Colorwork Tips and Tricks with a FREE Sock Pattern

Cut your CC and continue to knit every round with your MC until you reach required foot length. Place removable stitch marker or use waste yarn to mark location for heel.

PRO TIP: If you’re more comfortable with a waste yarn you can place this at the round where you would place your stitch marker. Make sure this is a different colour than your main colour.

Using waste yarn:

K28 stitches using waste yarn in a contrast colour to your MC. Transfer those 28 stitches back onto the left needle. K28 stitches in your working yarns.

You will continue knitting every round until you have reached your required foot length, approximately 3.5” / 9 cm less than total foot length, measured from the removable heel marker or waste yarn. You will cut in your heel after finishing the toe.

PRO TIP: How to measure foot length

 

Place a tape measure on the floor. Position the back of the heel at the zero mark on the tape, then measure to the longest toe.

You will take this amount and subtract the amount of inches / cm in directions above.

Total foot length - 1.75” (Heel) - 1.75” (Toe) = Amount needed to be knit for the foot before beginning toe.

Example: my foot measures 9” total. 9” - 1.75” (Heel) - 1.75” (Toe) = 5.5” is where I will start toe decreases.

Round 1: *K1, SSK, knit to the last 3 stitches on needle, K2TOG, K1; repeat from * on the second needle.

Round 2: Knit all stitches.

Repeat these two rounds until you’ve reached 8 stitches remaining on each needle. Graft together using the kitchener stitch.

Without waste yarn;

Now that you’ve finished your cuff, return to the stitch marker that marked where to place your heel. You will be picking up 28 stitches on both the row before the stitch marker and the row below for a total of 56 stitches for the heel.

With waste yarn; Now that you’ve finished your cuff, return to the place where you put your waste yarn. Pick-up 28 stitches each on rows below and above contrast waste yarn. You will have 56 stitches total for the heel.

Remove the contrast waste yarn by picking out each stitch. Cut the right leg of a stitch in the middle of the row in between your two needles. You will carefully remove the stitches on that row except the last two stitches on each side.

Do not cut this yarn, you will use it to weave in any holes/ends later. Join your working yarn, use the tail to visually mark where your beginning of round is.

PRO TIP: If you find the front of your foot is always tight make sure to place 1-3 plain knit rounds before starting the decreases of the heel. For me, I personally like 1 knit round and I do 3 knit rounds for my husband.

Decrease Rounds for heel;

Round 1: *K1, Ssk, Knit to the last 3 stitches on first needle, K2tog, K1; repeat from * on the second needle.

Round 2: Knit all stitches.

Repeat these two rounds until you have 8 stitches remaining on each needle. Cut the yarn leaving a 12” / 15 cm tail and use the Kitchener stitch to graft the heel closed. Weave in all your ends and do a happy dance! You finished a sock!