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Free Little Socks Pattern
Deer Tracks
Little Socks
For your littlest guy. Sized for 3 months, six, and nine months. Perfect for cold little feet or stockings hung by the chimney with care (very easy for Santa to fill!).Click here to see all the Little Socks Patterns!
Little Socks Free Sample Pattern~Print it out and happy knitting!
Welcome to Thumb Knitting. This is a sample from our Little Socks booklet. An introduction to stranded knitting, this is a simple pattern with three rows of plain knitting in between only one row of multicolor. Use any colors you feel would be attractive. We suggest looking to your leftovers and stash. These socks are designed to stay on baby’s feet, and are suitable as Christmas decorations.
For a three month size, you will need DK (double knitting) weight yarn in merino wool, a wool blend, or cotton. You will need size 3 or 4 double pointed knitting needles for a gauge/tension of 6 stitches = 1 inch. Bottom of sock is 3 inches long.
For six or nine month size, you will need about one ounce of worsted weight yarn in merino wool, a wool blend, or cotton. Also needed, a set of double pointed knitting needles in size 6, 7, or 8 for a gauge/tension of 4.5 stitches = 1 inch. Bottom of sock is 4 (4 ½ ) inches long.
Please keep in mind that size is relative and some newborns are in a 3 month size. The 3, 6, and 9 month age ranges are to give you an idea of relative size. For best results, measure the bottom of baby’s foot.
Two sets of instructions are given. The first starts at the toe and works up. The second begins at the top and works down to the toe.
Deer Tracks
Beginning at the toe
Simple cast on 7 stitches.
1) Knit 6 stitches, drop off the slip knot.
2) Knit twice into each stitch. 12 stitches on needle.
3) Divide stitches onto four needles:
1) 2 stitches
2) 4 stitches
3) 4 stitches
4) 2 stitches
Lay the needles on a flat surface in a circle. Be certain that all of the cast on edge is facing the center. The needle with the cast on tail (needle 1) should be on the left, the last stitch knitted on the right. The cast on tail should lie under the needles, the strand from the skein should lie over the needles.
If you have never knitted on dp needles before this may seem chaotic. If, after three tries things are still not going well, go to the page 5 and start your sock from the top.Slip the first stitch from needle 1 (on the left) to needle 4 (on the right). Bring yarn forward (as if to purl). Slip the stitch back onto the left needle. Slip the last stitch made from the right needle to the left needle. Put the yarn to the back of the work (as if to knit). Slip the last stitch back onto the right needle. You have just wrapped the first and last stitches together and can now knit it the round.
Place marker. Knit the two stitches off the left
needle (needle 1). Knit one stitch off needle 2.With the extra needle (needle 1), knit the three stitches off needle 2 and one stitch from needle 3.
With the extra needle, knit the three stitches off needle 3 and one stitch from needle 4.
With the extra needle, knit one stitch from needle 4, slip the marker onto the left needle. Begin round 4.
4) Knit around. Remember to knit the first stitch off the next needle before using the “extra” needle. This is to avoid holes in your work. When you come to the end of the round, you will need to knit two stitches from the last needle instead of one so you don’t loose your marker.
5) *inc 1, K3* You now have 16 stitches.
6) Knit
7) *K2, inc 1* You now have 24 stitches.
8) *K1-B, K1-A* (Knit one stitch in the second color, knit one stitch in main color.)
9-11) Knit in A.
Repeat rounds 8 to 11 (repeat twice for 9 month) and round 8.
17 or 21) Make Heel
There are many ways to turn the heel of a sock. Since most babies this age do not wear shoes or go jogging, we are not concerned with a long wearing heel.
As you knit round 17, arrange the first 6 stitches onto one needle and 6 stitches on the second. The following 12 stitches should be knit up on one needle. Stop. You will remove the marker because it will fall off. As you knit back and forth, DO NOT slip the first stitch of each row. Knit or purl the first stitch.
Knit the heel using one color.
Turn the sock to the wrong side. Purl across the 12 stitches. Turn to face the public (knit) side.
K1, K2 tbl (or other left slanting decrease), K6,
K2tog (or other right slanting decrease), K1
Purl 10
K1, dec 1, K4, dec 1, K1
Purl
K1, dec 1, K2, dec 1, K1
Purl
K1, dec 1, dec 1, K1
PurlYou have decreased from 12 stitches to 4. Now, you have to increase. Look at the edges of the heel. You are going to pick up four stitches from each edge, equal distance apart. The fourth stitch picked up should be close to the round of knitting you left behind. Will picking up every other stitch do the trick? Or every third? I can’t see your knitting, but you can.
