30+ Free Sock Patterns: {Knitting}

Here’s a whopper of a list featuring over two dozen socks to knit, some are very simple and easy to make (perfect for beginner knitters) while others are more intricate in their design. I also added a couple great resources at the bottom of the page that offer dozens more freebies. I’ll be adding to this collection over time so you may want to bookmark this page for reference, enjoy! Update: I moved a knitting hack to the bottom of this page (from a vintage pamphlet), it shows you how to replace a worn out heel without unraveling the foot.

k1p1design1.com

Lifestyle: This is not a pattern for a single pair of socks, but a method ? and you can use it for all your sock making. Free pdf download.

Old Shale Two Yarn Sock: The socks are designed to be worn with the cuff folded down.

stitchesofviolet.blogspot.com

straw.com

Men’s Trail Mix: Made with 5 DPNs & a cable needle. Men’s size med-large (approx. man’s shoe size 10).

Pom Pom Peds: Made with DPNs. A quick knit perfect for both beginning sock knitters and short attention span knitters.

purlbee.com

tlc.howstuffworks.com

Ribby Pattern: Made with 5 DPNs. These Ribby Socks have an intricate pattern, but no one will guess that they’re a cinch to make!

Stash Socks: Made with 5 DPNs, nice yarn stash buster!

craftzine.com

canadianliving.com

Simple Knitted: Made with DPNs. Instructions are written for Small (S) size. Any changes for Medium (M), Large (L) or Extra Large (XL) are written in brackets.

Basketweave Ribbing: Made with circulars (can switch to DPNs if you prefer).

stitchesofviolet.blogspot.com

wisehilda.blogspot.com

Lacey Lady: Made with DPNs or circulars. Pattern features a nice ribby sort of look.

Tatami: Made with 5 DPNs. The woven “tatami” effect in the body of the sock is created with a simple six-stitch and eight-round repeat that requires only knits, purls, and the center double decrease.

etsy.com

purplesteph.wordpress.com

Sadie: Made with circulars. These socks are constructed toe up, with a reversed heel-flap-and-gusset heel.

Swirl: Made with DPNs. The stitch pattern is very intuitive and easy to adjust to different sizes and gauges. Free pdf pattern download.

sulala.wordpress.com

purlbee.com

Fishnet Anklets: Made with double pointed needles. Quick to make but not at an unflattering two stitches to the inch.

Bayerische: Instructions are for a very stretchy sock 7″ in circumference at the ankle (unstretched). It will probably comfortably fit anyone with an ankle up to 9.5″ in circumference.

eunnyjang.com

canadianliving.com

Peace Fleece Classic Wool: DPNs. Although the pattern only calls for one or two colours, these socks can actually be made in as many colours as you wish.

Pumpkin Vine: DPNs. Each of the odd rows contains the same elements, rearranged, this makes the zig-zag vine. The even rows are all basically the same, but they start at a different point each time.

fpea.blogspot.com

purlbee.com

Men’s Socks: Made with DPNs. Sized to fit an average man’s feet, 8 1/2 inches in circumference and a variable length.

Elegant Cable Knit: The simple cable design runs down the centre front and back, with snug ribbing in between. You’ll find another free sock pattern at bottom of page.

poshyarn.co.uk

dreamsinfiber.blogspot.com

Patchwork Weasley: Made with circular needles. Pattern chart file available to download (jpg file).

Best Sock Pattern Ever: Made with DPNs. Pattern is easy to follow, and fits snuggly and doesn’t droop at all.

chrisknitsinniagara.blogspot.com

yarnharlot.ca

Men’s Earl Grey: Plain & simple with a little cable down the side.

Basic Ribbed: Made with DPNs. This sock design was developed as a solution to two problems: socks with a plain stocking-stitch leg tend to fall down and k1p1 ribbing is too tedious.

wisehilda.blogspot.com

trekcelt.blogspot.com

Ribbed Slipper Socks: Women’s size 8 1/2, made with aran weight/heavy worsted yarn.

Criss Cross: Made with DPNs and a cable needle. Pattern has a crisscrossing lattice of stitches, free pdf download available.

berroco.com

persistentillusion.com

Snake River: The sock was designed to be knit from the toe-up using two circular needles. The pattern could be adapted easily to DPNs by dividing the stitches into four equal portions.

Rockyview: Made with 5 DPNs. Sized to fit women’s 8 1/2 foot (US).

trekcelt.blogspot.com

spacekitty.wordpress.com

Spring Cable: Made with DPNs or circulars. This sock is mostly stockinette, the cable is 4 stitches wide and is framed by 3 stitches of seed stitch, which stand out from the stockinette beautifully.

Basic Cabled: These socks are a small step up from simple 2-by-2 ribbed socks, with the addition of a 6-stitch cable on both sides of the leg (twisting in opposite directions).

brainylady.blogspot.com

knittingnight.wordpress.com

Skyp: Two sock patterns available via free pdf downloads, one for Women’s (small) and Men’s (Medium or Large). Knit with dpns.

