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Shorty Socks / Knit Along Wrap Up

May 23, 2014 10 Comments

Shorty Socks Knitting Pattern at handsoccupied.com

It’s been real, folks, but the first Hands Occupied knit along has come to a close. :( I had so much fun sharpening my knitting needles skills, making some new friends and finishing a couple pairs of socks during this process. Pictured today is my new Shorty Socks knitting pattern, made using the exact techniques shared in each step of the Knit Along.

Speaking of which… KAL announcement / KAL Day 1: Testing Gauge & Casting On / KAL Day 2: Heel Flap / KAL Day 3: The Heel Turn / KAL Day 4: The Gusset / KAL Day 5: The Toe!

Shorty Socks Knitting Pattern at handsoccupied.com

Shorty Socks – The Pattern

Abbreviations

sl – slip
st – stitch
k – knit
p – purl
CO – cast on
RS – right side
WS – wrong side
k2tog – knit 2 sts together
ssk- sl 1 st as if to k, sl 1 st as if to p, k2tog
p2tog – purl 2 sts together
turn –  turn your work over and work on the other side
rnd – round

Note: All numbers in this pattern are based on casting on 48 sts, which fits my women’s size 8 feet and skinny ankles. Remember to adjust number of stitches throughout the pattern for different sizes. 

CO 48 sts, join into a circle with DPNs and begin working a knit 1, purl 1 rib stitch all the way around. Continue working k1, p1 for 13 rnds.

Heel Flap
Divide half (24) of your stitches onto 1 needle (or 2 if you like my method of starting on more to avoid stretching). Leave the other stitches on 1-2 needles, untouched.

row 1. (WS) {sl 1, p1} across
row 2. {sl 1 as if to p, k1} across

Turn Heel

row 1. sl 1, k 12, ssk, k1, turn
row 2. sl 1, p3, p2tog, p1, turn
row 3. sl 1, k4, ssk, k1, turn
row 4. sl 1, p5, p2tog, p1, turn
row 5. sl 1, k6, ssk, k1, turn

Continue increasing the number of k or p sts until you’ve worked the whole heel. (See the Knit Along heel turn tutorial for more tips and tricks.) There should be 14 sts on your heel needle.

Beginning the Gusset

Next row: k 7 (half) of the heel sts
k 7 (the other half) of the heel sts with another needle.
Pick up and knit 13 sts along the side of the heel with the same needle.
k across the instep sts.
Pick up and knit 13 sts along the other side of the heel with a new needle, and use the same needle to k 7 (half) of the heel sts.

Shaping the Gusset
The beginning of each round is the center of the heel. If you’re working with 4 needles: needles 1 & 4 will have 20 sts per needle, needles 2 & 3 will have 12 sts per needle. If you’re working with 3: needles 1 & 3 will have 20 sts per needle, and needle 2 will have 24 sts, for 64 sts total.

rnd 1. k around
rnd 2. first needle: k until 3 sts from end of needle, k2tog, k1
second (or second and third) needle: k across
last needle: k 1, ssk, k to end of needle

Keep working rnds 1 and 2 until there are 8 sts on the first and third needle. There will still be 24 sts on the other(s), for 40 sts total. Redistribute your stitches so there are 10 sts per needle over four needles, starting at the beginning of the round, which is the center of the heel.

Knitting the foot

Knit every round until the sock is about 1.5 inches from end of your toes.

Decreasing for the toe & finishing 

rnd 1. first needle: k until 3 sts remain. k2tog, k1.
second needle: k1, ssk, k  to end of needle.
third needle: k until 3 sts remain, k2tog, k1.
fourth needle: k1, ssk, k to end of needle
rnd 2. knit around

Keep working rnds 1 and 2 until there are 32 sts left (8 sts per needle). Now work just rnd 1 until 4 sts remain. Break your yarn and sew it through the last 6 loops using a yarn needle. Weave in ends.

So you’ll notice the big difference between the Shorty Socks and the pattern I used for the Knit Along is a long gusset. Maybe it’s just high arches, but my socks always fit bets when I make a long gusset. And the key for making Shorty Socks look good is a great, snug fit!

