PROJECTS Giftable Socks

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When it comes to gifting socks for the holidays, I have a few key elements that are on my must-have list:

  1. They must be soft and comfortable – if nobody wants to wear them then what’s the point in making them?
  2. They must be machine washable AND stand up to wear. Once they leave the wrapping paper these socks are in the wild, they must be able to defend themselves!
  3. They need to be pretty, or interesting, or have something unique about them. Complicated is definitely not necessary, but some kind of design feature should be present to create a bit of a WOW factor.
  4. It can’t take forever to make them …. the thinnest yarn I want is a DK weight. House socks are a perfectly legitimate holiday gift, especially for wearing around the house during the holidays.

Berroco’s Vintage line of yarns is ideal for just such a purpose. They’re all super soft, machine washable, made with nylon so your socks will wear well, come in a bunch of pretty colours, and come in DK, Worsted and Chunky/Bulky weights, and they’re all affordably priced, so you’ll still be able to afford to go discount hunting after the holidays.

CHECK OUT OUR CURATED LIST OF KNITTING SKILLS

Ribbing Hack

  • When doing a K2P2 rib (also known as a 2×2 rib) always go down a full mm in size. 2×2 rib is looser that stocking stitch and you need the smaller needlet to get the proper tension.
  • K1P1 rib (1×1 rib) is naturally nighter than the 2×2, and you don’t need to go down as much to get the right tension (half a mm is fine).

Fairlee

FAIRLEE are a super pretty, but not particularly involved pair of socks. The pattern is written for 2 circular needles (see tuturial working in the round on 2 circular needles), but you can use any sock knititng technique you prefer. They are worked from the toe-up using judy’s magic cast-on (turkish cast-on) and increases, and the heel is done with wrap & turn short rows. The stitch pattern is an intro level fair isle technique of 4 stitches. The cuff is finsihed with a tubular bind-off, but you can do any type of bind-off you like.

Skill Level

  • Intermediate
  • If you’re a newer sock knitter and want to try out some new skills it’s a great project to practice with.

Size

  • Foot circumference: 7½ (8, 8¾)”
  • Foot length: 9 (10, 11)”, adjustable

Materials

Ayla

AYLA uses Berroco Vintage Chunky to quickly whip up a fast, super pretty pair of house socks. These socks are knit from the top down with a simple cable repeat worked on the front and top of the foot, as well as the back above the heel flap. The instructions are for two circular needles (see tuturial working in the round on 2 circular needles), but you can use any sock knititng technique you prefer. with a simple cable repeat worked on the front and top of the foot, as well as the back above the heel flap.

Skill Level

  • Advanced Beginner to Intermediate
  • Cable knitting is super simple, don’t let it intimidate you, you’ll love it!

Size

  • Approximately 8″ around leg and foot x 10″ from top edge to top of heel

Materials

Keel

KEEL are classic boot socks for men that work up quickly in Berroco Vintage DK. They feature contrast stripes on the toes and cuff. They’re made with a traditional top-down construction with a heel flap.

Skill Level

  • Advanced Beginner to Intermediate

Size

  • Approximately 10″ around x 8″ to top of heel flap

Materials

Lumberjack

Tin Can Knits make great patterns that are clear, easy to follow, and always come in a range of sizes for the whole family. These simple boot socks are sure to please everyone!

Skill Level

  • Advanced Beginner

Size

Baby (Toddler, Child, Mama, Papa)

  • Baby: Cuff 5” around, 2.5” long. Foot 3.5” long.
  • Toddler: Cuff 6.5” around, 4.5” long. Foot 4.5” long.
  • Child: Cuff 7.5” around, 5.5” long. Foot 6” long.
  • Adult SM: Cuff 10.5” around, 6.25” long. Foot adjustable.
  • Adult L: Cuff 13.5” around, 7.5” long. Foot adjustable.

Materials

Resources

Basic Bed Socks

These socks are super cute and show how a simple, vanilla sock can come to life with a few extra colours thrown in. Berroco Vintage Baby in smaller 50g skeins, which are super convenient when you want to introduce extra colour to your project. It also comes in a palette of bright, pretty colours, perfect for happy colour blocked socks!

Skill Level

  • Advanced Beginner

Size

  • 22.5 (24, 25) cm long (Or whatever length you like)!

Materials

Camp Moran

These unisex socks make a great gift – in darker colours they’re handsome, in brighter colours they’re pretty! They’re a classic top-down heelp-flap construction with a simple and sweet fair isle design.

Skill Level

  • Advanced Beginner to Intermediate

Size

  • Small (Medium, Large)

Materials

Candy Cane Bedroom Socks

So it’s time to come clean … I’ve always wanted a pair of candy cane socks. Barber-pole stripes are my favourite christmas aesthetic. The pattern is designed as tube socks, but it’s easy to add an afterthought heel.

Skill Level

  • Advanced Beginner to Intermediate

Size

Women’s sizes Small (Medium, Large)

  • 7 (8.25, 9.5) inches in circumference, unstretched
  • 8 .5 (10, 11.5) inches in circumference, comfortably stretched
  • 14 (15, 16) inches long

When you’re deciding which size to make, consider getting the sock over your heel. That is the widest part of the journey, and these socks are not super stretchy! The size shown in these pictures is a Small.

Materials

Bulky Sleep Socks

Cold feet? These bulky slipper socks are just the ticket to keep your feet warm all winter. They also knit up quickly, and therefore make good holiday gifts. Even if you’ve never knit socks before, the bulky yarn makes these toe-up socks easy, and will teach you the skills necessary to knit other toe-up socks patterns. The pattern includes links to a four-part video tutorial.

Skill Level

  • Advanced Beginner to Intermediate

Size

  • Kids (Womens, Mens)

Materials

Want a full-on online sock knitting tutorial? No problem, here are a few options for you:

Beginner Socks

More Advanced Techniques

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