I regularly receive questions regarding the size of my sock patterns and how you will know if they will fit you or not. This is an important question because you don’t want to put hours into knitting a pair of socks to find they don’t fit either you or the person you are knitting them for. This is particularly true when you are knitting the larger sized socks. To help with this, I have written two posts giving a basic top down sock pattern in 6 sizes. This is the second part of the basic top down sock pattern to fit Shoe Sizes UK 7 to 12, EU 40 to 46 and US 9 to 13. The first post giving the basic top down sock pattern to fit Shoe Sizes UK 2 to 6, EU 35 to 39 and US 4 to 8 can be found here.
One of the main problems when you’re reading a pattern is whether the pattern is written for UK, European or US shoe sizes. I’ve shown a comparison of all of the shoe sizes for knitting your socks in the chart below which includes Foot Circumference, UK Shoe Size, EU Shoe Size, US Shoe Size, Mens (Ladies) Foot Size (S (L), M, L) and Finished Sock Length from Heel to Toe.
The sock pattern features a k1, p1 ribbed cuff; a smooth stocking stitch (stockinette) leg; a slip stitched heel flap, turned heel and gusset; a smooth stocking stitch (stockinette) foot; and a classic shaped toe.
This is a very comfortable sock pattern that will work wonderfully with any one of the wide array of beautiful sock yarns that are created by Opal, Regia, Lang and Schoppel Wolle yarns to name just a few. It is also perfect for knitting socks from any of the amazing selection of hand dyed yarns that are available from Indie yarn dyers.
Needles:
- 3.25 mm (US 3) double pointed needle (dpn) for casting on
- 2.75 mm (US 2) (set of 5) dpns for knitting socks
- tapestry needle for sewing in ends.
Sock Yarn:
1 x 100g ball of Sock Yarn – Although the largest size sock will require more than 100g particularly if you want to match the pattern.
- UK 7-9 Opal For Ladies & Gentlemen 8015
- UK 9.5-10.5 Regia Snowflake 7709
- UK 11-12 Hand Dyed Opal Sock Yarn
The actual weight of the sample pairs of socks is 78 (88, 98) g. Of course, this doesn’t allow for knitting a matching pair of socks in the sock yarn you are using. Some sock yarns have a longer pattern repeat than others.
I used 2.75 mm Clover Takumi Bamboo Double Pointed Needles and knit my socks using 4ply sock weight yarn which is usually 75% wool with 25% nylon. This is because I wash the majority of my hand knit socks in the washing machine on the wool setting. Sock yarn that isn’t either superwash or with a nylon content will shrink over time when you machine wash it. I used to wash all my socks by hand but after a few years of sock knitting there were too many socks to hand wash and I forgot which socks had been knit using yarn that wasn’t machine washable (several pairs of socks shrank). One thing to note is that some of the colours will fade quicker when you wash your socks in the washing machine than with hand washing. I don’t tumble dry my socks. I hang them on the clothes line or the clothes rack to dry.
Tension:
The tension for these socks is 20 rows and 16 stitches / 5cm (2 inch) square in stocking stitch (stockinette). 8 stitches / 2.5cm (1 inch).
Abbreviations:
double pointed needle(s) – dpn(s); stitch(es) – st(s); knit – k; purl – p; slip slip knit – ssk; purl two stitches together – p2tog; knit stitch through the back loop – ktbl.
Foot Circumference:
To find your foot circumference measure around the ball of your foot which is the widest part of your foot.
| Foot Circumference | 23cm (9″) | 24cm (9.5″) | 25.5cm (10″) |
| UK Shoe Size | 7 – 9 | 9.5 – 10.5 | 11 – 12 |
| EU Shoe Size | 40 – 41 | 42 – 43 | 44 – 46 |
| US Shoe Size | 9 – 11 | 11.5 – 12 | 12 – 13 |
| Man’s (Ladies) Foot Size | Small (Large) | Medium | Large |
| Finished Sock Length Heel to Toe | 27.5cm (10.75″) | 28cm (11″) | 29cm (11.5″) |
Cuff:
- Cast on 64 (68, 72) sts using 3.25 mm double pointed needle using the long tail cast on or your favourite stretchy cast on.
