Hand knit socks are such a joy, why should they stop at the ankles? Cast on our Little Cable Knee Highs and keep on knitting… all the way up to your knees!

Little Cable Knee Highs in Posy | Purl Soho

Using a provisional cast on at the toes, we knit these socks from there up, working a short row heel and adding a charming cable up the back of the leg. Then we top it all off with a healthy dose of ribbing to help keep these beauties in place!

Little Cable Knee Highs in Posy | Purl Soho

A wonderful first-cable project, there’s nothing complicated about these, and to give your confidence a little boost, we even have a cable tutorial to walk you through it step-by-step!

Little Cable Knee Highs in Posy | Purl Soho

The most beautiful sock yarn to cover your legs in? Our hand-dyed Posy, of course! A super soft blend of 75% superwash merino, 15% cashmere, and 10% nylon, Posy is machine wash- and dry-able… And can withstand sliding in and out of boots all winter long!

Little Cable Knee Highs in Posy | Purl Soho

For all its strength and durability, Posy sacrifices not a jot of beauty. It’s petal-soft and every color glows, each with the subtle variation we love in a hand-dyed yarn.

Little Cable Knee Highs in Posy | Purl Soho

Pick Snapdragon Pink like we did and think ahead to the blooms of spring, or relish winter’s chill with the cool blues of Posy’s palette. Either way, cast on and your feet (and legs) will thank you!

Little Cable Knee Highs in Posy | 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, #PurlSohoLittleCableKneeHighs, and #PurlSohoPosy. We can’t wait to see what you make!

Materials

Little Cable Knee Highs in Posy | Purl Soho

GAUGE

33 stitches and 42 rounds = 4 inches in stockinette stitch

SIZES

Adult Small (Medium, Large)

  • Finished Foot Circumference: 7¼ (8¼, 9¼) inches (unstretched)
  • Finished Calf Circumference (at widest): 9¼ (10¼, 11¼) inches (unstretched)
  • Finished Foot Length: Adjustable
  • Finished Height from Heel to Top of Cuff (unfolded): 22 inches (unblocked)

SAMPLE: We knit the Adult Medium.

NOTES

CONSTRUCTION

You will work these socks from Toe up, starting with a provisional cast on. You will increase for Toe, work Foot even, increase for Gusset, turn the Heel, work Heel Flap flat, work Leg even, and finally work Cuff in 2×2 rib.

YARN OVERS

Work all yarn overs (yo) through the back loop as you come to them.

SHORT ROWS: WRP-T (WRAP AND TURN)

NOTE For our step-by-step video tutorial of how to work this technique, including how to work wrapped stitches with their wraps, please visit our Short Rows: Wrap + Turn Tutorial.

On the right side: Keeping yarn in back, slip next stitch purlwise from left needle to right needle. Bring yarn to front. Return slipped stitch to left needle. Bring yarn to back. Turn work so wrong side is facing you.

On the wrong side: Keeping yarn in front, slip next stitch purlwise from left needle to right needle. Bring yarn to back. Return slipped stitch to left needle. Bring yarn to front. Turn work so right side is facing you.

SLIP STITCHES

Slip stitches purlwise unless specifically directed otherwise. When working a right-side row or round, slip the stitch with yarn in back. When working a wrong-side row, slip the stitch with yarn in front.

C2F (Cable 2 Front)

Slip 2 stitches purlwise onto cable stitch holder and hold in front of work, k2, then k2 from cable stitch holder.

Our Cable Tutorial shows you the basic steps of working a cable. The cable in the tutorial requires you to slip 3 stitches instead of 2, but the concept is the same!

PATTERN

TOE

Using a Provisional Cast On, and leaving a 10-inch tail for finishing, cast 8 (8, 8) stitches onto one double pointed needle.

Set-Up Row: K4 onto Needle 1, k2 onto Needle 2, k2 onto Needle 3.

NOTE: Prefer to use Magic Loop? Distribute the stitches equally between the two ends of your circular needles instead! Just remember that the front needle holds the Needle 1 stitches, and the back needle holds the Needle 2 and 3 stitches. Place a stitch marker in the middle of the back needle stitches to distinguish between Needles 2 and 3. For more help with Magic Loop, visit our tutorial here (or here for how to work 2 pieces at a time)!

Join for working in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.

Increase Round: For Needle 1, k1, yarn over (yo), knit to last stitch, yo, k1; for Needle 2, k1, yo, knit to end of needle; for Needle 3, knit to last stitch, yo, k1. [4 stitches increased]

NOTE: Remember in next rounds and throughout pattern to work yarn overs through the back loop as you come to them.

Repeat Increase Round 4 (8, 12) more times. [28 (44, 60) total stitches]

Next Round: Knit to end of round.

Next Round: Repeat Increase Round. [4 stitches increased]

Repeat last two rounds 7 (5, 3) more times. [60 (68, 76) total stitches: 30 (34, 38) stitches on Needle 1; 15 (17, 19) stitches each on Needles 2 and 3]

FOOT

Knit every round until piece measures 6 (6¾, 7½) inches from cast-on edge, or 2½ (2¾, 3) inches less than desired length from Toe to back of Heel.

NOTE: It is always best to measure the foot length of the intended wearer. If you don’t have that measurement, here are some guidelines for the length from Toe to back to Heel, based on shoe size.

WOMEN’S SIZES

  • US size 6 shoe (European 37) = 9 inches
  • US size 7 shoe (38) = 9¼ inches
  • US size 8 shoe (39) = 9⅝ inches
  • US size 9 shoe (40) = 10 inches

MEN’S SIZES

  • US size 9 shoe (European 42) = 10½ inches
  • US size 10 shoe (43) = 10¾ inches
  • US size 11 shoe (44) = 11 inches
  • US size 12 shoe (45) = 11½ inches
  • US size 13 shoe (46) = 11¾ inches

GUSSET

Round 1: For Needle 1, knit to end of needle; for Needle 2, k1, yo, knit to end of needle; for Needle 3, knit to last stitch, yo, k1.  [2 stitches increased]

Round 2: Knit to end of round, remembering to knit the yarn overs through the back loop.

Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 eight more times. [78 (86, 94) total stitches: 30 (34, 38) stitches on Needle 1; 24 (26, 28) stitches each on Needles 2 and 3]

Next Row (partial row): For Needle 1, knit to end of needle.

TURN HEEL

NOTE In this section you will be working back and forth in short rows, turning the work partway through each row. For extra help, see Notes. Remember in this section to knit yarn overs through the back loop!

Short Row 1 (right side): For Needle 2, knit to end of needle; for Needle 3, k7 (9, 11), yo, k1, wrap and turn (wrp-t, see Notes).

Short Row 2 (wrong side): P16 (20, 24), yo, p1, wrp-t.

Short Row 3: K14 (18, 22), yo, k1, wrp-t.

Short Row 4: P12 (16, 20), yo, p1, wrp-t.

ADULT LARGE ONLY

Short Row 5: K18, yo, k1, wrp-t.

Short Row 6: P16, yo, p1, wrp-t.

ADULT MEDIUM + LARGE ONLY

Next Short Row: K14, yo, k1, wrp-t.

Next Short Row: P12, yo, p1, wrp-t.

ALL SIZES

Next Short Row: K10, yo, k1, wrp-t.

Next Short Row: P8, yo, p1, wrp-t.

Next Short Row: K6, yo, k1, wrp-t.

Next Short Row: P4, yo, p1, wrp-t.

NOTE You will now briefly resume working in the round.

Next Round (right side): Knit to end of Needle 3, working wrapped stitches with their wraps (see Notes); do not turn. For Needle 1, knit to end of needle; for Needle 2, knit to end of needle. [86 (96, 106) total stitches: 30 (34, 38) stitches on Needle 1; 28 (31, 34) stitches each on Needles 2 and 3]

HEEL FLAP

NOTE You will work the Heel Flap using short rows, but not wrap and turns. Here, you will simply turn the work before the end of each row. You will be working back and forth on Needles 2 and 3 only, starting at the beginning of Needle 3.

Set-Up Row (partial row, right side): For Needle 3, k14 (16, 18), slip slip knit (ssk), turn work so wrong side is facing you. [55 (61, 67) stitches]

Short Row 1 (wrong side): Working just the stitches on Needles 2 and 3, slip 1 (see Notes), p28 (32, 36), purl 2 together (p2tog), turn. [54 (60, 66) stitches]

Short Row 2 (right side): *Slip 1, k1, repeat from * to 2 stitches before the gap (the gap is where you turned the work on the previous right-side row), slip 1, ssk (the 2 stitches on either side of the gap), turn work. [1 stitch decreased]

Short Row 3: Slip 1, purl to 1 stitch before the gap (the gap is where you turned the work on the previous wrong-side row), p2tog (the 2 stitches on either side of the gap), turn work. [1 stitch decreased]

Repeat Rows 2 and 3 eleven (12, 13) more times. [30 (34, 38) Heel Flap stitches remain: 15 (17, 19) stitches each on Needles 2 and 3]

Next Row (right side): For Needle 2, *slip 1, k1, repeat from * to last stitch on needle, slip 1; for Needle 3, *k1, slip 1, repeat from * to last stitch on needle, k1.

Join, again, for working in the round.

LEG

Set-Up Round 1: For Needle 1, knit to end of needle; for Needle 2, knit to last 3 stitches, p1, k2; for Needle 3, k2, p1, slip these 3 stitches to Needle 2, knit to end of round. [60 (68, 76) total stitches: 30 (34, 38) stitches on Needle 1; 18 (20, 22) stitches on Needle 2; 12 (14, 16) stitches on Needle 3]

Set-Up Round 2: For Needle 1, knit to end of needle; for Needle 2, knit to last 6 stitches, p1, k4, p1; for Needle 3, knit to end of round.

Round 1 (Cable Round): For Needle 1, knit to end of needle; for Needle 2, knit to last 6 stitches, p1, C2F (see Notes), p1; for Needle 3, knit to end of round.

Round 2: For Needle 1, knit to end of needle; for Needle 2, knit to last 6 stitches, p1, k4, p1; for Needle 3, knit to end of round.

Rounds 3 and 4: Repeat Round 2.

Repeat Rounds 1–4 eight more times.

**Increase Round (Cable Round): For Needle 1, knit to end of needle; for Needle 2, knit to last 7 stitches, make 1 right (m1r), k1, p1, C2F, p1; for Needle 3, k1, make 1 left (m1l), knit to end of round. [2 stitches increased]

Repeat Round 2 three more times.

Repeat Rounds 1-4 twice.

Repeat from ** 7 more times. [76 (84, 92) total stitches: 30 (34, 38) stitches on Needle 1; 26 (28, 30) stitches on Needle 2; 20 (22, 24) stitches on Needle 3]

Repeat Rounds 1-4 four more times, then repeat Rounds 1-3 one more time.

CUFF

Round 1: *K2, p2, repeat from * to end of round.

Repeat Round 1 until ribbing measures 5 inches.

Bind off loosely in pattern.

FINISHING

Carefully unravel Provisional Cast-On and slip live stitches onto two needles, 4 stitches per needle (top-of-foot stitches on one needle and sole stitches on the other). Graft toe closed using cast-on tail and Kitchener Stitch.

Weave in all ends, and then make another sock. Gently wet block both socks, and you’re done!

Little Cable Knee Highs in Posy | Purl Soho