Shorty Socks Knitting Pattern at handsoccupied.com

Last Words on the Knit Along

Thanks again for knitting along with me! If you want to share pictures of your socks when you finish them, even if that’s two years from now when you finally clicked through your pin to the Knit Along to work on your knitting bucket list (we’ve all been there, lol), drop me a line!* I have a reader gallery of folks’ finished projects, and I LOVE adding to it. :)

*handsoccupied-at-gmail-dot-com, comment or @handsoccupied on social media 

Filed Under: Free Patterns, Knit Along, Knitting, Knitting & Crochet Tagged With: double pointed knitting needles, dpn, free pattern, hands occupied knit along, handsoccupiedkal, knit along, Knitting, short socks knitting pattern, shorty socks knitting pattern, spring2014kal

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad (she/her) is a craft book author & designer specializing in yarn crafts. Her work combines vintage and modern design elements, prioritizing color and graphic motifs. Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now.

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Comments

  1. Jess

    May 24, 2014 at 7:58 pm

    Did I miss it? What size needles and what weight yarn?

    Reply
    • Heidi

      May 25, 2014 at 10:07 am

      If you go to the first Knit Along post linked in the pattern post, it’s there. I’m out of town right now otherwise is post it here now. Happy knitting! :)

      Reply
  2. Sondra

    February 28, 2018 at 11:52 am

    Can these be done with magic loop method?

    Reply
    • Heidi

      February 28, 2018 at 9:08 pm

      Yes – just be careful to keep track of your rows. :)

      Reply
  3. Meg

    November 12, 2018 at 4:37 am

    Thanks for the pattern. Just wondering if you could add how long to knit the heel flap for? Is it 2.75 inches? The pattern says row 1 then 2 and then goes straight into turning the heel.
    Thanks.

    Reply
    • Heidi

      November 14, 2018 at 5:16 pm

      Have you checked out my post about working the heel flap for a cuff down sock? Here’s what I say about heel flap lengths:

      Knit your heel flap for 2.5 to 3 inches, depending on the size of the foot you’re knitting it for. I shoot for about 2.75 inches for my feet, but I’ve got high arches.

      Reply
  4. Nena

    April 13, 2022 at 12:27 am

    Would have been nice for you to post the needle size and yarn weight you used for this pattern but guess it was too much effort????

    Reply
    • Heidi

      April 13, 2022 at 11:19 am

      There’s an entire series of tutorials about this free pattern available on this blog, including an in-depth discussion of gauge and why it matters for beginners. It’s even linked in this post, along with all of the tutorials from this nearly decade-old (also free) series.

      Reply
  5. Bonnie Lowes

    July 3, 2022 at 1:04 pm

    I’m using DPNs. Do I use three or four needles?
    Disappointed ☹️ in the pattern.

    Reply
    • Heidi

      July 5, 2022 at 1:51 pm

      It’s up to you, but often knitters use four DPNs for holding live stitches and a fifth for working stitches.

      Reply

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi (she/her/hers), and I’ve been helping yarn crafters untangle various techniques on the internet since 2010. I got my start here, as a blogger, and since then I’ve shared more than a few tutorials here and on YouTube as I’ve grown as a pattern designer. 🧶 