- Join into the round as you rib the first round using 2.75 mm double pointed needles, 16 (17, 18) sts on each needle.
- Work knit 1, purl 1 ribbing for 14 (18, 18) rounds.
Leg:
- Knit 60 (65, 70) rounds.
- Length of leg from the start of the cuff 17.5cm/7″ (18.75cm/7.5″, 20cm/8″). Or as many rounds as your desired length from the top of cuff to top of heel.
Heel:
On completion of the leg section knit 16 (17, 18) sts onto needle 4 so you now have 32 (34, 36) sts on this needle. You’ll be working the heel flap over these stitches (half of the total number of stitches), working in rows rather than rounds. Start the heel flap on a purl row.
Heel Flap:
- Row 1: *sl 1, p1; rep from * to end of row, turn
- Row 2: k
- Repeat rows 1 and 2 for 32 (34, 36) rows.
Turn Heel:
- Row 1: purl across 18 (19, 20) sts then p2tog, p1, turn.
- Row 2: sl 1, k5, ssk, k1, turn.
- Row 3: sl 1, p to 1 st before the ‘gap’, p2tog (combines 1 st before the ‘gap’ and 1 st after the gap), p1, turn.
- Row 4: sl 1, k to 1 st before the gap, ssk, k1, turn.
- Repeat rows 3 & 4 until all heel stitches have been worked and 18 (20, 20) sts remain.
Gusset:
Pick up and knit 17 (18, 19) sts along the edge of the heel flap. Knit across the instep stitches (top of foot) 32 (34, 36) sts. Pick up and knit 17 (18, 19) sts along the edge of the heel flap. Then knit across 9 (10, 10) sts from turning the heel. The centre back is now the starting point for the following rounds.
Before you start the next round, slip the other half of the heel stitches onto needle 1.
On next round k9 (10, 10) sts, then ktbl 17 (18, 19) sts, k32 (34, 36) sts, ktbl 17 (18, 19) sts, k9 (10, 10) sts. This prevents any small holes or gaps showing along the edge of the heel flap.
Next round: knit.
Now you are ready to start the gusset shaping.
Gusset Shaping:
- Round 1: Needle 1: k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1; Needles 2 and 3: k; Needle 4: k1, ssk, k to end of needle.
- Round 2: K
- Repeat rounds 1 and 2 until there are 16 (17, 18) sts on each needle. Total number of stitches 64 (68, 72).
Foot:
I always try on my socks when I have knit about half of the rounds needed for the foot. Then it helps me to know how many more rounds I need to knit. I normally knit until I reach the knuckle on the big toe. If you’re knitting the sock for someone else:
- Knit 47 (49, 51) rounds.
- Length of foot from the heel is 20cm/8″ (21.5cm/8.5″, 23cm/9″).
Classic Toe:
The length of the Classic Toe for each size is 5.5cm/2.25″ (5.5cm/2.25″, 6.5cm, 2.5″).
- Round 1: Needles 1 and 3: k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1; Needles 2 and 4: k1, ssk, k to end of needle.
- Round 2: k
- Repeat rounds 1 and 2 until you have 28 (32, 32) sts left.
- Then repeat round 1 until there are 16 (20, 20) sts remaining.
- Making sure that the toe stitches align horizontally with the heel, slip the stitches from needle 4 onto needle 1 and the stitches from needle 3 onto needle 2.
- Graft the toe stitches using Kitchener Stitch.
Finishing:
Weave in all loose ends. I hope you will love wearing your new socks. I hand washed and blocked the men’s small sized socks on sock blockers. The larger sized socks were hand washed and then patted into shape and allowed to dry lying on a flat surface.
Once you’ve knit a pair of socks using your size you can tweak the socks that I have made to knit socks that will fit you comfortably and well.
Summary of Sock Sizes:
A quick summary of the sizing details of each sock.
