sizes: S (M, L, XL). They are designed to fit with negative ease, which means that the finished sock is smaller than your foot. 

The finished circumference for each size is given below - choose your size based on this, and the sock will be knitted to the length of your foot.

 

Gauge:

21 stitches and 28 rows to 10cm/4in.

 

Materials:

Suggested yarn: Sandnes Garn Peer Gynt (91m/50g). Three balls will be enough for most sizes; although the XL may need a fourth ball, depending on how long you choose to knit your socks.

Our sample is knitted in the Medium size and used approx 128g (232m) of Peer Gynt in the shade 1053. 

Suggested needles: 3.5mm long circular knitting needles (at least 80cm) for working in magic loop. Please adjust needle size to meet gauge as necessary as exact gauge is important for this pattern. 

Notions: tapestry needle for weaving in your ends, and two stitch markers (to mark the beginning of round and half way point). Our No Frills Knitting stitch markers come in a mixed-colour tin, perfect for this. 

 

Abbreviations:

ds: Double stitch (slip 1 stitch with yarn in front, and then pull the yarn over the
needle to create a stitch with two “legs”)

inc: increased

K: Knit

m1l: insert the left hand needle from front to back under the strand between the stitches and knit through the back loop

m1r: insert the left hand needle from back to front under the strand between the stitches and knit through the front loop

P: Purl

Resolve ds: Work into both “legs” of the double stitch as if they were one stitch

RS: Right side

St(s): Stitch(es)

WS: Wrong side

 

Knitting Skills:

Judy’s magic cast-on creates a seamless cast-on at the toe of your sock. It’s worked on both needle tips at once. This video explains how to work this cast-on.

Magic loop allows you to work a short circumference (such as a sock) on a long circular needle. This video explains magic loop.

German short rows are used to turn the heel. This means that you work part of a row before turning your work, creating what’s called a double stitch to bridge the gap between rows, and working back in the other direction. Instructions on how to create a double stitch are included in the abbreviations section above, or you can watch these video tutorials. This video explains how to work German short rows and this video shows how to use them to turn a heel.

 

The Homebody's Sock knitting pattern:

Work toe
Using 3.5mm long circular needles, cast on 24 (28, 30, 30) sts using Judy’s Magic Cast-On. This is 12 (14, 15, 15) sts per needle.

Round 1: k all sts, placing half round marker after 12 (14, 15, 15) sts. 
Round 2:* k1, m1r, k to 1 st before half round marker, m1l, k1 *, sm, repeat from * to * once more (4 sts inc)

Repeat rounds 1 and 2 a further 3 (3, 3, 4) times, omitting the instruction to place a marker. 40 (44, 46, 50) sts.

Work foot
Round 1: k all sts

Repeat round 1 until your sock measures around 5cm shorter than your foot. You can test this by trying the sock on - when gently stretched, it should reach to the front of your ankle bone.

Heel turn - part one
The heel turn is worked back and forwards in rows across half of your stitches, while the other half rest. As you’re working in magic loop, you should have half your stitches on each needle.

Row 1 (RS): k to end of round, turn
Row 2 (WS): ds, p to half round marker, turn
Row 3: ds, k to previous ds, turn
Row 4: ds, p to previous ds, turn

Repeat rows 3 and 4 a further 6 (6,6,7) times. You should have 5 (7, 8, 8) sts unworked in the centre.

Heel turn - part two
You’ll now work the second part of the heel turn, which involves knitting ds together. To do this, simply knit both legs of the ds together as one stitch.
 
Although you’ll knit two ds together at the end of each row, you’ll then turn your work and create a new ds with the second ds you knitted together. This creates a “double double stitch”, and will look a bit messy – but don’t worry.
 
This stitch will be the first one you knit together on the next row. Once more, just knit both legs of it together as one stitch

Row 1 (RS): ds, k to previous ds, k ds together, k next ds together, turn
Row 2 (WS): ds, p to previous ds, p ds together, p next ds together, turn
 
Repeat rows 1 and 2 until you have 1 ds at left side of the heel (immediately before BOR marker).

Row 3: ds, k to last ds, k ds together, do not turn.

Work leg
You’ll now return to working in the round using magic loop to knit the leg of the sock.

Round 1: k all sts

Repeat round 1 until the sock measures 2.5cm shorter than your desired length.

Work cuff
Round 1: *k1, p1 * repeat from * to * until end of round.

Work round 1 a further 7 times.

Cast off using Jeny’s surprisingly stretch bind-off.

Finishing

Weave in all your ends and then wash and block. 

 

What knitting skills have I learnt? 

Well, in this easy sock knitting pattern, you may well have learned a few new knitting skills! 

Here's what you'll have learnt:

• reading a pattern written for multiple sizes
• knitting in the round using magic loop
• an invisible cast-on
• Increasing (m1l/m1r)
• German short rows
• a stretchy bind-off
• how to knit socks to keep your toes toasty!