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Knitting a baby’s first sock is a special occasion, and the pattern must be equal to the event.
Ann Budd7 min read
In the January/February 2018 issue of PieceWork, Heather Vaughan Lee introduced readers to the Barron-Gibb baby booties and toddler socks, which became a treasured family tradition. Knitting a baby’s first sock is a special occasion, and the pattern must be equal to the event.
Vintage knitting patterns are a great place to start if you want to begin your own tradition. The free knitting pattern “Knit Baby’s First Sock” was adapted from a pattern in Volume 9 of Weldon’s Practical Needlework by Ann Budd. This Victorian-era pair of baby socks would make a great gift for a new addition to your family. —Editor
The original knitting instructions for these basket-weave textured baby socks called for “white Shetland wool" and size 15 steel knitting needles (U.S. size 00). For her modern adaptation, Ann used a fingering-weight, machine-washable wool yarn and U.S. size 1 (2.25 mm) knitting needles, but they retain all of the vintage charm of the original pair. The cuff features a delicate scalloped edge, and the toe is bound off with the three-needle bind-off method. These simple, yet adorable, socks will knit up in no time!
Finished size: About 4 inches (10 cm) foot circumference, 4¼ inches (11 cm) long from top of leg to base of heel, and 4¼ inches (11 cm) long from
back of heel to tip of toe
Gauge: 20 sts and 26 rnds = 2 inches (5.1 cm) in basket-weave pattern stitch worked in the round
Three Needle Bind-off Method: Place stitches to be joined onto two separate needles. Hold them with either right sides or wrong sides of the work facing together as instructed. * Insert a third needle into the first stitch on each of the other two needles and knit them together as one stitch. Knit the next stitch on each needle the same way. Pass the first stitch over the second stitch. Repeat from * until one stitch remains on the third needle. Cut yarn and pull the tail through the last stitch.
CO 49 sts. Distribute sts over 3 dpn so that 14 sts are on the first two needles and 21 sts are on the third needle. Pm and join for working in the rnd, being careful not to twist sts. P 2 rnds. K 1 rnd. Work lacey border as follows,
Rnd 1: * K2tog, [k1, yo] twice, k1, k2tog; rep from * to end
of rnd.
Rnd 2: K.
Rep Rnds 1 and 2 three more times. P 1 rnd. P 1 more rnd, ending 1 st before end of rnd marker. Sl last st temporarily to right needle, remove marker, return last st to beg of first needle, replace marker. On next rnd, k2tog,
k15 on first needle; k16 on second needle; k16 on third needle—48 sts rem; 16 sts each needle; dec st is first st on first needle. Work basket-weave patt as follows,
Rnds 1–3: * P5, k3; rep from * to end of rnd.
Rnds 4–6: * P1, k3, p4; rep from * to end of rnd.
Rep Rnds 1–6 three more times, then work Rnds 1–3 once more—27 rnds total.
Heel flap—work 23 heel sts back and forth in rows as follows,
Set-up Row 1: P1, k3, p5, k3 onto first needle, sl rem 4 sts onto second needle. Turn work.
Set-up Row 2: (WS) Sl 1, p2, k5, p3, k5, p3, k4—23 heel sts on one needle for heel.
Divide rem 25 sts evenly between 2 needles to work later for instep. Cont as follows,
Row 1: Sl 1, p3, k3, [p5, k3] twice.
Rows 2 and 4: Sl 1 k3, p3, [k5, p3] twice.
Row 3: Sl 1, k2, [p5, k3] twice, p4.
Rows 5 and 7: Sl 1, p3, k3, [p5, k3] twice.
Row 6: Sl 1, p2, [k5, p3] twice, k4.
Rows 8 and 10: Sl 1, k3, p3, [k5, p3] twice.
Row 9: Sl 1, k2, [p5, k3] twice, p4.
Rows 11–16: Rep Rows 5–10.
Rows 17–19: Rep Rows 5–7.
Row 20: Sl 1, p3, p2tog, p2, p2tog, p3, p2tog, p2, p2tog, p4—19 heel sts rem. Place all 25 instep sts on one needle.
Shape heel—k10, fold the heel sts so that the 2 heel needles are parallel to each other and the WS of the work faces out—10 sts on one heel needle, 9 sts on other heel needle. Using an empty needle, sl the first st (center st of heel and last st worked), then use the Three Needle Bind-off Method to BO the heel sts tog as follows: k the first st on each needle tog as if to k2tog, pass the slipped st over the dec st to BO 1 st, * k the next st on each needle tog as if to k2tog, pass the previous st over to BO 1 st; rep from * across all sts—1 heel st rem. Turn heel right side out.
