Recipe for a Top Down Sock
What kind of sock knitter are you? Do you love to try out beautiful new designs and techniques or do you find that you default to a particular old favourite? Or maybe you’ve never knitted a sock before and you want to know where to start. Although I do love a complicated pattern, and I daydream about knitting ‘interesting’ socks, I’m really firmly in the old favourite camp, and I always try and have a basic, stockinette sock on the go that I can grab for zoom calls and train rides.
To celebrate our newest yarn, Amble Sock from The Fibre Co., I’m sharing my preferred top down sock ‘recipe’. It’s not really a pattern, rather a beginner friendly set of instructions for combining all the techniques that make up a top down sock. If you follow the recipe to the letter, you’ll end up with a classic (vanilla) sock with a heel flap and gusset and a wedge toe; however there are also infinite opportunities for customising the sizing, fit and stitch pattern. Think of it more as a template, and play around until you find the perfect sock for you. As always - I’d love to see what you come up with.
Materials
100g Amble Sock by the Fibre Co. (or other 4-ply sock yarn)
2.5mm double pointed needles or a long circular (see our post on Which Needles to Use for Sock Knitting)
3 stitch markers
Gauge
32 stitches per 10cm. Row gauge is less important here as you will adjust the length as you go.
Abbreviations
RS - right side
k - knit
p - purl
sl1 - slip one stitch purl wise
k2tog - knit two stitches together
p2tog - purl two stitches together
ssk - slip, slip knit (slip 2 stitches knit wise, insert your left hand needle into the fronts of the two stitches that you have just slipped, then knit them together through the back loops)
Sizing
The width of these socks is set by the number of stitches cast on, and the size adjusted by lengthening or shortening the length of the foot. The socks can be made wider or narrower by adding or subtracting cast on stitches in multiples of 4. You can play around with the needle size and stitch count to get a fit and a fabric that you are happy with (for example if I want a denser fabric, I go down to a 2mm needle and add 8 stitches to the cast on).
Pattern
Cuff
Cast on 64 stitches using your choice of stretchy cast on. Long Tail cast on and German Twisted cast on are both nice and stretchy, and a Cable cast on gives a good edge for the ribbing.
Work the cuff in your desired rib for 4cm. I normally go for a 1x1 rib here.
Leg
Knit each round until the leg is the desired length. You can knit the leg in plain stockinette, or a pattern stitch. Bear in mind that stitch patterns such as cables or twisted stitches will make a tighter fabric so you may need to increase the stitch count - it’s always worth swatching to find out!
Heel Flap
Place the first 32 stitches on one needle - the heel flap is worked across these stitches only.
Row 1 (RS): *Sl1, k1 repeat from * to end, turn
Row 2: Sl1, p to end of row, turn.
Repeat these two rows 16 times (32 rows in total). Turn the work so RS is facing.
Turn Heel
Place a stitch marker at the centre of the heel.
Row 1 (RS): K to 2 stitches past centre, ssk, k1, turn.
Row 2: Sl1, p5 p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 3: Sl1, k to 1 stitch before gap, ssk (closing the gap), k1, turn.
Row 4: Sl1, p to 1 stitch before gap, p2tog (closing the gap), p1, turn.
Repeat rows 3 and 4 until all stitches have been worked. Omit the k1 and p1 at the end of the last two rows when necessary. You will finish on a purl row. Turn the work ready to knit.
Gussets
Knit to the marker in the centre of the heel - this is now the beginning of round.
Round 1: K across all the remaining heel flap stitches. Pick up and knit one stitch for every two rows along the side of the heel flap, place marker, k across the instep, place marker, pick up and knit one stitch for every two rows along the other side of the heel, k to beginning of round.
Round 2 (decrease round): Slip beginning of round marker, k to 2 stitches before next marker, k2tog, slip marker, k to marker, slip marker, ssk, k to end of round.
Round 3: Knit
Repeat rounds 2 and 3 (decreasing at one side of each gusset every other round) until you are back down to 64 stitches in total. Remove the two markers at either side of the gusset stitches.
Foot
Knit until the foot is the desired length. Measured from the heel this is approx 18cm for adult small, 20 cm for adult medium and 23 cm for adult large, or 5cm less than the desired total foot length.
Toe shaping
This sock has a classic wedge toe, however if you fancy something different you could try a round toe, or a star toe.
Remove beginning of round marker and k 16 stitches. Place marker - this is now the beginning of the round.
Divide the stitches equally between two needles, with the top of the foot on one needle, and the bottom of the foot on the other.
Round 1: Needle 1: K1, SSK, knit to 3 stitches from the end of the needle, K2tog, K1. Repeat for the second needle. 4 stitches decreased.
Round 2: Knit all stitches.
Repeat these two rounds until you have reduced the number of stitches on each needle by half. Then work Round 1 only until you have approximately 1 inch width of stitches on each of the two needles. Graft the remaining stitches together with Kitchener stitch.
Repeat for the second sock.
Finishing
Weave in any ends and gently block your socks.