The sock pictured above is the (64 stitch) Small Man’s (Large Woman’s) size which fits Shoe Size – UK 7 to 9, EU 40 to 41, and US 9 to 11. The foot circumference is approximately 23cm (9″). The finished length of the foot measured from heel to toe is 27.5cm (10.75″). The sock yarn I used to knit this sock is Opal For Ladies & Gentlemen 8015. I knit the sock using 2.75mm bamboo double pointed needles at a tension of 8 stitches/10 rounds = 2.5 cm/1 inch. The actual weight of this sock is 39 grams.
The sock pictured above is the (68 stitch) Medium Man’s size which fits Shoe Size UK 9.5 to 10.5, EU 42 to 43, and US 11.5 to 12. The foot circumference is approximately 24cm (9.5″). The finished length of the foot measured from heel to toe is 28cm (11″).The sock yarn is Regia Snowflake 7709 and Hand Dyed Opal Sock Yarn. I knit the sock using 2.75mm bamboo double pointed needles at a tension of 8 stitches/10 rounds = 2.5 cm/1 inch. The actual weight of this sock is 44 grams.
The sock pictured above is the (72 stitch) Large Man’s size which fits Shoe Size UK 11 to 12, EU 44 to 46, and US 12 to 13. The foot circumference is approximately 25.5cm (10″). The finished length of the foot measured from heel to toe is 29cm (11.5″). The sock yarn is Hand Dyed Opal Sock Yarn. I knit the sock using 2.75mm bamboo double pointed needles at a tension of 8 stitches/10 rounds = 2.5 cm/1 inch. The actual weight of this sock is 49 grams.
I look forward to hearing about how your socks turn out and hopefully seeing some of the pictures of your lovely sock projects. I always love reading all of your comments!
Love your large foot pattern. It’s the only one I’ve done. So far 10 pairs and got rid of my cheap store bought ones. I love them, they are so comfortable. I’m allergic to wool, but I’ve managed to find a non-wool blend that works perfectly.
Hi Nicolette, first thanks (once again) for these patterns. I have used them to make a number of pairs of socks. I have one aspect where I feel that I am somehow gearing it wrong. At the end of the toe shaping you say to ‘move the stitches from needle 4 to needle 1. But this leaves my yarn in the middle of the row (as opposed to the beginning) ready for doing the Kitchener stitch. Am I missing something here?
TIA
Ruth
This is THE BEST sock pattern I have ever made. THANK YOU!!
The gusset is a bit challenging to me…I have more than 15 stitches but I think I figured how to adapt. Can you make a suggestion or give more info?
I am knitting a pair of socks for my niece. She has a high instep, thicker ankles and calves than the pattern size for her foot circumference. How do I go about adjusting the pattern? Thank you.
Carol Foster
Hi Carol, do a tension square and measure her foot. Then I’d cast on a larger number of stitches. You want to have 5-10% negative ease so that the sock will fit snuggly. You can knit a longer heel flap for the back of the heel and you can then make the gusset longer by decreasing to the number of stitches you need for the foot circumference. This will help to allow for her high instep. Be careful to cast on loosely so that it will be comfortable around her calf. If at all possible have her try the sock on when you’ve started to knit the foot section. Hope that helps. Maybe someone else will also have suggestions for you. Happy Sock Knitting, Nicolette
I’m thrilled to have found this website with excellent directions for multiple sizes! I teach knitting and have a student, age 11, who has been knitting for two years and eager to make socks. She’s not a large girl but her feet are larger than average and her mom said that she herself wears a size 10 (US) shoe. Nearly all the women’s patterns I have found are written for a ‘medium’ size (US 7-8); I looked at men’s socks but all the patterns I’m finding have argyles, cables …. these directions are perfect and I sent her the link to the website. Thank you for sharing this!!!
Thank you for your sock patterns, Nicolette. I have been using them for over a year and I am knitting my sixth pair of socks. I had been using the basic pattern for sizes 35-39 until this pair, when I found your measurements for larger sizes – so helpful. I was also very excited on exploring ‘knitting squirrel’ further this evening to discover that you live in Belfast, NI – so do I! Thanks again. Alison
Socks are wonderful projects. I always have a couple of pairs of socks on the needles at any time. It is a small world!