Gussets—rejoin for working in the rnd as follows,
Rnd 1: With needle holding single st from heel BO and RS facing, pick up and k 15 sts along side of heel flap; with a second needle, work instep sts as [p5, k3] 3 times, p1; with a third needle, pick up and k 15 sts along other side of heel flap—56 sts total; 16 sts on first needle, 25 sts on second needle, 15 sts on third needle.
Rnd 2: First needle p5, k3, p8; second needle [p5, k3] 3 times, p1; third needle k7, p5, k3.
Rnd 3: First needle p5, k3, p6, p2tog; second needle [p5, k3] 3 times, p1; third needle ssk, k5, p5, k3—54 sts rem.
Rnd 4: First needle p1, k3, p5, k6; second needle p1, [k3, p5] 3 times; third needle p7, k3, p4.
Rnd 5: First needle p1, k3, p5, k4, k2tog; second needle p1, [k3, p5] 3 times; third needle p2tog, p5, k3, p4—52 sts rem.
Rnd 6: First needle p1, k3, p5, k5; second needle p1, [k3, p5] 3 times; third needle p6, k3, p4.
Rnd 7: First needle p5, k3, p4, p2tog; second needle [p5, k3] 3 times, p1; third needle ssk, k3, p5, k3—50 sts rem.
Rnd 8: First needle p5, k3, p5; second needle [p5, k3] 3 times, p1; third needle k4, p5, k3.
Rnd 9: First needle p5, k3, p3, p2tog; second needle [p5, k3] 3 times, p1; third needle ssk, k2, p5, k3—48 sts rem.
Rnd 10: First needle p1, k3, p5, k3; second needle p1, [k3, p5] 3 times; third needle p4, k3, p4.
Rnd 11: First needle p1, k3, p5, k1, k2tog; second needle p1, [k3, p5] 3 times; third needle p2tog, p2, k3, p4—46 sts rem.
Rnd 12: First needle p1, k3, p5, k2; second needle p1, [k3, p5] 3 times; third needle p3, k3, p4.
Rnd 13: First needle p5, k3, p1, p2tog; second needle [p5, k3] 3 times, p1; third needle ssk, p5, k3—44 sts rem.
Rnd 14: First needle p5, k3, p2; second needle [p5, k3] 3 times, p1; third needle k1, p5, k3.
Rnd 15: First needle p5, k2, k3tog; second needle [p5, k3] 3 times, sl last st onto third needle: third needle p3tog, p4, k3—40 sts rem.
Rearrange sts so there are 13 sts on first needle, 16 sts on second needle, and 11 sts on third needle.
Rnds 1–3: P1, [k3, p5] 4 times, k3, p4.
Rnds 4–6: [P5, k3] 5 times.
Rep Rnds 1–6 two more times—piece measures about 3 inches (8 cm) from back of heel.
Rnd 1: P1, k3, p5, k1, k2tog, p1, p2tog, p2, k3, p5, k1, k2tog, p1, p2tog, p2, k3, p4—36 sts rem.
Rnd 2: P1, k3, p5, k2, p4, k3, p5, k2, p4, k3, p4.
Rnd 3: P1, k3, p5, k1, sl 1, k2tog, psso, p2, k3, p5, k1, sl 1, k2tog, psso, p2, k3, p4—32 sts rem.
Rnd 4: P5, k3, p3, k1, p5, k3, p2, k2, p5, k3.
Rnd 5: P5, k1, k2tog, p1, k3tog, p5, k3, p1, sl 1, k2tog, psso, p1, p2tog, p2, k3—26 sts rem.
Rnd 6: P5, k2, p1, k1, p5, k3, p1, k1, p4, k3.
Rnd 7: P1, k1, k2tog, p2, p3tog, p1, k3, p5, p3tog, k1, p1, p2tog, p1—20 sts rem.
Rnd 8: P1, k2, p4, k3, p6, k1, p3.
Rnd 9: K3, ssk, k2tog, k6, ssk, k2tog, k3—16 sts rem.
Arrange sts so there are 4 sts each on the first and third needles and 8 sts on the second needle. With third needle, k4 from first needle—8 sts each on 2 needles. With right sides of work facing out, use the Three Needle Bind-off Method to BO all sts tog as for heel, with the decorative ridge of the BO on RS.
Weave in loose ends. Block lightly.
Ann Budd is the author of The Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns and The Knitter’s Handy Book of Sweater Patterns.
Posted February 20, 2014; updated March 2, 2021.
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