How to Knit Your Own Sunshine Socks [Free Knitting Pattern]

Soft and Warm – Hand knitted socks are a real treat for your feet.  Follow my simple free sock knitting pattern and learn how to knit your own colourful top down socks in children’s and ladies sizes. Your hand-knitted socks will feature contrasting cuffs, heels and toes for a really fun feature that’s easy to knit.

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Materials

This pair is knitted from acrylic yarn from KnitCo. I picked up this yarn purely because it was very cheap and I wanted to treat myself to some new sock yarn colours. I regret my choice. Hardly surprising really. The yarn is nice to knit with and the colours are lovely. But unfortunately my newly knitted socks have felted in the first wash. I’ve switched to washing them by hand which is a royal pain in the bottom. I hate having to remember not to put them in with the rest of my washing. And that feeling when they fall out of the washing machine, shrunk yet again. Gutting.

So if you’re following this pattern and knitting your own socks then please learn from my mistake and stick to quality sock yarns. West Yorkshire Spinners and James C Brett are my current favourites. They do some beautiful colours too and their yarns wash and wear beautifully.

This free sock knitting pattern is suitable for all 4ply sock yarns. Ideally the tension should be 28 stitches and 36 rows to form a 10cm / 4 inch square swatch.

For the contrasting cuffs, heels and toes I have used Truly Wool Rich 4ply yarn from Cygnet. It’s 75% Wool and 25% Polyamide and is fully machine washable.

I use this yarn a lot for contrast on my hand knitted socks. It’s sold in 50g balls which is just right for four pairs of ladies socks, when combined with 100g balls of patterned yarn.

I use 3.25mm double pointed needles for the main sock knitting and 3mm double pointed needles for the cuffs. You could use the magic loop method with this knitting pattern, personally I prefer to use double pointed needles but it’s totally up to you.

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Free Knitting Pattern

This knitting pattern includes three sizes. The larger sizes are shown in brackets. You might find it helpful to highlight or circle the size you’d like to make before starting to knit.

UK Shoe size 8-12 Small Child (1-3 Large Child, 4-7 Ladies)

Knitting the Sock Cuff

Using the Long Tail method cast on 36 (36, 48) stitches and divide them over three needles, 12 (12, 16) stitches on each needle

Knit 2 Purl 2 rib for 2 (3, 3) cm

Knit the last row to stop colours mixing

Change colour if desired

Knitting the Sock Leg

Knit in the round until sock measures 13cm (15cm, 17cm)

Knitting the Sock Heel

Separate 18 (18, 24) stitches for the heel

Change yarn if desired

Work in Heel Stitch until heel is square – Knit 1, Slip 1 Purl wise. Purl on wrong side.

Once the heel is square turn the heel as follows:

Slip 1, Knit 11 (11, 15), SSK, Turn

Slip 1, Purl 5 (5, 7), P2Tog, Turn

Slip 1, Knit 5 (5, 7), SSK, Turn

Repeat the last two rows until 6 (6, 8) stitches remain. Ending with a knit row

Change yarn if desired

Pick up and knit an equal number of slipped stitches along each side of heel.

Split heel and instep stitches equally across two needles. The third needle has the stitches that will go across the top of the foot.

Knitting the Sock Instep

Row 1 – Knit across all three needles

Row 2, Needle 1 – K to last 3 st, SSK, K1

Row 2, Needle 2 – Knit across foot top

Row 2, Needle 3 – K, K2Tog, K to end

Repeat these 2 rows until 36 (36, 48) stitches remain

Knitting the Sock Foot

Knit until foot measures 13cm (16cm, 19cm)

Knitting the Sock Toe

Change yarn if desired

Knit another 1cm so that foot measures 14cm (17cm, 20cm)

Row 1, Needle 1 – K to last 3 st, SSK, K1

Row 1, Needle 2 – K1, K2Tog, K to last 3 st, SSK, K1

Row 1, Needle 3 – K, K2Tog, K to end

Row 2 – Knit across all three needles

Repeat these 2 rows until 8 (8, 10) stitches remain

Move stitches onto two needles.

Cast off in Kitchener Stitch as follows:

Set Up:

1. From the Front of your work, Purl, leaving the stitch On the needle
2. From the Back of your work, Knit, leaving the stitch On the needle

Kitchener:

1. From the Front of your work, Knit, taking the stitch Off the needle
2. From the Front of your work, Purl, leaving the stitch On the needle
3. From the Back of your work, Purl, taking the stitch Off the needle
4. From the Back of your work, Knit, leaving the stitch On the needle

Sew in The Ends

Use a knitters needle to sew in the ends of your yarn. Snip off the excess and your socks are done!

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I do hope my sock Knitting project has inspired you to have a go at knitting your own socks with this free knitting pattern.

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Pin It Now, Knit It Later

Pin this Free Sock Knitting Pattern to your Pinterest board so that you can find it when you start your next sock knitting project.

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