Sporty Striped Socklets | Purl Soho

Socklet socks are just the thing for the short attention span of summertime lolly gagging! These little socks take the wonders of sock knitting and concentrate them down into one quick little project. Right away you’re into the heel flap, and before you know it, the heel and gusset follow.

Sporty Striped Socklets | Purl Soho

These are based on my Pom Pom Socklets, which, over the past four (gasp!) years, have become a go-to Purl Bee pattern. But instead of bouncy little pom poms at the ankle, these Sporty Striped Socklets get their visual zing from six delicate ringlets of pretty color.

Sporty Striped Socklets | Purl Soho

I used one of my all time favorite yarns, Koigu Premium Merino. It knits up into a wonderfully soft and machine washable pair of socks. And no need to buy entire skeins of the stripe colors, thanks to Koigu’s KPM Needlepoint Yarn, mini nuggets of just eleven yards each!

Sporty Striped Socklets | Purl Soho

Designed by Purl Soho designer, Whitney Van Nes.

Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, and #PurlSohoSportyStripedSocklet. We can’t wait to see what you make!

 Materials

Sporty Striped Socklets | Purl Soho
  • 2 skeins of Koigu Premium Merino, 100%Merino Wool. This color is #1010.5. (Three skeins would be enough for two pairs.)
  • 6 skeins of Koigu Premium Merino Needlepoint Yarn, 100% Merino Wool. These colors, from the left, are #2335, #2100, #1203, #2381, #1131, and #2220. (This is enough for at least two pairs of socks.)
  • A set of US 3 (3.25 mm) double pointed needles

Gauge

32 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette stitch

Size

Fit most women

  • 7½ inches in circumference
  • adjustable length

Pattern

The Cuff

With the Main Yarn, cast on 60 stitches to three double pointed needles.

Round 1: *K1, p1, repeat from * to end of round.

Repeat Round 1 five more times.

Knit 3 rounds.

The Heel Flap

Knit 15 stitches and turn the work so the purl side of the fabric is facing you.

Purl 30 stitches. (The 30 stitches that you just purled are the beginning of the heel flap. For this section, you will be working back and forth on just these 30 stitches.)

Arrange the stitches so that the 30 heel flap stitches are on one needle. Put the remaining stitches on hold on two needles (15 stitches each).

(Again, work the following rows back and forth, turning the work between each row.)

Row 1 (right side): *Slip 1 purlwise, k1, repeat from * to end of 30 stitches.

Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 1 purlwise, purl to end of 30 stitches.

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 fifteen more times.

Sporty Striped Socklets | Purl Soho

Turning the Heel

Still just working the heel flap stitches:

Row 1 (right side): K17, ssk, k1, turn the work so the wrong side is facing you and there are 19 stitches on the left needle and 10 stitches on the right needle.

Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 1 purlwise, p5, p2tog, p1, turn the work. (18 stitches on the left needle and 10 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 18 stitches remain on the needle.

Sporty Striped Socklets | Purl Soho

The Gusset

Knit across the 18 heel stitches.

With the same needle (now called “needle #1”), pick up 17 stitches along the heel flap. (35 stitches)

Sporty Striped Socklets | Purl Soho

With a new needle (needle #2), knit across the 30 stitches that have been on hold.

Sporty Striped Socklets | Purl Soho

With a new needle (needle #3), pick up 17 stitches along the other side of the heel flap.

Still with needle #3, knit 9 stitches from needle #1.

Now there are 26 stitches on needle #1, 30 stitches on needle #2, and 26 stitches on needle #3. Needle #1 is the beginning of the round (at the middle of the heel).

Sporty Striped Socklets | Purl Soho

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 60 total stitches remain.

Sporty Striped Socklets | Purl Soho

The Foot

Knit 8 rounds.

With Contrast Yarn A (#2220), knit 1 round.

With the Main Yarn, knit 2 rounds.

With Contrast Yarn B (#1131), knit 1 round.

With the Main Yarn, knit 2 rounds.

With Contrast Yarn C (#2381), knit 1 round.

With the Main Yarn, knit 2 rounds.

With Contrast Yarn D (#1203), knit 1 round.

With the Main Yarn, knit 2 rounds.

With Contrast Yarn E (#2100), knit 1 round.

With the Main Yarn, knit 2 rounds.

With Contrast Yarn F (#2335), knit 1 round.

With the Main Yarn, 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 final sock lengths:

US size 6 shoe (European 37) = 9 inches

US size 7 shoe (38) = 9 1/4 inches

US size 8 shoe (39) = 9 5/8 inches

US size 9 shoe (40) = 10 inches

For example, these socks are for a size 7 1/2 shoe, so I knit the foot until it measures 7 1/2 inches (9 1/2 inches minus 2 inches).

The Toe

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 32 total stitches remain.

Then, repeat Round 1 until 12 total stitches remain.

With Needle #3, knit the 3 stitches from Needle #1 so that there are 6 stitches on each of two needles.

Sporty Striped Socklets | Purl Soho

Use the Kitchener Stitch to close the toe.

Sporty Striped Socklets | Purl Soho

Weave in all the ends, then get started on the second sock!