P/Hop Socks: Easy Ribbed DK Socks
By Erssie Major
These simple ribbed socks with standard toe and heel are ideal for a beginner’s first
sock and knit up quickly in a DK weight sock yarn.
Size
Adult Extra Small (Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large)
Finished cuff circumference approx 7 ¼ (8 ¼, 9, 10, 11) inches or 18.5 (21, 22.75,
25.5, 27.94) cm
Materials
100g or 272 yards (248 meters) DK Sock Yarn
1 set of 5 double pointed needles size US 6 (4mm), or size of needle you need to
match the gauge given
2 Stitch markers, 1 wool darning needle
Gauge
22 sts x 30 rows over 4 inches (10 cm) in stockinette (stocking stitch).
I.e. there should be either 5.5 sts per inch (or 2.2 sts per cm if working in metric).
2
Pattern Notes
Sock Details: This sock is made using a very simple K4, P1 rib.
It is knitted from the cuff downwards. The heel is made by making a flap in a
standard slip stitch rib pattern and then picking up stitches for the instep.
The toe is a simple wedge toe which is grafted using Kitchener stitch but full
explanations will be provided. If you are a beginner to sock knitting you should be
able to cope with this pattern and we have provided an extra information sheet for
you to explain how socks are constructed (see end of Pattern).
Swatching: I would suggest casting on around 30 stitches for your gauge swatch
and knitting around 30 rows to get a sample big enough to measure the gauge.
Some people struggle with gauge and ignore swatching altogether although I don’t
recommend this. However, if you ignored swatching and cast on for a sock but find it
does not fit and you can’t adjust your gauge, you can to experiment with going up or
down needle sizes to adjust.
Special Stitches
Single Rib: K1, P1 around (every rnd) for the ribbing at top of cuff.
Wide Rib: K4, P1 around (every rnd) for main pattern stitch ribbing on leg and top of
foot.
Cuff
Using DK sock yarn and size US 6 (4mm) double pointed needles CO 40 (44, 50, 54,
60) sts and join into a round, taking care not to twist stitches.
Knit a cuff in single rib as follows:
Rnd 1: *K1, P1; rep from * to end.
Rep this rnd for 6 (6, 6, 8, 8) rnds in total, in sizes Small and Large only, increasing 1
stitch anywhere on the last rnd by using an M1 type of increase (i.e. pick up the
strand between current stitch and next stitch, and knit into the back of it). [40 (45, 50,
55, 60) sts].
Leg
Now knit the main part of the sock in wide rib as follows:
Rnd 1: *K4, P1; rep from * to end.
Rep the above rnd of rib until cuff measures 6 inches (15 cm) or desired length from
the beginning, i.e. the place where you cast on.
Heel Flap
Now you will need to divide your stitches so that some of them are put to one side for
knitting the top of the foot later, and only part of your stitches will be used now to
make a Slipped Stitch Heel Flap.
From beg of rnd, [K4, P1] 3 (3, 3, 5, 5) times, K4, turn. [19, 19, 19, 29, 29) sts.
These stitches just worked are for the heel
Leave rem 21 (26, 31, 26, 31) sts on a stitch holder or on other needles for working
on the front of the foot later.
Working only on the 19 (19, 19, 29, 29) heel stitches sts just worked, knit back and
forth in rows to form a heel flap as follows:
Row 1: (WS): Sl 1 p-wise, p to end.
Row 2: (RS): Sl 1 p-wise, *Sl 1, K1; rep from * to end.
Rep the above 2 rows until the heel flap is 23 (23, 25, 27, 27) rows in length from
start of slipped stitch heel pattern, ending on a WS row.
3
Turn Heel
Shape the heel into a cup-shape by turning the heel as follows:
Set Up: Sl1 P-wise, K8 (8, 8, 13, 13) sts, place marker, K3 (3, 3, 4, 4), SSK, turn.
Row 1: Sl1 P-wise, P to marker, slip marker, P2 (2, 2, 3, 3), P2tog, turn.
Row 2: Sl1 P-wise, K to marker, slip marker, K3 (3, 3, 4, 4), SSK, turn.
Keep repeating Rows 1 & 2 until each of the heel stitches each side have been
incorporated into the middle of the heel and there are only 7 (7, 7, 9, 9), sts in total
left.
Instep
Now you will need to knit across your heel stitches, and pick up stitches down the left
side of the heel flap, across the front of the foot (on stitches previously put to one
side), up the right side of the heel flap, and then join back into the rnd with the heel.
Do this as follows.
Next Rnd: K across all 7 (7, 7, 9, 9) sts of the heel (removing the marker placed
during heel shaping), PU & K 12 (12, 13, 14, 14) sts down the side of the heel flap,
place a marker, P1, [K4, P1] 4 (5, 6, 5, 6) times across the front of the foot, place
another marker, PU & K 12 (12, 13, 14, 14) sts up the other side of the heel flap
place marker here for beg of rnd.
There should now be a total of 52 (57, 64, 63, 68) sts.
There should be a marker either side of the front of foot. Just check that inside each
marker, at each end of the front of foot stitches, there is a purl stitch.
Shape Instep/Gusset
Next you will need to decrease stitches either side of the foot, to shape a gusset that
will bring your stitch numbers back to more or less what you had on the leg. Do this
as follows:
Rnd 1: K to 3 sts before 1st marker, K2tog, K1, slip marker, P1, [K4, P1] 4 (5, 6, 5, 6)
times across the front of the foot, slip marker, K1, SSK, K to end of rnd.
