Socks!!!

This is taken from a blog post from Susan B. Anderson.  I am always looking for a simple Vanilla Sock Pattern and I think this just might fit the bill!!  Thank you Susan!!

How I Make My Socks

Written by, Susan B. Anderson

Materials:
Sock/fingering weight yarn
US size 1 double-pointed needles (set of 4)
Yarn needle
Scissors
Tape measure or ruler

Gauge:
I don't worry much about this although I don't recommend not worrying about it. I simply use fingering or sock weight yarn and US size 1 dpns. My gauge varies between 7-8 stitches per inch in stockinette depending on the yarn I use.

Cuff:
Cast on 64 stitches. I use a long-tail cast on (click here for my video tutorial on this cast on). Join to work in the round.
Rnds 1-12: (k2, p2) repeat to the end of the round.
(Sometimes I forget to stop ribbing and then I have more like 15 or 16 rounds of rib, I just match it on the second sock.)

Continue in stockinette stitch (knit all stitches on every round) for 6 inches. This is my cuff length preference. You can make your cuff shorter or longer as you see fit.

Heel Flap:
Divide the stitches as follows:Needle 1: 32 sts (Needle 1 becomes the heel flap)Needles 2 and 3: 16 sts eachWork back and forth only on Needle 1 for the heel flap.Row 1: (slip 1 stitch as if to purl, k1) repeat to the end of Needle 1Row 2: slip 1 stitch as if to purl, purl to the end of Needle 1Repeat rows 1 and 2, fifteen more times (16 times total). If you count you will have 16 columns of slipped stitches on your heel flap.Repeat Row 1 one more time.

Turn the Heel:
abbreviations:
p2tog - purl 2 stitches together
k2tog - knit 2 stitches together
Now, continue to work back and forth on Needle 1 only. You’ve just completed a right side row. Turn and work back on a wrong side row as follows:Row 1: slip 1 stitch as if to purl, purl 17 stitches, p2tog, purl 1 stitch, turn to go work back in the other direction.Row 2: slip 1 stitch as if to purl, knit 5 stitches, k2tog, knit 1 stitch, turn to work back in the other direction.Row 3: slip 1 stitch as if to purl, purl to 1 stitch before the gap (look and you’ll see the gap where you turned on the row before), p2tog, p1, turn to work back in the other direction.Row 4: slip 1 stitch as if to purl, knit to 1 stitch before the gap, k2tog, k1, turn to work back in the other direction.Repeat rows 3 and 4 until all of the stitches have been worked. Your last row should be a row 4 so you are at the end of a knit row. On the last 2 rows you work, you will end the rows with a p2tog and a k2tog.You will have 18 stitches remaining on Needle 1.

Gusset:
First:Continue on with the working yarn to pick up stitches going down the side of the heel flap using the free dpn to pick up the stitches. Pick up 16 stitches, (pick up one stitch in each of the slipped stitches).
Second:Now place all of the stitches on Needle 3 onto Needle 2. Needle 2 now has 32 stitches. Knit across Needle 2, which is now the top of the foot on your sock.
Third:Continue on with the working yarn to pick up 16 stitches going up the other side of the heel flap, picking up 1 stitch in each of the slipped stitches. This is Needle 3.
Fourth:Continue working onto the same needle (Needle 3) and knit 9 stitches from the heel turn. Place the remaining 9 stitches onto what is now Needle 1.

New stitch count:Needle 1: 25 stitchesNeedle 2: 32 stitchesNeedle 3: 25 stitches

Decrease rounds for the gusset:
Rnd 1: knit all stitchesRnd 2: Needle 1: knit to the last 3 stitches, k2tog, knit 1 stitchNeedle 2: knitNeedle 3: knit 1 stitch, ssk, knit to the end of the needleabbreviation:
ssk – slip 2 stitches separately as if to knit, knit the slipped stitches together through the back loops

Repeat rounds 1 and 2 until there are 16 stitches on each of Needles 1 and 3, and 32 stitches still remain on Needle 2.

Foot:
Knit every round until the foot measures (from the back of the heel to the stitches on the needles) 2-inches shorter than your desired total foot length.

For example, my foot measures 9 1/2 inches from the back of my heel to the end of my toes. I work my foot to 7 1/2 inches before I start the toe decreases. My shoe size is a US women's 7.5, I wear a 38 in Birkenstocks. I have a 9-inch foot circumference at the ball of my foot.

Toe:Rnd 1: knit all stitchesRnd 2:Needle 1: knit to the last 3 stitches, k2tog, knit 1 stitchNeedle 2: knit 1 stitch, ssk, knit to the last 3 stitches, k2tog, knit 1 stitchNeedle 3: k1, ssk, knit to the end of the needleRepeat rounds 1 and 2 until you have 6 stitches remaining on Needles 1 and 3, and 12 stitches on Needle 2.Now place the 6 stitches from Needle 3 onto Needle 1. You now have 2 needles with 12 stitches each.Cut the yarn leaving a 10 inch end. Place the end on a yarn needle. Use the Kitchener stitch to close the toe.

There you have it - now if you want to try and knit a sock....you CAN!!! :)