Men’s Socks for Giving Away
These simple socks will warm the feet and heart of any recipient, but most especially of one whose gifts are few. Please consider making a pair for someone in your community who doesn’t have much. You’ll both be glad you did! -Whitney
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Whitney Van Nes.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, and #PurlSohoMensSocksForGivingAway. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 3 skeins of Koigu Kersti Merino Crepe in the Main Color (I used #2229) Each skein is 114 yards/ 50 grams; approximately 342 yards required.
- 1 skein of Koigu Kersti Merino Crepe in the Contrast Color (I used #1303)
- A set of four US 5 (3.75 mm) double pointed needles
Gauge
6 1/2 stitches = 1 inch in stockinette stitch
Finished Size
To fit average man’s feet
8 1/2 inches in circumference and a variable length
Pattern
The Cuff and Leg
With the Main Color (MC), cast on 56 stitches to three double-pointed needles. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On. (For help using double-pointed needles please check out our Double Pointed Needles Tutorial).
Join for working in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches.
Round 1: *K1, p1, repeat from * to end of round.
Repeat Round 1 until ribbing measures 1 1/2 inches.
Knit every round until piece measures 2 1/2 inches from the cast on edge.
With the Contrast Color (CC), knit 3 rounds.
Carrying the yarn up the back of the work, change to the MC and knit 2 rounds.
Change to the CC and knit 5 rounds.
Change to the MC and knit 2 rounds.
Change to the CC and knit 3 rounds. Cut the CC yarn.
With the MC, knit until the piece measures 8 1/2 inches from the cast on edge.
The Heel Flap
Knit 14 stitches and turn the work so the purl side of the fabric is facing you.
Purl 28 stitches. (These 28 stitches are the beginning of the heel flap. For this section, you will be working back and forth on just these 28 stitches.)
Arrange the stitches so that the 28 heel flap stitches are on one needle. Put the remaining 28 stitches on hold on another needle.
Row 1 (right side): *Slip 1 purlwise, k1, repeat from * to end of 28 stitches.
Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 1 purlwise, purl to end of 28 stitches.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 eight more times.
Repeat Row 1 one more time.
With the CC and while carrying the MC yarn up the side of the heel flap, repeat Rows 2 and 1 three times.
Repeat Row 2 one more time.
Turning the Heel
Still using the CC yarn and working just the heel flap stitches:
Row 1 (right side): K16, ssk, k1, turn the work so the wrong side is facing you and there are 18 stitches on the left needle and 9 stitches on the right needle.
Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 1 purlwise, p5, p2tog, p1, turn the work. (17 stitches on the left needle and 9 stitches on the right needle)
Row 3: Slip 1 purlwise, knit to 1 stitch before the gap, ssk (with the stitch before the gap and the stitch after the gap), k1, turn.
Row 4: Slip 1 purlwise, purl to 1 stitch before the gap, p2tog, p1, turn.
Repeat Rows 3 and 4 until all the heel stitches have been worked and 16 stitches remain on the needle. (For the last repeat, Row 3 will end with an ssk and Row 4 will end with p2tog.)
The Gusset
Knit across the 16 heel stitches. Cut the CC yarn.
With the MC (which you carried up the side of the heel) and the same needle (now called “needle #1”), pick up 15 stitches along the heel flap. (31 stitches)
With a new needle (needle #2), knit across the 28 stitches that have been on hold.
With another new needle (needle #3), pick up 15 stitches along the other side of the heel flap.
And, still with needle #3, knit 8 stitches from needle #1.
Now there are 23 stitches on needle #1, 28 stitches on needle #2 and 23 stitches on needle #3. Needle #1 is the beginning of the round (at the middle of the heel).
Round 1: Needle #1 – knit to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1. Needle #2 – knit all the stitches. Needle #3 – k1, ssk, knit to end.
Round 2: Knit.
Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 until 56 total stitches remain.
NOTE: You now have 14 stitches on needle #1, 28 stitches on needle #2 and 14 stitches on needle #3. Keep the stitches arranged like this throughout the Foot section so that they will be properly situated for the Toe section!
The Foot
Knit evenly until the piece measures 2 inches less than the desired final length, measuring from the back edge of the heel.
Here’s a guideline for men’s shoe lengths (remember to knit the sock 2 inches shorter than the shoe length!):
US size 9 shoe (European 42) = 10 1/2 inches
US size 10 shoe (43) = 10 3/4 inches
US size 11 shoe (44) = 11inches
US size 12 shoe (45) = 11 1/2 inches
US size 13 shoe (46) = 11 3/4 inches
I’m making socks to fit a size 10 shoe, so I knit the foot until it measures 8 3/4 inches.
The Toe
Cut the MC yarn and join the CC yarn.