Rnd 2: K to marker, slip marker, P1, [K4, P1] 4 (5, 6, 5, 6) times across the front of
the foot, slip marker, K to end of rnd.
Rep these 2 rnds until only 40 (45, 50, 55, 60) sts remain.
Foot
Continue working foot with no decreases (exactly as rnd 2 above on instep) until foot
is desired length minus approx 1.5 inches or 4 cm.
Toe
All of the toe will be in stockinette (stocking stitch) so the top of foot pattern stops
here.
For sizes Small & Large only, you need to decrease a stitch so that there is an
even number of stitches for the toe. Do this as follows:
Extra Small, Medium and Extra Large Sizes Only
K1 rnd with no decreases.
Small & Large Sizes Only
Next rnd: K to marker, remove marker, SSK, K to next marker, remove marker, knit
to end of rnd. One stitch is decreased.
This should mean your stitch count should now be 40 (44, 50, 54, 60) sts in total
K 2 more rnds straight (i.e. no decreases in stockinette (stocking stitch).
4
Divide your stitches so that there are 20 (22, 25, 27, 30) sts for the top of foot, and 20
(22, 25, 27, 30) sts for the bottom of the foot. Put one marker at the beginning of the
top of foot and mark this as new beg of rnd and one marker at the end of the top of
foot stitches. Knit around to the beginning of the top of the foot stitches i.e. your new
beginning of rnd, and decrease for toe shaping as follows.
Next rnd: *K1, SSK, K to last 3 sts before 1st marker, K2tog, K1, slip marker, rep
from * to end of foot/second marker.
Rep above rnd until 20 (20, 22, 22, 24) sts remain.
To close the toe you will need to graft top and bottom stitches together using
Kitchener Stitch. This is quite easy even if the name sounds scary. This is how you
do it:
Kitchener Stitch (to graft the toe seamlessly)
If this is your first time using Kitchener Stitch, don't be put off because the process is
fairly simple provided you complete the set up and methodically carry out the steps
below. Find a quiet time to sit and concentrate without disturbance and carry out the
whole process in one go i.e. without interruption.
Set up
Put 10 (10, 11, 11, 12) sts from top of foot onto one dpn/needle
Put 10 (10, 11, 11, 12) sts from bottom of foot onto another dpn/needle
Hold stitches/needles parallel to each other with needles side to side and WS of the
knitting together with RS facing outward and the tail of yarn hanging from the 1st
stitch of the back needle.
You will need to carry out these first two set up steps on the 1st stitch on each
needle only
Set Up 1. Thread yarn tail through tapestry needle and pull needle/yarn through 1st
stitch on needle at front purl-wise and leave stitch on needle.
Set Up 2. Now take needle and yarn through 1st stitch on back needle knit-wise and
leave stitch on needle.
You are now ready to start working Kitchener Stitch and grafting all other
stitches as normal:
Still holding the two needles with stitches parallel, and working 1st stitch from the
front, threading through the 2nd stitch then working 1st stitch from the back and
threading through 2nd stitch carry out Steps 1 - 4 below pulling yarn slowly
as you go, to ensure an even tension.
Front needle:
Step 1: Thread yarn/needle through 1st st knit wise pull stitch off needle.
Step 2: Thread yarn/needle through next st purl wise leave st on the needle.
Back needle:
Step 3: Thread yarn/needle through next st purl wise pull stitch off needle
Step 4: Thread yarn/needle through 1st st knit wise leave st on needle
Repeat from Steps 1-4 until all sts off needles
Readjust stitches/tension by pulling yarn slowly to tighten to the same tension as the
other knitted stitches. On the last stitch of the toe take yarn to WS of work and secure
and weave in. You should now have a neatly grafted toe with invisible seam and
continuous fabric of knit stitches flowing from the upper foot around the toe and along
the bottom of the foot.
Finishing
5
Weave in all of your ends and hide on the WS of the work. Launder socks by hand in
lukewarm water and spread socks out on a flat surface and leave to dry naturally.
Abbreviations (A - Z)
Beg: Beginning
Cont: Continue
Dpn: Double pointed needle
K: Knit
K2tog: Knit 2 together (decreases 1 stitch)
K-wise: Knit wise
LH: Left hand
P-wise: Purl wise
P: Purl
PU & K: Pick up and knit (usually from an edge)
Rem: Remaining
RH: Right hand
Rnd: Round
Rep: Repeat
RS: Right side
SSK: Slip 1 k-wise, slip next st k-wise, then knit both slipped sts together by inserting
tip of LH needle into sts then knitting off the RH needle (decreases 1 stitch)
St st: stockinette (stocking stitch)
St(s): stitch (es)
Tbl: through back of loop(s)
WS: Wrong side
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Ashley Knowlton for her superb and professional technical editing.
Thanks to Judith Baser, Elesha Camp, Lisa McKay and Debi Winchester for test
knitting the pattern in a variety of sizes.
This design has been kindly donated to Médecins Sans Frontières as part of the
p/hop project. p/hop is pennies per hour of pleasure, so please feel free to use this
pattern, then donate what you think it was worth to you to MSF.
MSF is an independent humanitarian medical aid organisation, committed to
providing medical aid wherever it is needed, regardless of race, religion, politics or
gender.
We currently work in over 60 countries helping victims of war, natural disasters,
disease epidemics and those who simply have no access to even basic healthcare.
For more info, please visit www.msf.org.uk
To donate or find out more about p/hop, please visit the p/hop blog at
www.p-hop.co.uk.
