The name of these socks is a little bit of a joke. You see, I have been a devoted cuff-down sock knitter for nearly two decades and had refused to write toe-up patterns until this one. The whole process felt upside down to me, like a capsized boat with its hull in the air.

But while capsizing is at best an inconvenience and at worst a horrible disaster, these socks are just the opposite. With their simple vanilla texture, they’re great as a palate cleanser between more complicated projects or as a blank slate to experiment with your own stitch patterns. As usual, they’re graded to five sizes, but this time—ta da!—they’re knit from the toe up.

Sizes

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Finished sock dimensions: 6.5” (16.5 cm), 7.5” (19 cm), 8.5” (21.5 cm), 9.5” (24 cm), 10.5” (26.5 cm) circumference (Note: most people like their socks snug, so choose a finished sock size that is slightly smaller than your actual foot)

Materials

Fingering weight yarn, 280-440 yds (256-403 m)

Sample shown knit in Wildstar Fibers Supernova Sock, 85% superwash merino, 15% nylon, 437 yds (400 m) per 3.5 oz (100 g)

Gauge

4” (10 cm) square = 32 stitches x 40 rows in stockinette

Needles

One set of needles for your preferred style of small-circumference knitting in a size to match gauge listed above

Suggested needle size: US 1.5 (2.5 mm)

Tools

One stitch marker for beginning of round; optional additional markers between pattern repeats
Tapestry needle for weaving in ends

Skill Levels

Intermediate. Techniques include increases, decreases, knitting in the round.