Knitting Tube Socks (AKA Sock "Blanks" Pattern)
a basic machine knit sock with a "Peasant" or "Afterthought" Heel and toe. ©Catherine Goodwin 1998
Sock blanks are just a rectangle sewn into a tube (or a tube if you have a ribber on your knitting machine, or a circular sock knitting machine) knitted with ribbing on one end, long enough to be a sock, and wide enough to fit around your foot, you seam up the side (unless you have knitted a tube) and then add the heel and toe afterwards.
These are not the best nor the most elegant socks (see the New Sock Options For Machine Knitters for lots illustrated sock patterns, tips, techniques and ideas) however they are quick and easy, and if you enjoy a "take along" project to combine your hand and machine knitting, they are especially handy.
Or you may whip them up entirely on your machine, by adding a simple heel and toe with side seams.
The Sock Blank :
Knit the toe in the following manner: #Put 1/2 sts in HP(holding position) and 1/2 stitches in WP (working position)
The Toe - By hand-knitting :
The Heel :
The Heel - On the machine :
#hang one half of the live sts (the top of the mouth) on needle bed.
#Repeat the following instructions between the two *'s until 1/3 of total sts are left.
#*ffd on each side of row, then K2 rows (K3 rows for a fuller heel) *
#Slip these sts onto a knitting needle or knit off onto waste yarn for grafting later.
# Hang live sts on other side of slit (the bottom of the mouth)onto needle bed, repeat above procedure.
#Graft ends of heel together, and seam up sides of heel.
The Heel - By hand-knitting :
Slip the live sts onto 4 double pointed knitting needles, and beginning at the side of the foot (corresponding to the side of the toe) using the fifth needle *Knit 1 round. On the next round , K1, SSK, K across to 3 sts before toe edge (opposite side from seam) K2tog, K1. * Repeat until 1/3 of total sts are left graft (kitchener st) together. You may knit 2 rounds between the decrease round if you want a rounder, fuller heel.
Ipso-Facto Ribbing - If you knit your sock on a flat bed, or circular knitting machine, you may want to slip the stitches on to hand knitting needles and hand knit the ribbing afterward. If you do this, it is important to bind off your ribbing with a bind-off that is loose enough to stretch over the calf. One way to achieve this is to move up to a bigger needle size on the last ribbing row and then crochet, latch tool, or a very loose back stitch bind off.
These are not the best nor the most elegant socks (see the New Sock Options For Machine Knitters for lots illustrated sock patterns, tips, techniques and ideas) however they are quick and easy, and if you enjoy a "take along" project to combine your hand and machine knitting, they are especially handy.
Or you may whip them up entirely on your machine, by adding a simple heel and toe with side seams.
The Sock Blank :
- Determine gauge of yarn (sts/inch and rows/inch)
- Measure circumference of ankle, multiply this by st/in to get your number of CO sts.
- CO and K a rectangle twice as long as your foot, you may begin with some ribbing or add it on later (by hand, if you like, spiral knitted ribbing is kind of a nice change!)
Knit the toe in the following manner: #Put 1/2 sts in HP(holding position) and 1/2 stitches in WP (working position)
- On WP sts repeat the instructions (between the two *'s) until 1/3 of total sts are left,
- *decrease one stitch on each end of the of row, then K2 row (K3 rows for a fuller toe)*
- Slip these sts onto a knitting needle or knit off onto waste yarn for grafting later.
- Move HP sts into WP, repeat above procedure.
- Graft ends of toe together, and seam up sides of toe. Then seam up sides of sock (at this point, your sock will be a rectangle with a toe-a tube sock!)
The Toe - By hand-knitting :
- After you have knit your rectangle, slip sts off of machine bed and onto 4 double pointed needles. Seam up side.
- Knit toe by repeat the following rounds between the *.* until 1/3 of total sts are left. You may knit 2 rounds between the decrease round if you want a rounder, fuller toe.
- knit 1 round, on the next round (beginning at seam) K1, SSK, K across to 3 sts before toe edge (opposite side from seam) K2tog, K1. * graft (kitchener st) the end of the toe together.
The Heel :
- Try the sock on its foot and mark the center where the heel should be.
- Take a deep breath and clip a strand of yarn at this point, carefully unravel this row in both directions until you have a slit that is half of the total stitches ( slit should be in line with the toe) this hole (slit) is where you will insert the heel.
- For safety sake, thread these "live" sts onto a knitting needle or waste yarn as you work. This slit will look like a mouth.
The Heel - On the machine :
#hang one half of the live sts (the top of the mouth) on needle bed.
#Repeat the following instructions between the two *'s until 1/3 of total sts are left.
#*ffd on each side of row, then K2 rows (K3 rows for a fuller heel) *
#Slip these sts onto a knitting needle or knit off onto waste yarn for grafting later.
# Hang live sts on other side of slit (the bottom of the mouth)onto needle bed, repeat above procedure.
#Graft ends of heel together, and seam up sides of heel.
The Heel - By hand-knitting :
Slip the live sts onto 4 double pointed knitting needles, and beginning at the side of the foot (corresponding to the side of the toe) using the fifth needle *Knit 1 round. On the next round , K1, SSK, K across to 3 sts before toe edge (opposite side from seam) K2tog, K1. * Repeat until 1/3 of total sts are left graft (kitchener st) together. You may knit 2 rounds between the decrease round if you want a rounder, fuller heel.
Ipso-Facto Ribbing - If you knit your sock on a flat bed, or circular knitting machine, you may want to slip the stitches on to hand knitting needles and hand knit the ribbing afterward. If you do this, it is important to bind off your ribbing with a bind-off that is loose enough to stretch over the calf. One way to achieve this is to move up to a bigger needle size on the last ribbing row and then crochet, latch tool, or a very loose back stitch bind off.