Round 1: Needle #1 – knit to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1. Needle #2 – K1, ssk, knit to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1. Needle #3 – k1, ssk, knit to end.
Round 2: Knit.
Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 until 28 total stitches remain.
Then, repeat just Round 1 until 8 total stitches remain.
With Needle #3, knit the 2 stitches from Needle #1 so that there are 4 stitches on each of two needles.
Cut the yarn and graft the toe together using the Kitchener Stitch.
Weave in all the loose ends and block (they get really soft!).
I got a problem with turning the heel. There are suppose to be 28 stitches on the needle but it says k16, ssk, k1 =18 stitches. Then it says 9 stitches on the other needle which equals 27 stitches. What happened to other stitch. Am I missing something.
Hi Darlene,
Thanks for writing us! There should be 28 stitches on the needle, but when you SSK, you are decreasing one. Therefore, 27 stitches in total is correct. Please see the SSK tutorial below! I hope this helps!
https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2013/08/13/slip-slip-knit-ssk/
Best,
Adam
Thank you Adam I just knitted my first pair of socks. Thank you for your help. I need to make a pair size 7. How many stitches would I need to put on needle and to do the heel
Hello Darlene,
Thanks for writing. If you would like to make a men’s size 7 (US), then you wouldn’t have to change the pattern at all except for the instep length. If you are making these as a gift and don’t have the person’s foot near by, I would look up online the average length from a men’s size 7 foot and use that as a guide for the instep length. I hope this helps!
Best,
Adam
Hi, I see the links to the yarn you used are no longer valid. Do you have any other options for yarns, particularly lowish cost options?
Hi Julia,
Thanks for writing in! We do still carry Koigu Kersti. It appears that the links were broken but I have corrected the error and linked the yarn above! Thank you for letting us know!
A lower cost option for these socks might be Cascade 220 Superwash Sport.
Happy knitting!
Cassy
Hi! love this pattern but a touch confused about sizing. What is an average man’s shoe size? What shoe size are you working off here?
Hello Julia,
Thanks for the kind comment! While I wear a men’s 9, Google says the average men’s shoe size is 10.5. I make my dad socks all the time and he’s a men’s size 10, but instead of fitting them to his feet every now and then, I’ll just make them a little loose on my size 9 feet and they end up stretching to fit his. Socks should have negative ease, so if they are snug, it’s not a bad thing. Good luck on the project and happy knitting!
-Adam
Thanks for the sock pattern. Can I use Kroy sock yarn for your pattern (do I need to make any adjustments to the pattern)and also do you have a pattern for circular needles (if so, what size should I use)? Many thanks. Anne
Hi Anne,
Thanks for your question! You can use any yarn you like as long as your get the gauge right. If you can’t get the stitch gauge, then you’ll either want to adjust the cast on or choose a different yarn. You can certainly do this pattern on circular needles! I recommend an 8″ cord. They take some getting used to, but are totally worth it for knitting in the round!
Best of luck and let me know how it goes!
-Adam
I have searched a lot for a good men’s sock pattern for my son’s Christmas socks. I love this.. I can use the basic pattern for pretty much any look.. solid, the pretty stripe this shows, or even an intarsia (His socks will have a Christmas tree pattern row ) Thank you so much. It’s a beautiful sock and easy pattern.
I’m having trouble understanding the heel flap. Total of 56 stitches, I knit the first 14 stiches then purled the next 28 stiches…these 28 stitches are the stiches I use for the heel flap..got that. What about the other 14 stitches? Won’t the round be off when I come back to pick it up?
Hi Ashley,
So glad you’re making these socks! When you want to start the heel flap, you will knit 14 stitches beyond the beginning of your round and then turn your work so the wrong side is facing you. You will now be working flat, purling the 14 stitches you just knit and the 14 stitches beyond the beginning of round marker. These 28 stitches will be your heel flap stitches that you’ll work back and forth until you are finished.
Best of luck and happy knitting!
-Adam
Finally I found a pattern that my husband likes. I have made so many that didn’t suit him, I had almost given up then I found this patter! I am on my 4th pair. What a great pattern!
Cathy what yarn did you use to make your husbands socks?
Thank you.
I’m making these socks for the second time. I think it’s important for others to know how easy these are but also so well suited for people making socks for the first time.
I love making these socks. Thank you so much for sharing this free pattern and for your great instructions — really appreciated.
I am curious Diane and Cathy if you are using the exact wool recommended for this pattern and or if you have also successfully used other wool’s and might share those with me .
Is it possible to knit these socks two-at-a-time?
Thanks!
Hi Mark,
Thanks for writing in! You certainly can knit these and most sock patterns two at a time. We do not have a tutorial on how to do this but there are tutorials and books out there that address how to knit two socks at the same time. Alternately, you could purchase two sets of DPNs and knit both socks at the same time!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
the link for directions on how to finish the socks with a Kitchener stitch does not work. Could you please edit the link? thanks!
