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One Skein Thick Socks With Short Row Heels

I had a leftover yarn in my stash from a couple of years ago when I knitted few hats and scarves from super bulky yarn. So this year I decided to make few thick socks.

If you know how to knit in the round then these socks will be easy knit, because they are knitted in a very simple no-frills way. The color variation in the skein makes them look more "advanced" than they actually are. They are knitted with a "short rows technique", and they knit FAST. I had them done in about 4 hours, but for slower knitters, they can be done in a day (if you do not get distracted.)

I used super bulky yarn in acrylic/wool blend, and one size smaller knitting needles to make these socks slightly denser, thus warmer.
The socks are perfect for anyone that has a US shoe size 7.5 to 8, but if you are skilled, you can make them a little bigger or smaller with adjustments of plus-minus 2 to 6 stitches, and plus-minus several rows. For example, I will be knitting these socks for a man whose feet are narrow - so I will keep the number of 24 stitches, but I will knit several more rows between the heel and the toes - instead of 22 rows I will knit 30 rows.
In order to make them wider, you need to adjust your short rows and decreases. For each 2 extra stitches, you would make an extra short row (= on both sides of your knitting needle) while forming your heel, and 4 extra decreases in each row for your toes.
If you will make cuffs longer, or socks longer/bigger than this pattern, you will need more than 1 skein of yarn.

They are perfect for keeping toes warm while sitting by the fireplace, lounging around with friends, reading a book, knitting, crocheting or just relaxing when it is cold outside.

You can watch my video how I knit these socks, too:
Video for RIGHT-HANDED KNITTERS
Video for LEFT-HANDED KNITTERS

If you watch my video, share your experience by writing a comment on my Facebook, or YouTube. Enjoy and keep your toes cozy inside these handmade thick socks. I'm already enjoying two pairs of socks similar to these.

Material:
  • Yarn - 1 ball of Super Bulky #6; I used Lion Brand, Wool-Ease, Thick & Quick; 80% acrylic/20% wool; 106 yrd/97 m; 6 oz/170 g; color "Sequoia" - one ball for a US shoe size 7 or 8, a little more for a US shoe size 8+
  • Long Knitting Needles - size #11 (8 mm)
  • Double pointed needles (or circular needles) - size #11 (8 mm)
  • Scissors
  • Hook or Yarn needle for weaving in the ends

Gouge (stockinette stitch):
on knitting needles #11 (8 mm) - 2"x2" = 5 sts x 8 rows

Size:
US shoe size 7.5 to 8

    Abbreviation:

    CO - cast on
    K - knit
    P - purl
    K2tog - knit two stitches together

    SSK - slip slip and then knit them together through the back loop

    RS - right side

    WS - wrong side
    
st(s) - stitch(es)

    Step-by-Step Directions:

    Make 2.

    Foundation:
    cast on 24 stitches on long knitting needle (or circular needles)

    The Cuff

    Row 1               K24 - then move your stitches onto 3 double pointed knitting needles and distribute the stitches evenly

    Row 2               without twisting your knit connect them into a circle; K24
    Row 3               K24
    Row 4-13         *[K1, P1]* - 12x
    Row 14-15        K24

    Forming The Heel

    Before you start knitting your heel distribute stitches as such:

    • on the needle #1(your next needle you will be knitting on) place 12 stitches
    • on the needle #2 place 6 sts
    • on the needle #3 place 6 sts. 
    To form your heel you will work with 12 stitches on your needle #1 and you will use also a knitting needle #4, therefore you will work with two knitting needles, leaving needles #2 and #3 alone.
    If you are knitting on circular needles - place a marker between 12th and 13th sts - work with first 12 stitches only, ignor the rest of your stitches.

    Row 16           (RS) K11;  leave 12th stitch on your left needle and  turn your work to knit on wrong side

    Row 17           (WS - now you have 1 st on the right needle and 11 sts on the left needle) With yarn in front slip 1 st purlwise from left needle onto right needle, then P9 (to 1 st before the end); turn your work to knit on the right side
    Row 18           (RS - now you have 1 st on the right needle and 11 sts on the left needle) With yarn in back sl 1 st purlwise from left needle onto right needle, then K8 (to 2 sts before the end); turn your work to knit on the wrong side
    Row 19           (WS - now you have 2 sts on the right needle and 10 sts on the left needle) With yarn in front sl 1 st purlwise from left needle onto right needle, then P7 (to 2 sts before the end); turn your work to knit on the right side
    Row 20           (RS - now you have 2 st on the right needle and 10 sts on the left needle) With yarn in back sl 1 st purlwise from left needle onto right needle, then K6 (to 3 sts before the end); turn your work to knit on the wrong side
    Row 21           (WS - now you have 3 sts on the right needle and 9 sts on the left needle) With yarn in front sl 1 st purlwise from left needle onto right needle, then P5 (to 3 sts before the end); turn your work to knit on the right side
    Row 22           (RS - now you have 3 st on the right needle and 9 sts on the left needle) With yarn in back sl 1 st purlwise from left needle onto right needle, then K4 (to 4 sts before the end); turn your work to knit on the wrong side
    Row 23           (WS - now you have 4 sts on the right needle and 8 sts on the left needle) With yarn in front sl 1 st purlwise from left needle onto right needle, then P3 (to 4 sts before the end); turn your work to knit on the right side