Hi Nicolette,
I’m wondering about the s1 instructions. If it’s a purl row is it s1 purlwise and if it’s a knit row then s1 knitwise. I’m a new knitter and some videos I’ve watched advise that if there’s no specific instruction then it’s always s1 purlwise.
Thanks for the help!
I always slip purlwise unless the pattern specifies slip knitwise such as for ssk.
Hi Nicolette,
Thank you very much for your valuable information/instructions above. I was in need a few minutes ago trying to decide with wool and I thought let me look to see if you had anything on the subject and there you were….everything in a nutshell….lol Thanks so much
Hi. I was very excited to see the measurement chart. That was very helpful – however, my husband’s foot circumference is 28cm… I call this Legend size!
I have cast on 93 sts. I had tried 81 and it was not nearly enough. I do hope it works this time!
Oh goodness. He is lucky to have you knitting socks for him!
Hi Holly and Nicolette!
First, thank you for this beautiful knitting post! My son wears a US size 15-16 shoe – another Legend size! He has recently moved to Alaska and so I intend to knit some very warm socks for him. Since he’s not here I will be guessing how many stitches to cast on. Holly, since you have knitted a Legend size, would you please follow up on your socks? Thank you in advance, Tracie
I just want to tell you how wonderful this description is. Your instructions are clear and seem to do a better job than the pattern I followed for my disastrous first sock (I will not complete that pair because I am not friends with Sasquatch).
I can’t actually measure the foot of the intended recipient because theses are a surprise, so it was nice to see the basics laid out in a table. So far, I have done the cuff and it seems to be turning out exactly the size it should based on socks in my son’sdrawer.
So thanks.
I’m glad you are finding it helpful. Do let me know how they turn out in the end! I’d unravel the first sock and reknit it into a new pair of socks!
Hello there
Thank you so much for sharing a lovely ‘doable’ pattern and the charts for sizes is invaluable 😀
I wonder if you know of a toe up equivalent? I’m always using random bits of wool so always do toe up socks so that they are as long as the wool is.
Or any way to adapt the pattern to toe up?
Keep up the good work! Louise
I’m delighted you found the sock pattern useful.
I haven’t knit many toe up socks. It isn’t my preferred way to knit socks. Wendy D. Johnson wrote an excellent book Socks from the Toe Up. They are also covered in Sock Architecture by Lara Neil.
Hi Nicolette
Thanks for the pattern! Hard to find big footed socks patterns. I have only made socks from one other pattern and I am a little confused. I am at the gusset shaping and in last pattern it told me how many stitches on each needle at this point. Can u help?
Hello!
I love this pattern and wonder if you have done it as a toe up pattern too? If so I would love to try it.
Happy knitting
Hi, Nicholette, greetings from Northern Ireland.
Could you please explain how to change colour of the wool so that I can make stripy socks please? I always manage to have a hole where the wool is changed.
So glad I found your site, it’s very inspiring.
Many thanks
Jackie
Hi Nicolette,
I knit lots of socks using a squared toe pattern on 60 stitches!
However, when knitting smaller or bigger sizes my pattern says as a guide to to use half the total amount of stitches for the heel flap and total stitches to be picked up for gusset is a quarter of total stitches cast on! I understand these instructions, however, how do I know how many stitches to knit/purl on the first row of the heel turn???
Also, for the square toe shaping – how do I work out how many stitches should remain before doing the Kitchener stitch to finish off???
If you could give me guidance on the above I would be very happy!
Thanks a million
Kind Regards
Maura
I love your sock recipe more than any other on the entire internet!
Hi Nicolette,
Thanks so much for all the work you put into these tutorials. I’m a newbie knitter, and so far have tried three sock patterns. Yours is by far the clearest and most enjoyable.
I’m planning to knit a pair of socks for my husband’s birthday, and he has extra-large feet, UK size 13. Could I just cast on a few extra stitches and then muddle my way through the heel, do you think?
