Brainstorm

 

Brainstorm Socks

Last Updated 7/15/23

These little top down socks are probably the easiest socks you will ever knit! Really! No stitches to pick up, no kitchner stitch weaving, just knit straight through from beginning to end! There’s no cuff or leg to speak of. You basically knit a tiny roll and then begin the heel and off you go!

Materials Needed:

Approximately 50 grams of fingering weight sock yarn
A set of 5 dpns in size 0-2 US depending on your gauge A needle to weave in the ends

The examples were knit in Knitpicks Stroll (pink) and Lornas Laces Shepherd Sock in “Maple Leaves”. I used approximately 47 grams of yarn for each pair.

Finished measurements:

Sized to fit average women's foot - Foot length: 9-1⁄4 inches

Leg and foot Pattern:

Note: This pattern is only knit on Needles 2 & 3, the instep stitches.

Row 1: Needles 2 & 3: k3, p2 then (k1, p2) to last 3 stitch, k3 

Row 2: repeat row 1

Rows3&4: Knit

Abbreviations:

M1 = make 1 stitch. You can do this in whatever increase style you like best. K = knit P = purl
K2T = knit 2 together
P2T = purl 2 together

CAST ON

This sock is a 64 stitch sock knit in stockinette and an easy to memorize leg and foot pattern (see above) Cast on 16 stitches onto 4 dpns for a total of 64 stitches, then join in the round. Knit 10 rounds.

Begin Heel

This sock features the “strong heel”. I did not invent this heel style. You’ll see it used in lots of patterns for socks. It’s especially great if you are using striped yarn as it doesn’t interrupt the stripes very much at all. You’ll be thrilled to know you don’t have to make a heel flap or pick up any stitches! I only wish I had known about this method earlier when I was first learning to knit socks!

Heel Round One:

Needle 1: Knit to the end of the needle, pm, m1 (you’ll have 17 sts on your needle)
Needle 2 & 3: Knit the stitches on these 2 needles in the Leg & Foot pattern on page two of pattern. Needle 4: M1, pm, knit 16 stitches (you’ll have 17 sts on your needle)

Heel Round Two:

Needles 1 & 4: Knit all stitches Needles 2 & 3: Continue pattern stitch

Heel Round Three:

Needle 1: Knit to marker, slip marker, m1, knit to end of needle. (you added one st) Needles 2 & 3: Continue pattern stitch
Needle 4: Knit to marker, m1, slip marker, knit to end of needle (you add one st)

Heel Round Four:

Needles 1 & 4: Knit all stitches Needles 2 & 3: Continue pattern stitch

Continue Heel rounds 3 and 4 until you have increased 15 stitches each on needles 1 and 4. (There will be 31 stitches on Needle 1 and 31 stitches on Needle 4.)

Heel decreases:
Knit this section back and forth on needles 1 and 4 until the heel decreases are complete. No need for the 5th (extra) needle unless you just want to use it.

Using the end of needle 4 begin knitting
From needle 1 as follow (RS): k1, k2t, k1 – turn Needle 1 & 4: (WS): sl1, p3, p2t, p1 – turn
Row 3 (RS): sl1, k to 1 st before gap, k2t, k1 – turn Row 4 (WS): sl1, p to 1 st before gap, p2tog, p1 – turn

Repeat row 3 and 4 until there is one stitch unworked on each outer end of needle 4 and needle 1 separated from the rest of your stitches with the gap. You now have 17 sts on needles 1 and 4. You will do away with those extra 2 stitches from the end of the needles in the next round.

The heel is finished now and we are working in rounds again. Here is the new beginning of the round!

You’ll begin on Needle 4: k 16 sts

Now use your 5th needle to knit stitches from needle 1 now
Needle 1: knit to last 2 sts k2t (This should be two stitches separated by the gap)

Needle 2 and 3: knit in pattern
Needle 4: K2T, knit to end (again this was two stitches separated by a gap)

You have now completed all the decreases and you should be back to 64 sts, 16 on each needle. You are now ready to knit the foot. Knit the foot until you are 1 1⁄2 inches shorter than the full length of your foot. Lay your sock flat and measure from the back of the heel. Once you have reached this point you are ready for the toes.

When you are all done with the toe this is what it will look like from the end. Kind of neat looking I think.

Toes:

Now let’s get started on those toes:

Round 1:
Needle 1-4: k14, ssk

Rounds 2 , 4, 6, 8, 10, 12: Knit all stitches.

Rounds 3,5,7,9,11, 13-20:

Needle 1-4: sKnit to last 2 stitches, SSK

Continue until you have 2 stitches left on each needle. 8 stitches in total. Note that once you hit round 13 every round after that is the same, reducing 4 stitches per round till you’ve finished round 20 where you should have 8 stitches in total left. Cut your yarn long enough to slip remaining stitches onto it and gently pull the circle closed. Weave in ends and cut your yarn.

I hope you enjoyed knitting this pattern. If you find any errors, or have any suggestions please feel free to email me. Feel free to share this pattern with your friends as well.

Thanks again for choosing my pattern and I hope to see your completed projects on Ravelry or on the web!

This pattern is for personal use only.  

Ravelry and Instagram ID: RBWKNITS