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POV: Showing you how my new Bevelled Tank pattern POV: Showing you how my new Bevelled Tank pattern fits with no ease vs. 4” of positive ease. There’s a bit more length to the cotton (brighter color) sample, but both are cropped and feature shoulder seams designed to sit an inch back onto the shoulder instead of on top, giving it a little swing. Length is easily adjustable for folks looking for less of a crop. 
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Pattern: Bevelled Tank by @handsoccupied for @pompommag x @hobbii_yarn summer 2024. Available for free from Hobbii at the 🔗 in my profile.
Yarn pictured: @kelbournewoolens Skipper and Camper. 
Dress form is adjusted to a 36” chest and ~5’3”ish in height. 
Human has a 40” chest and is 5’5”.
Both skirts are vintage.
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#pompomxhobbiisummer2024 #handsoccupied #intarsia #handmade #knitting #colorwork
Let’s talk about fit and ease! . During the Beve Let’s talk about fit and ease!
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During the Bevelled Tank design process for @pompommag, I knit 2 samples using 2 different @KelbourneWoolens yarns. One was in Skipper (100% cotton, second photo) and the other was in Camper (100% 2 ply wool). The Skipper sample was knit for a 36” bust, which measures in at 40” with 4” of positive ease. And I knit the Camper Sample for my 40” bust with a 44” finished measurement. (BTW, I’m 5’5” for folks that find that measurement helpful in visualizing fit.)
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Based on the size chart for the Bevelled Tank, that means I knit one size 3 sample and one size 4. As designed, I conveniently fit a size 4 as intended with 4” of positive ease. When I wear the 3, there is no ease at all because the garment and my body are both 40” in size. Comparing the 2 garments, you can see how the fiber content (cotton vs. wool) and fit (no ease vs. 4” of positive ease) makes a difference in the look and feel of the finished garment. 
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These samples are a great way to compare what ease looks like on different bodies. While I can fit both a size 3 and 4, the garment with no ease feels more like pajamas or a bralette when I wear it. On the other hand, when I wear the one with 4” of positive ease, I feel comfortable enough to wear it to work, even as a crop top. Plus, it leaves me with enough room to layer it with a nice button down if I’m not feeling the cropped look one day. 
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I’m curious - how would you style this tank? Would you modify it with a few stockinette rows for added length? I’m so curious now that this pattern is finally out in the world. :) 
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#pompomxhobbiisummer2024 #bevelledtank #handsoccupied #knitting #intarisa #handmade #kelbournewoolens #croppedsweater #summerknits
After a 6 month hiatus, I am happy to say I’m ba After a 6 month hiatus, I am happy to say I’m back with a brand new pattern in 9 sizes, and it’s FREE as part of @pompommag x @hobbii_yarn’s summer design collection! (Link is in my bio.)
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In my December newsletter, I announced that I was soliciting test knitters for a pattern that had originally been selected for the summer ’24 issue of Pom Pom Quarterly magazine. However, the magazine ceased publication after its spring ’24 issue, leaving in-progress designs unpublished. (It happens.) As a result, I’d begun the long process of editing, testing, and photographing the pattern for independent release through the Hands Occupied pattern shop and Ravelry.
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Before I was done with that process, Pom Pom Quarterly’s former editors reached out with an exciting proposal for the pattern. Post-magazine, they’ve begun to partner with yarn companies to produce high quality pattern collections. They wanted to include designs from the would-be current issue of Pom Pom Quarterly in a new collection for Hobbii yarn, including my Bevelled Tank. I worked with the same technical editors I would have for the magazine on this one, and as you can see from the photos, Pom Pom’s team did an amazing job of styling the garment to the beautiful standards they’re known for.
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You can learn more about the pattern on my blog and get the free pattern from Hobbii yarn - links to both in my profile. I’ll post sizing info in the comments for quick reference too. 🧶
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#pompomxhobbiisummer2024 #knitting #intarsia #sponsored #colorworkknitting 
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Photos: @dianascarrunz 
Model: @angel.jade_
Here’s a nice throwback for you: my take on a vi Here’s a nice throwback for you: my take on a vintage knitting pattern from 1938 called the Fernlace Pullover. A pattern so nice, I knit it twice.
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Blue version 💙: knit with @eweeweyarns Ewe So Sporty in Sky Blue. Paired with the 1940s Boardwalk Duet sewing pattern from @decades_of_style 
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Image descriptions available in alt text. 
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Frogging is a word in the knitting world that mean Frogging is a word in the knitting world that means to rip out your knitting. It’s called frogging because frogs say “ribbit,” and when you’re tearing out your knitting, you will “rip it” out, and that sounds like ribbit. No really. 🐸 Did you know this fun fact? 
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P.S. I did like this design concept, but to make the pattern more knitter friendly as well as more wearable, I am making some tweaks to the construction. Excited to share when it’s ready! 🥰🧶
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Yarn: @blueskyfibers Woolstok North in Morning Frost & Highland Fleece 
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