Also, I’m planning to use a contrast colour for the ribbing and toe, as I’m worried I won’t have enough in 100g of wool for a pair this large, especially as I’d like them to be nice and long for winter. If I’m brave enough to do a contrast heel as well, which parts of the heel should I do in the contrast wool?
Thanks a million again for your help,
Fiona
I like using the Lion brand yarn, particularly the “Pound of Love” . I find it to be almost the same gauge as the Beehive/Patons Astra. All of my needles are British gauge, but I live in Canada. So I would likely use a size 10 to knot socks. But all of my patterns (and I have a lot) are for 3 ply (for socks). Do you have a suggestion for which of your patterns I could use to make my husband some socks? Much appreciated.
I meant so say “”use a size 10 to knit socks.”. Sorry
Hello Nicolette,
Thank you for the larger sized sock patterns. I have size 11 women’s feet (live in Canada), will convert to 9 men’s (US). You have lovely wool, unfortunately I’m allergic to wool and can’t use it. It’s always a challenge when I knit to find a nice yarn I can use for things like this.
Try using Alpaca wool which does not contain lanolin which is the normal wool irritant
This is very helpful, thank you. I was wondering–for a Men’s US size 9, what size calf would it fit?
Turning the heel you say to knit 18 stitches and continue to decrease until you have 18 stitches. Is this right?
Would it be very difficult to follow this pattern but use Thicker yarn Grandson wants stripy bed socks! How would I estimate number of stitches for 8 ply yarn ? Instructions are so clear I thought I might try, fingers crossed! Thankyou
Hi Nicolette from Queensland Australia,
Just new to sock knitting and am already an addict!
Thanks so much for larger foot sizes. My hubby’s size 12.
I finally got Regia designline and Paifect but too scared to jump in!
Can I use these wool types for your patterns? I love heel of partride for heel flap. Do you have any other patterns I can buy?
Again much appreciated
Ruby
Is there a way to print the sock pattern. This is my first pair and Ithe would be helpful to have it by my side . Thank you
Ginny
Not at the moment, I’ll look at creating a pdf in the future. Thanks for your suggestion. Nicolette
I’m working through my first sock (ever!) and love this pattern so far! I made the mistake of using only 4 needles for the whole thing thus far as it is what I’m used to when working in the round. However, now I am at the shaping the gusset part and I have no idea how many stitches are supposed to be on which needle or where. I’m sorry! Are you able to let me know?
Thank you!!
Hi Kendra,
I’m assuming you have the stitches spread across 3 double pointed needles. The only difference should be that you have all the stitches for the instep (across the top of your foot ) on one needle instead of spread across needle 2 and needle 3.
If you think of it as:
Needle 1, (stitches from half of the heel turn + the stitches you picked up and knit along the side of the heel flap); Needle 2 (all the instep stitches); and,
Needle 4 is your 3rd needle (stitches you picked up and knit along the side of the heel flap + half of the heel turn stitches).
On needle 1 depending upon the size of sock you are knitting you should have 26 (28, or, 29) stitches.
Needle 2 should have 32 ( 34, or, 36) stitches
Needle 4 (your needle 3) sid the same number as needle 1.
Needle 1 and needle 4 should have the same number of stitches on them. You will be decreasing ever other round on these two needles until you have 16 (17, or, 18) stitches on each of these two needles. Your stitch number on needle 2 should not change at this time.
I hope this helps, happy sock knitting, Nicolette
Nicolette,
Thanks ever so much for the larger size sock patterns and charts. I will have more confidence now when I knit for my sons 12-13 sized feet. Yes, and all three are 6 ft. tall or over. Guess their height balances out their large feet.
Thank you again for your work in getting these patterns and charts together. You have a great web site and work hard to keep it interesting and informative.
Joyce in Utah
Thank you Joyce, You are very welcome. I enjoyed working on this sock pattern although, I must admit that I did wish at times that I’d started on the largest size and finished with the smallest! I look forward to hearing how you get on with the pattern. Happy Sock Knitting, Nicolette