Pick up the stitch one stitch from the edge. You are not picking up the edge stitch, but rather the one next to it. With right needle, pick up stitch one place from the edge and place onto left needle, then knit it. Knit four. With left needle, pick up stitch one place from the edge stitch and knit it.
Purl
Pick up stitch, K6, Pick up stitch
Purl
Pick up stitch, K8, Pick up stitch
Purl
Pick up stitch, K10, Pick up stitchPlace marker, knit one.
18-20) Knit in rounds, maintaining pattern.
21) *K1, P1*
Continue in rounds, keeping pattern and making 1 x 1 ribbing. until sock is 3 (4 ½, 4 3/4) inches from base of heel (or desired length)
Bind off in K1, P1.
Weave in tail at top.
At toe, thread tapestry needle with cast on tail. Cross strand over cast on circle, insert into sock, bringing needle up near the spot you started from. Cross the cast on circle again and insert needle. Turn sock inside out. Weave in tail.
From the Top
Cable cast on 24 stitches. Divide onto four needles:
1) 4 stitches
2) 8 stitches
3) 8 stitches
4) 4 stitches
Lay the needles on a flat surface, arranged in a circle. The two middle needles should be to the top and the other two at the bottom. The needle with the cast on tail should be to the left, the needle with the last cast on stitch should be to the right. The cast on tail should lie under the needles, the strand leading to the skein of yarn should be over the needles. The cast on edge of all stitches should face inside.Slip the first stitch from the left needle (number 1) onto the right needle (number 4). Bring yarn forward, as if to purl. Slip the stitch back to the left needle. Slip the first stitch of the right needle onto the left needle. Put yarn in back of work. Slip stitch back to right needle. You have just wrapped the first and last stitches together. You can now knit in the round.
Place marker onto needle 4. Knit the four stitches off needle 1. Knit one stitch off needle 2.
With the extra needle (needle 1), knit the seven stitches from needle 2 and 1 stitch from needle 3.
With the extra needle, knit the 7 stitches from needle 3 and 1 stitch from needle 4.
With the extra needle, knit 3 stitches from needle 4, slip the marker, and begin round 2.
2) *K1-B, P1-A*
3-5) *K1, P1* ribbing in main color, A
Repeat rounds 2-5 three more, 17 rounds in all.
18-19) Maintaining color pattern, knit in stockinette.
20) Make the Heel
Arrange your knitting to have the first six stitches on one needle, the next six stitches on the second needle, and the following twelve stitches on the third needle. Remove marker because it will fall off. As you knit back and forth, DO NOT slip the first stitch of each row. Knit or purl the first stitch.
Knit the heel in one color.
Turn the sock to the wrong/purl side. Purl across the twelve stitches. Turn to face the public side.
K1, K2 tbl (or other left slanting decrease), K6, K2tog (or other right slanting decrease), K1.
Purl
K1, dec 1, K4, dec 1, K1
Purl
K1, dec 1, K2 dec 1, K1
Purl
K1, dec 1, dec 1, K1
PurlYou have decreased your stitches from 12 to 4. Now, you must increase back to 12. Look at the edges of the heel. You are going to pick up four stitches from each edge, equal distance apart. The fourth stitch picked up on each side should be close to the round of knitting you left. Will picking up every other stitch do the trick? Or every third stitch? I can’t see your knitting, but you can.
You will pick up stitches one place in from the edge. Do not pick up the edge itself. With right needle, pick up stitch one place from the edge, place onto left needle, knit it. Knit 4, pick up stitch one place from edge stitch with left needle, knit it. Six stitches on needle.
Purl
Pick up stitch, K6, Pick up stitch
Purl
Pick up stitch, K8, Pick up stitch
Purl
Pick up stitch, K10, Pick up stitchReplace marker
21) Knit in rounds, maintaining color pattern in stockinette stitch for 8(8, 12) rounds.
Cut contrasting color leaving 8 inch tail.
29) *K1, K2tog* 16 stitches on needles
30) Knit
31) *K2, K2tog* 12 stitches on needles
32) Knit
33) Knit
34) *K2tog* 6 stitches on needle
35) Knit
Cut yarn leaving an 8 inch tail. Thread tail through tapestry needle. Insert tapestry needle through each stitch on the needles, pulling the needle out after threading each stitch on that needle. Insert needle through the six stitches again. Pull stitches together, but not too tightly. Insert needle through hole made by stitches. Turn sock inside out. Weave tails in, cut. Weave in cast on tail on wrong side.
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