    Now we will start adding stitches on both,  the right and wrong, sides back again

    Row 24          (RS - now you have 4 st on the right needle and 8 sts on the left needle) With yarn in back sl 1 st purlwise from left needle onto right needle, then K3 (to 4 sts before the end); note: add a stitch - pick a stitch between your 8th stitch (= last stitch on your right needle) and 9th st (= first stitch on your left needle) from front to back and put it on your left needle, then knit this extra stitch with your 9th st together; turn your work to knit on the wrong side
    Row 25          (WS - now you have 3 sts on the right needle and 9 sts on the left needle) With yarn in front sl 1 st purlwise from left needle onto right needle, then P4 (to 4 sts before the end); note: add a stitch - pick a stitch between your 8th stitch (= last stitch on your right needle) and 9th st (= first stitch on your left needle) from front to back and put it on your left needle, then purl this extra stitch with your 9th st together; turn your work to knit on the right side
    Row 26           (RS - now you have 3 st on the right needle and 9 sts on the left needle) With yarn in back sl 1 st purlwise from left needle onto right needle, then K5 (to 3 sts before the end); note: add a stitch - pick a stitch between your 9th stitch (= last stitch on your right needle) and 10th st (= first stitch on your left needle) from front to back and put it on your left needle, then knit this extra stitch with your 10th st together; turn your work to knit on the wrong side
    Row 27           (WS - now you have 2 sts on the right needle and 10 sts on the left needle) With yarn in front sl 1 st purlwise from left needle onto right needle, then P6 (to 3 sts before the end); note: add a stitch - pick a stitch between your 9th stitch (= last stitch on your right needle) and 10th st (= first stitch on your left needle) from front to back and put it on your left needle, then purl this extra stitch with your 10th st together; turn your work to knit on the right side
    Row 28          (RS - now you have 2 st on the right needle and 10 sts on the left needle) With yarn in back sl 1 st purlwise from left needle onto right needle, then K7 (to 2 sts before the end); note: add a stitch - pick a stitch between your 10th stitch (= last stitch on your right needle) and 11st st (= first stitch on your left needle) from front to back and put it on your left needle, then knit this extra stitch with your 11st st together; turn your work to knit on the wrong side
    Row 29           (WS - now you have 1 sts on the right needle and 11 sts on the left needle) With yarn in front sl st purlwise from left needle onto right needle, then P8 (to 2 sts before the end); note: add a stitch - pick a stitch between your 10th stitch (= last stitch on your right needle) and 11st st (= first stitch on your left needle) from front to back and put it on your left needle, then purl this extra stitch with your 11st st together; turn your work to knit on the right side
    Row 30          (RS - now you have 1 st on the right needle and 11 sts on the left needle) With yarn in back sl st purlwise from left needle onto right needle, then K9 (to 1 sts before the end); note: add a stitch - pick a stitch between your 11st stitch (= last stitch on your right needle) and 12th st (= first stitch on your left needle) from front to back and put it on your left needle, then knit this extra stitch with your 12th st together; turn your work to knit on the wrong side
    Row 31          (WS - now you have all sts on one needle only) With yarn in front sl 1 st purlwise from left needle onto right needle, then P10 (to 1 sts before the end); note: add a stitch - pick a stitch between your 11st stitch (= last stitch on your right needle) and 12th st (= first stitch on your left needle) from front to back and put it on your left needle, then purl this extra stitch with your 12th st together; turn your work to knit on the right side

    The Foot Area

    From now on you will work on the right side in the round again

    Row 32            sl st first st purlwise from left needle onto right needle, K11; now close a hole between the stitches/needles by picking a stitch between your 12th and 13th stitches and knit the "added stitch" with 13th st together; K11

    Row 33           now close a hole between the stitches/needles by picking a stitch between your last knitted and your 1st stitches and knit the "added stitch" with 1st st together, K23

    Row 34-55    K24

    Toe Area

    Row 56       *[K2tog, K8, SSK]* - 2x
    Row 57       K20
    Row 58       *[K2tog, K6, SSK]* - 2x
    Row 59       K16
    Row 60       *[K2tog, K4, SSK]* - 2x
    Row 61       (optional) - K12

    Finishing:
    Move stitches from needle #2 onto needle #3. Use Kitchener stitch to seam two sets of live stitches (6 sts & 6 sts) invisibly. See my sock video how to do the Kitchener stitch.

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    Note: Most of the time I work as fast as I can to keep up with knitting and crocheting requests. I have to videotape, edit videos, then convert them & upload them to my channel. After that often I post on my blog patterns. I answer many questions, which means that often I work up to 16 hours a day. I would tremendously appreciate IF anyone of you who finds an error in the written pattern, to please, let me know - where (what rows) and what may be the problem. Many future knitters & crocheters from our artsy and crafty virtual world will thank you for your good deed, including myself.