Attention Knitters

[colliemommie]

I want to make socks. Help me.

I can knit and follow a written pattern. (I cannot read charted patterns.)

What is a good starter sock pattern and yarn for socks I can wear everyday with tennis shoes or boots or what have you?

I'd really appreciate any input.

Comments

[faecat]

SOCK (make 2)
Leg
Loosely cast on 48 sts. Divide sts evenly onto 4 double pointed needles.
Place marker and join, being careful not to twist sts. Work in K2, p2 rib until piece measures 6 in. (15 cm) from beg, or however long you want your cuff to be, shorter is fine.
Place last 24 sts on a holder for instep.

Heel flap (worked back and forth on 24 heel sts only)
Row 1: Sl 1, k across.
Row 2: Sl 1, p across.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until you have 24 rows total.

Turn Heel
Row 1: K 15, ssk, k 1, turn.
Row 2: Sl 1, p 5, p2tog, p 1, turn.
Row 3: Sl 1, k 6, ssk, k 1, turn.
Row 4: Sl 1, p 7, p2tog, p 1, turn.
Row 5: Sl 1, k 8, ssk, k 1, turn.
Row 6: Sl 1, p 9, p2tog, p 1, turn.
Continue in this way, working 1 more st between dec until all 24 sts have been worked, end with a WS row .
Next Rnd: K across heel sts, with same needle, pick up and k 14 sts along the edge of the heel flap, place a marker A, with 2nd needle work across 14 sts of instep, with 3rd needle, work across 14 sts of instep, place a marker B, with 4th needle pick up and k 14 sts along heel flap. Beg of rnd is at center of heel sts, knit back to it and place a marker.

Shape Gusset
Rnd 1: Knit.
Rnd 2: K to 3 at before marker A, k2tog, k1; k across instep sts to Marker B, k1, ssk, k to end of rnd.
Rep Rnds 1 and 2 until 48 sts rem.

Foot
Work even in St st until foot measures 7 1/2 in. (19.3 cm), or 2 in. (5 cm) less than desired total length.
Shape Toe
Rnd 1: K to 3 st before marker A, k2tog, k1, on 2nd needle k1, ssk, k to 3 st before marker B, ssk, k1, on 4th needle, k1, k2tog, k to end of rnd.
Rnd 2: Knit.
Rep Rnds 1 and 2 until 20 sts rem. Divide remaining sts onto 2 needles and graft toe together.
FINISHING
Weave in ends.

[colliemommie]

wow, thanks!

[faecat]

I use fingering weight yarn, a wool and nylon blend - lion brand has a relatively inexpensive version that is decent for starters and comes in self patterning color ways, and it's available inexpensively at JoAnn and the like - on size 3 needles. I will say, I know quite a few people who knit way tighter than I do and need to up the stitch count, or use smaller needles or both, but it's pretty easy to adjust since pretty much the whole thing is based on having a number divisible by four. I usually do 52 stitches instead of 48 for men's or wide feet.

The pattern I think was actually originally adapted from the basic one on the lion brand sock yarn ball band, heh. I also use quite a bit of Stroll fingering yarn from Knit Picks, www.knitpicks.com, which has a lot of decent quality yarn at very reasonable prices.

[faecat]

In the foot round 1 line, ignore the phrases "on 2nd needle" and "on 4th needle" -- the original pattern is based on keeping the same stitches on the same needles, but I find it easier to base my directions on the markers. So it should be

k to 3 before marker A, k2tog, k1, slip marker, k1, ssk, k to 3 before marker B, ssk, k1, slip marker, k1, k2tog, k to end of round.