Easy Super Bulky Slipper Socks
These slipper socks are thick and warm and knit up very quickly because the yarn is so bulky. I can make a pair in one evening while watching a movie or a football game! The pattern is so easy that once you make the first pair, you will hardly need to look at the directions for the second because there is a certain logic to the design that makes it easy to remember what to do. They are the perfect gift to keep your friends and loved one's feet cozy in the winter time. The yarn is unbelievably cheap (\$2.97 a skein), machine washable and dryable, and remarkably soft and durable. Size: to fit an average woman's foot size 7 to 8 and 1/2. Directions include instructions for shortening or lengthening the sock. The sock is stretchy enough to accommodate variations in foot width, but if you want to make them significantly wider (say for a man's wide foot) or narrower (for a child size foot), I would just cast on fewer or more stitches keeping the total number of stitches divisible by 4, so that once you get to the heel you can have half the total of number on one needle and a quarter of the total number on each of the other two needles. This gets reversed when you get to the instep of the foot (half of the stitches on the needle that is the top of the foot, and a quarter on each of the two needles that are the bottom of the foot.) Once you read the directions or make a pair, you will see how this makes sense. I hope I am not confusing you. These really are VERY EAsY!
Supplies:
1 skein of Lion Brand Hometown USA Super Bulky Acrylic Yarn. (The pattern leaves less than a couple of yards of leftover yarn. If you want to make your sock longer, or the ankle higher, you should buy a second skein. You could also could get two or more different colors and make striped socks.) Size 8 and Size 10 double pointed needles Optional: Scraps of different colored worsted weight yarn for crocheted flower embellishment and a size G crochet hook
Ankle:
Cast on 20 stitches with Size 8 needles. Divide the stitches among three needles. I usually put 6 stitches on two needles and 8 on one, so that I can always start with a knit stitch, rather than a purl, at the beginning of a needle, but you can arrange them however you like. Join to work in the round and work 8 rounds of K1 P1 Ribbing. (You may work more rounds if you desire a higher ankle on your sock, but you will probably need a second skein of yarn).
Heel:
Switch from a size 8 needle to a size 10 needle every time you use a new needle from here onout. Row 1: Slip 1 then Knit 9 stitches on one needle and turn, rather than continuing in the round. (Rearrange the stitches on the other two size 8 needles so that there are 5 stitches on each and let them sit while you work on the heel. You will be knitting back and forth using two size 10 needles as you complete the heel.) Row 2: Sl 1 purlwise, then Purl across and turn. Repeat these two rows 3 more times for a total of 8 rows in stockinette stitch ending with a purl row. (You may add or subtract rows for a larger or smaller foot.)
Turning the Heel:
Row 1: Slip 1, Knit to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1, turn Row 2: Sl 1 purlwise, Purl to last 3 stitches, P2tog through the back loops (tbl), P1, turn. (Iif you have never purled two together through the back loops, what you need to do is turn to the back of the stitches on the left needle, insert your right needle into the back loop of the second and first stitches on the needle, in that order, then turn the work to the front again and yarn over, completing the purl as you would normally. It is a little tricky, but you only have to do it twice in this pattern!) Row 3: Sl 1, Knit 3, K2tog, K1, turn (Please note that on this row and the next you will have one stitches leftover on the needle that you will not work. It's ok, just leave it unknitted, turn anyway and follow the directions for the next row. This is just how you are creating the pocket for the wearer's heel to fit into. It will all be ok in the end...I promise!) Row 4: Sl 1 purlwise, Purl 1, P2tog tbl, P1, turn (just leave that remaining unpurled stitch on the needle and turn anyway) Row 5: Sl 1, K to end, then with same needle pick up 6 stitches along side of heel, using slipped stitches as a guide. (If you added or decreased rows while knitting the heel, you will pick up more or fewer stitches along the side. Just use the slipped stitches to see what works and then do the same number when you pick up stitches on the other side of the heel.) You will be inserting your needle into the back edge of the slipped stitch, yarning over, and pulling that yarn-over through the slipped stitch to create a new stitch on your needle. 10 needle, knit across all stitches on next two needles (10 stitche With a new size 10 needle, pick up 6 stitches along other side of heel, using slipped stitches as a guide just as you did before, and then knit 3 stitches on next needle. (All of your stitches should now be on the size 10 needles, so put your size 8's away!) You are now back to knitting in the round and you will be ending each round in the middle of the heel from here on out. You should have 9 stitches on needle 1, 10 stitches on needle 2, and 9 stitches on needle 3. Needle 2, with the largest number of stitches, is now the top of the foot, while the other 2 needles are the bottom of the foot. Vni+ 1 rouind ouon
Gusset:
Work a decrease round as follows. Needle 1: Knit to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K 1 Needle 2: Knit across all stitches Needle 2: Knit 1, SSK, Knit to end Next round: knit all stitches even Repeat these two rounds until you have 20 stitches again (5 stitches on needles 1 and 3, 10 stitches on needle 2). If you modified the pattern by casting on fewer or extra stitches, you would still repeat these rounds until you get back to the original number of stitches you cast on.
Instep:
Knit 17 rows for an average size woman's foot. (You can knit fewer for a shorter foot or more for a longer foot. A good rule of thumb (or toe, in this case...yuk yuk yuk) is to knit until the sock is 1 and % inches shorter than the overall desired length of the sock from heel to toe. If the person you are making the sock for is available, he or she can slip it on and check. The sock should reach the base of the big toe before beginning the decreases. If the person does not live nearby for this check, see if you can get a measurement of the foot from heel to toe, then subtract 1 and % inches and knit until the sock is that length from its heel before beginning the toe decreases. )
Toe:
Work decrease round as follows. Needle 1: Knit to last 3 stitches, SSK, K 1 Needle 2: K 1, K2tog, Knit to last three stitches, SSK, K 1 Needle 3: K, K2tog, Knit to end Next round: Knit all stitches even Alternate decrease round and even round until you have 8 stitches left (2 stitches on needles 1 and 3, 4 stitches on needle 2), ending with a decrease round. Cut yarn leaving a tail long enough to thread through remaining stitches once with a yarn needle with a big eye. I usually then thread the yarn once more through the two stitches on needle 1, remove all the knitting needles and pull stitches tight so there will not be a hole at the toe. Push the yarn needle down into the toe alongside one of the stitches so it will not be noticeable, turn sock inside out and then weave in the tail on the inside of the sock and cut. Weave in the cast on tail at the ankle to the inside of the sock and cut.
Optional crocheted flower at ankle:
If you would like to add any type of embellishment to the ankle of your sock, you can do so with whatever pattern you like. I usually do a crocheted flower as follows: Using a size G crochet hook and worsted weight yarn, make a magic loop and sc 5 times in loop, pull loop tight. Slip stitch to 1t sc (picking up a second color for the petals if desired, in which case you would cut center color), \*Chain 2, 2 dc, chain 3 and slipstitch in same sc (1 petal made), slip stitch in next sc.\* Repeat from \* to \* in next 4 single crochets around, forming 4 petals. After completing last petal and slip stitching to 1st sc, fasten off and cut yarn leaving a long tail for sewing. Weave in any ends and sew flower securely to ankle of sock using the long tail.
striped pair! And a picture of my dog Scout sniffing a striped pair @ Alice Dillon, 2012. All rights reserved. Feel free to use the pattern to make items for your own personal use, for gifts, or for charitable donations. It may not be used to knit up items for sale unless proceeds of the sale will go to charity. You may make copies for your own personal use. You may not distribute it in any hardcopy or electronic format.
