Instructions for Knitting Baby Socks

Knit a pair of socks for a baby.

Babies need a lot of warm stuff---hats, booties and sweaters. Knitters love making these small garments because they don't take a lot of yarn and can be completed quickly. If you can knit in the round on double-pointed needles, try this simple sock pattern for your next baby present. The ribbing helps keep the sock on those tiny feet. The finished size has a 3-inch circumference and foot length, but you can easily make this sock smaller or larger.

Things You'll Need

• 3/4-ounce sock or fingerling weight yarn
• 4 double-pointed needles, U.S. size 2
• Ring marker
• Scissors
• Tapestry needle

Instructions

Getting Started

1. Cast on 24 stitches onto the double-pointed needles.

2. Join the stitches into a round, making sure not to twist the stitches.

3. Knit one stitch, purl one stitch. Repeat this ribbing pattern until the sock is about 3 inches long.

Heel Flap

1. Knit 12 stitches and turn the work to the wrong side. Slip one stitch, purl 11 stitches. Turn the work back to the right side.You work the heel flap on these 12 stitches, back and forth. Leave the other 12 instep stitches alone until you are done with the heel.

2. Slip the first stitch, knit one stitch. Repeat the pattern across. Turn the work to the wrong side. Slip one stitch and purl across. Turn the work to the right side. Repeat these two rows 11 times, for a total of 24 rows.

3. Put a ring marker between the sixth and seventh stitch to mark the center.

Turn the Heel

1. Slip one stitch. Knit to two stitches past the marker. Knit two stitches together. Knit one more stitch, and turn the work.

2. Slip one stitch, purl to two stitches past the marker. Purl two stitches together. Purl one more stitch, and turn the work to the right side.

3. Find the gap on the left of the marker. Slip the first stitch. Knit to the stitch before the gap. Knit two stitches together. Knit one stitch. Turn the work.

4. Slip one stitch. Purl to one stitch before the gap. Purl two stitches together. Purl one stitch. Turn the work.

5. Continue the last two steps until you run out of stitches on both sides. There are eight stitches left.

6. Knit across the eight stitches. Make sure the right side is facing you.

Gusset Stitches and Shaping

1. Use another double-pointed needle to pick up and knit six stitches along the left side of the heel flap.

2. Knit across the 12 instep stitches to begin knitting in the round again.

3. Pick up and knit six stitches along the right side of the heel flap with another double-pointed needle. Knit to the stitch marker on the center of the heel.

4. Transfer the last four stitches to the needle with the left-hand gusset stitches so there are 10 stitches on the needle. This is needle 1, and the beginning of the round. The 12 instep stitches are on needle 2. There are 10 stitches on needle 3. Knit one round.

5. Knit to the last three stitches on needle 1. Knit two stitches together. Knit the last stitch. Knit across the instep stitches on needle 2. On needle three, knit one stitch. Knit two stitches together through the back loop, and knit the rest of the stitches on that needle. This is a decrease round.

6. Knit one round even, or with no decreases.

7. Repeat the decrease round, followed by an even round until there are 24 stitches. Knit even until the foot is about 2 1/2 inches long.

Toe Shaping

1. Knit to the last three stitches on the needle 1. Knit two stitches together. Knit the last stitch on that needle.

2. Knit one stitch on needle 2, knit two stitches together through the back loops. Knit to three stitches from the end of the this needle. Knit two stitches together, and knit the last stitch on needle 2.

3. Knit one stitch on needle 3, knit two stitches together through the back loops. Knit the rest of the stitches on needle 3. Knit one round even.

4. Repeat the toe decreases as described, followed by one even round until there are six stitches left, three instep and three sole stitches.

5. Arrange the six stitches on two needles, cut the yarn, leaving a 15 inch tail. Use the tapestry needle to graft the stitches together closing the toe.

   Repeat procedure for second sock.

Tips & Warnings

• The gauge for this sock is 8 1/2 stitches per inch. Adjust the needle size to get this gauge if needed.

• You can easily change the size of this sock. Just make sure that you begin with an even number of stitches. The heel is always worked on half the number of stitches.

• Choose a washable yarn for these socks.

References

• "Knitting Rules!"; Stephanie Pearl-McPhee; 2006
• Craft Yarn Council of America: Standard Yarn Weight System