Men's Socks

I just finished my first pair of men's socks. My husband has said he would not wear a pair of hand knit socks so I have never really thought of making any men's socks, until a friend asked for a pair. It did take me a few trial socks to adapt my pattern to accommodate the differences of men's feet. Which is funny, my first thought was just to make a bigger women's sock, but that did not work. So I adapted my sock pattern and came up with my own men's sock pattern. I jotted down notes but want to write out my notes here so I won't lose the changes. At my house my notes for knitting end up scrunched up in the bottom of my knitting bag and eventually thrown out or forever lost.

My next endeavor is to photograph and write down how I make socks. I have been asked so many times "how do you knit socks". It does take a little time, more time that I usually have to show someone in one sitting. So my thinking is, if I have it all documented somewhere I can help people when we are together but I can give them my blog resource to look at when they are home. Just writing down directions doesn't always help. Sorry if the following pattern doesn't make sense. Maybe after I document how I make socks, the changes for a men's sock will make more sense.

Anyway here are the changes I have made to my women's sock pattern to create a men's sock.

I use a size 000 double pointed needles, and a fingering weight yarn.

-cast on 68 stitches

-2-3 inches of k2-p2 ribbing in the round.

-then continue with straight K stitch in the round for a total of 4 inches.

-Start decreasing 1 stitch next round, then knit 4 rounds (4 times) so a total of 4 stitches decreased with 64 stitches remaining.

-Continue knitting until sock measures 9 inches.

-knit 15 stitches from your first needle onto your 4th (empty needle) then slip 15 stitches of your 3rd needle onto your 4th needle. So you have a total of 30 stitches on your 4th needle.

-slip the rest (34) of your stitches onto a needle holder, or piece of yarn.

-work heel for 2 1/2 inches

-work heel cup

-Pick up 19 stitches on each side of the heel cup

-Divide stitches on your heel cup and put those with the two sides (gusset) so you are back working on three needles, in the round.

-Knit to last 3 stitches of needle 1, knit 2 together knit 1; knit second needle; knit 1 on 3rd needle, SSK (decrease 1) then knit the rest of the stitches on third needle (do this step twice)

-then start alternating one knit row and one decrease row (as above) and work until you have 19 stitches on needle 1, 34 stitches on needle 2 and 19 stitches on needle 3. (end of gusset)

-work in the round until foot is 2 inches shorter than your foot, even stitches out for toe so you have 18 stitches on needle 1, 36 stitches on needle 2 and 18 stitches on needle 3.

-Start toe decrease and decrease 4 stitches every other row until you have 5 stitches on needle 1, 10 stitches on needle 2, and 5 stitches on needle 3.

-knit needle 1 stitches onto needle 3 and bind off toe.