Poseidon: These are knit from the toe up and feature a waving lace pattern on the top of the foot and around the leg. Free pdf download.

exercisebeforeknitting.com

canadianliving.com

Single Saxon Braid: Sizes for both men & women (average), worked on DPNs and a cable needle. Skill level marked as “Intermediate” and includes a cable chart to download (jpg file).

Raspberry Bed Socks: A vintage-style design, these tie closed with I-cord threaded through eyelets around the top.

slipslipknit.com

purlbee.com

Lace Anklets: Made with DPNs. Sized to fit average woman’s feet: 7 inches in circumference (unstretched) and variable length.

Spiral Tube: Made with stretch socks yarn (2 balls per pair) and DPNs (U.S. 3). Finished size to fit lady’s 5/6 (7/8, 9/10).

michaels.com

cozymadethings.blogspot.ca

Endless Saturday: These are an ideal way to use up leftover bits of yarn, they’re purposely mismatched and worked on DPNs.

Wait, There’s More! You’ll find dozens of lovely freebies on these pages…

Knitty Magazine Archives (For The Feet)
Sheri at The Loopy Ewe: Has nearly a dozen lovelies (free pdf downloads)

Bonus:

DIY Blockers: Made with a piece of plastic placemat (or other thick sheet) and cardboard.
Knit Two Socks At Once Tutorial

The Beehive Aladdin Heel

*First published August 22, 2007 and moved to this page for better organization

This is a two page spread from an old Beehive knitting pattern book detailing the instructions for replacing a worn out heel without unraveling the foot as well as replacing a worn out toe. I think it’s from the 1940s, it’s pretty old.

Click the picture on the left to view a larger, readable size;
(then click on the pic to zoom in).

You Can Replace A Worn Out Heel Without Unraveling The Foot

TO KNIT THE NEW HEEL
into the Sock When Replacing a Worn Out Heel

Unpick the sewn instep seams. Pull the coloured thread out of the knitted portion. This releases sts. in the foot and sts. of the heel. Put the foot sts. on a spare needle. (If any difficulty is experienced pulling the coloured thread, unpick it with a needle). Unravel the heel sts. to the beginning of the heel sts. (If any difficulty is experienced in unraveling the wool, cut off the heel flap a few rows above the beginning of the heel and unravel the remaining few rows). Pick up these heel sts. on 2 needles. See Picture 3. Slip the heel sts. onto 1 needle and work the heel as given originally in the sock instruction. Graft these sts. to the sts. left on the spare needle. See Picture 4. If a coloured thread is used for the Grafting you may replace the heel again in the same manner. Re-sew the instep seams at each side of the heel flap. See Pictures 1 and 2. Press all seams.

TO KNIT THE NEW TOE
into the Sock When Replacing a Worn Out Toe

Pull out or unpick the coloured thread to release the sts. for unraveling. (If any difficulty is experienced in unraveling the wool, cut off the toe a few rows above the beginning of the shaping and unravel the remaining few rows.) Arrange the sts. on the needles as they were originally and reknit the toe as before, grafting with coloured wool. For Grafting, see below.

TO SHAPE AND GRAFT TOE

To Shape Toe:

1st round: 1st needle: Knit to last 3 sts. K2tog. K1. 2nd needle: K1. Sl.1. K1. p.s.s.o. Knit to last 3 sts. K2tog. K1. 3rd needle: K1. Sl.1. K1. p.s.s.o. Knit to end of needle. 2nd round: Knit across each needle. Repeat these 2 rounds to 30 sts. in round. Knit the sts. of 1st. needle onto end of 3rd needle. Break wool. Using a strand of (A) wool 12 ins. long, thread through a wool needle and graft toe. For Grafting, see opposite (Tipnut: see below).

To Graft Toe:

*Inserting the wool needle as if for knitting into 1st. st. of front needle, draw it through the st. and slip the latter off the needle; inserting the needle, as if for purling into 2nd st. of front needle, draw wool through and let the st. remain on the needle; taking the wool under front needle and inserting the wool needle, as if for purling, into 1st. st. of back needle, draw the wool through this st. and slip the latter off the needle; inserting the needle, as if for knitting, into the 2nd st. of back needle, draw the wool through and let the st. remain on the needle; bring the wool forward under the needle and repeat from * until all sts. are worked off, darning in the end of wool securely.

TO FINISH HEEL AND MAKE UP SOCK

To Finish Heel:

Using the (A) wool, sewing on the wrong side, sew up each side of heel flap evenly to the sts. cast on at the instep, see Picture 1 on page 27 (Tipnut: picture is at top of post). Break wool, darning in the ends securely. Heel is now complete, see Picture 2 on page 27.

To Finish Sock:

Darn in all ends. Sew side and back seams (if sock has been worked on two needles). Put socks on wooden sock stretchers of correct size. Press with damp towel and hot iron, being careful not to flatten ribbing. Leave flat until dry.

After washing always dry flat on wooden sock stretchers.

Source: Hand Knit Socks by Beehive