Hi Greg,
Thank you so much for letting us know! We have repaired the link and I am including it here for you!
https://www.purlsoho.com/create/kitchener-stitch-video/
Happy knitting!
Cassy
I will try this pattern but would like to know what you recommend to ensure the cuff does not slouch.
Thanks
Hello Lori,
Thank you for reaching out! I would recommend going down to a US 4 needle for the cuff to make the stitches slightly tighter. I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
This is a lovely pattern, and I particularly love the sentiment behind it. I am considering making some to give away, but I do not know the recipient’s shoe size and am hesitant to ask — do you think that making an “average” sized sock could work? Or do hand knitted socks really need to be made to fit the recipient’s feet? I don’t have enough experience with sock knitting to suss this out on my own and could use some advice! (Thanks so much for all the hard work and dedication that it takes to put together the amazing patterns and tutorials on this site. They are truly top-notch!)
Hi Jennifer,
Great question and thank you for your kind words! Socks are generally pretty forgiving. This is more so the case in circumference rather than length. Making hand knit socks, a men’s size 9 length will not really work for a man with a size 13 foot and vice versa as the 1 1/4 inch difference could mean a quite tight sock or a quite long sock. If you can get an idea of the recipient’s show size, you will have a much better result for the sock.
Best,
Cassy
Hi,
I am a very experienced knitter but never made socks. They intimidate me. So many comments on how great this pattern is I am finally going to try making them for my son-in-law for xmas. Is it possible to do this as a ribbed sock or simple pattern in the same color and keep with the pattern as written??
Thanks.
Hi Goldie,
Thanks for reaching out! While a simple rib worked on the leg of the sock and the instep shouldn’t change the fit of the sock too much, I would be wary of adding any other stitch patterns or motifs, since they can affect your gauge and therefore the fit of the sock. I do hope you give it a try as socks are wonderfully rewarding both to knit and gift!
Best,
Julianna
Good evening, finally gonna try knitting socks on doubled pointed needles and have been looking for socks for men. However, what would be better measurements of I was using regular worsted weight yarn, and size 7 needles for size 13 men’s feet? These seem easy enough, but wanting clarification. Thank you so much for this ?
Hello Eva,
Thank you for reaching out! These socks are great, but the the pattern requires a smaller gauge than what you are working with. These socks are knit with a US5 needle with DK/Light Worsted.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hi!
Is it possible to make this with circular needles and magic loop technique??
Thanks!
Hi Emma
Thanks for the great question! You can absolutely knit these the magic loop technique! You will have to pay a little more attention to the directions when you get to the gusset area, and convert them to only using 2 needles, but it should work out fine!
Happy knitting
Jessica
Hi, I’m going to attempt to make these for my son who has a size 13 foot! I’ve never made socks & I’m not sure how to adjust the pattern for the size. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Hi Rebecca,
Thanks for reaching out! If you can, I would recommend measuring around your son’s foot at the ball of his foot. This sock will fit comfortably for feet that measure anywhere from 9 to 10 inches around, which should work for most men’s feet, and the pattern includes instructions for modifying the length, either by shoe size or foot measurement in inches. If your son’s feet are too large for the circumference of these socks, I wouldn’t recommend modifying them, especially for your first sock, as there is quite a bit of math that goes into the heel! Instead, you may want to consider our Easy Heel Colorblock Socks, which are excellent for beginners and come in five different sizes.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
I’ve gotten to the gusset and was wondering if i need to pick up and knit the stitches or just pick up?
Thanks for your help! I love this pattern!
Hi Molly,
Thanks for reaching out! Once you pick up 15 stitches along the heel flap you, then with a new needle (needle #2), you will knit across the 28 stitches that have been on hold, then with another new needle (needle #3), pick up 15 stitches along the other side of the heel flap. Then once you have picked up all the necessary stitches you then will begin to knit in the round!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
I could use some help please and I hope what I am asking makes sense. 😊. I have never knit socks before and I am using DPNs. I just finished the cuff and legs and cast on 57 stitches with 19 being on each needle. Now I am at The Heel Flap and am confused. Do I knit 14 stitches on needle 1 then purl 28 stitches on needle 2 and put the remaining stitches on needle 3? Thank you for any help.
Hi Janice,
Thanks for reaching out! I am happy to help! So basically you will be knitting 14 stitches and then turning the work so that the purl side of the fabric is facing you. You will then purl 28 stitches, these stitches will be the heel flap and you will be working back and forth on just these 28 stitches. After purling these 28 stitches you will arrange the rest of the stitches so that the 28 heel flap stitches are on one needle and you place the remaining 28 stitches on hold on another needle ( this includes the 14 stitches you began knitting with.)
I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any more questions!
Warmly,
Gianna