I can’t think of a more satisfying project than making teeny little baby socks from sock yarn leftovers. Extraordinarily useful and oh, so cute! The smallest size is a scant 3″ long and will fit baby from the very start. A perfect little touch of luxury for the new arrival.
I created this pattern based upon one of my favorite sock patterns :Simple Skyp Socks by Adrienne Ku.
Two different sized socks are possible by changing yarn weight and needle size. The pattern instructions proceed from the cuff down with double pointed needles. The ribbing on these socks is quite stretchy so it’ll fit a range of sizes and won’t kick off easily.
Newborn size: Fingering Yarn; 2.5 mm dpn’s
3-6 months: Sport Yarn; 2.75 mm dpn’s
Abbreviations:
SKYP – slip 1 stitch, knit 1 stitch, yarn over, pass slipped stitch over both loops on needle
cast on 36, arrange stitches so 12 stitches are on each of 3 double pointed needles and join in the round
Rows 1 – 6: (P2, K2) around for 6 rows
Row 7: (K4, P2) around
Row 8: (k1, SKYP, k1, P2) around
Row 9: (K4, P2) around
Repeat rows 8 and 9 six times. On last row, follow pattern to last stitch, then transfer stitch to next needle without working
Make Heel Flap by knitting the following stitches onto one needle:
RS: P1, (k1, SKYP, k1, P2) twice, k1, SKYP, k1 P1; turn.
WS: K1, p4, (K2, P4) twice, K1
Repeat the above 2 rows 7 more times.
Turn Heel:
K10, ssk, k1, turn
Slip 1, P3, P2tog, P1, turn
Slip 1, k4, ssk, K1, turn
Slip 1, P5, p2tog, p1, turn
Slip 1, k6, ssk, k1, turn
Slip 1, P7, p2tog, k1, turn
Slip 1, K8, ssk, turn
Slip 1, P8, p2tog, turn
Knit across heel and pick up and knit 9 stitches along gusset, work across instep stitches in pattern and pick up and knit 9 stitches along other side of gusset
knit 5 heel stitches
Arrange stitches so 18 instep stitches are on 1 needle, beginning and ending with 1 purl stitch, and the other foot stitches are evenly separated onto 2 needles. (Needle 1 begins with the second 5 heel stitches, then 9 picked up stitches along gusset, Needle 2 contains instep stitches that begin and end with 1 purl stitch, and Needle 3 contains 9 picked up stitches along gusset and first 5 heel stitches.)
Decrease Gusset:
Rnd 1: Needle 1: k to last 3 stitches. k2tog, p1, Needle 2: work across instep stitches in pattern, Needle 3: P1, ssk, k to end of round.
Rnd 2: Needle 1: K to last stitch, P1, Needle 2: work across instep in pattern Needle 3: P1, k to end of row.
Repeat these 2 rows until 9 stitches are left on needles 1 and 3, then k in pattern around until foot is about 2 1/2″ to 2 3/4″, depending on desired length. (2 1/2″ for Newborn size, 2 3/4″ for 3 to 6 mo size)
Decrease for toe:
Row 1: knit around
Row 2: Needle 1: K to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1 Needle 2: K1, ssk, k to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1 Needle 3: k1, ssk, k to end of round
Repeat rows 1 and 2 until there are 4 stitches on Needles 1 and 3 and 8 stitches on Needle 2.
Arrange stitches so 8 foot stitches are on one needle and 8 instep stitches are on another.
Kitchener toe.
Pull on some sweet little tootsies and admire the extreme cuteness ♥
Download Textured Tootsies PDF Pattern.
© Copyright 2011 Simply Notable
Fine Print: We are absolutely flattered that our crafty friends would want to make cute items from our original copyright patterns to sell in their online shops or brick and mortar stores. We are thrilled to grant that permission. We do, however, request that anywhere the item is for sale, (on each and every online listing OR on each item in your brick and mortar store that a Simply Notable pattern has been used), that you link back to us here at Simply Notable so others can enjoy the same free pattern you utilized. When you sprinkle the Simply Notable love back our way in the form of links, it lets us know how much you appreciate the free patterns we’ve shared. The only hard line we draw here at Simply Notable is that the free patterns themselves absolutely cannot be sold.
Those are too precious! I bet I know whose tootsies will be snuggled inside those socks – so sweet.
You’d be so right Amy! Most of my crafting tends to center around my Grandkids. When I was a Mom, I didn’t have time to make really special items for my infants. It’s one of the privileges of Grandmahood. 🙂
Anyone know if these stay on well? I remember my babies always kicked off their socks, but it would depend on the top ribbing I think.
Hi Laura! I haven’t tested these on a baby yet, since the little one I designed them for isn’t due until December, but I knit similar socks with ribbing all along the sock, like these, and they stayed on my first Grandson famously, so I’m pretty confident they’ll stay on at least as well. If you happen to make a pair, I’d love feedback on that. ♥
Hey “Mom”, I’d love to see your pattern for the ribbed baby socks, if you are willing to share!
Oh, it wasn’t my pattern, Laura. It was Baby Socks by Bianca Boonstra. Like the Textured Tootsies, they’re ribbed all down the cuff and all down the top of the foot, so they hugged the foot well and didn’t kick off. I’m always willing to share! 🙂 It’s what makes our crafty world so fun!
Great, thanks!
These little socks are adorable–just the perfect little baby gift for my daughter-in-laws sister’s newborn!!! Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome, Steph! Hope you enjoy knitting them. 🙂
Good job, Julie!! Love those little socks. I am amazed how you transfer
stitches around to make up your own pattern.
I love this pattern! Thank you so much for sharing it. I have knit a pair of the adult Skyp socks and found them very addicting.
Awww, thanks for saying so, Kristie! I love the adult Skyp socks too. They just fit so great with the cuff to toe ribbing. You’ll find that the math on the ribbing of these is a bit different, but the distinctive Skyp stitch pattern that forms the design within the ribbing is the same and makes for a nice unisex design. Hope you enjoy knitting these as well! ♥
Would I be allowed to sell these lovely socks, or are they for personal use only?
Hi Chrissy,
Thanks so much for your interest! Here is a link to our free pattern’s fine print.
Let us know if you have any questions!
https://www.simplynotable.com/our-free-patterns/
Thank you so much for a very quick (and favourable) reply.
I am more than happy to comply with your smallprint.
Absolutely Chrissy! Thanks so much for keeping us on our toes.
We’d love to see your online store if you feel like sharing the link! We are total etsy-aholics. 😉
Thanks for sharing this adorable pattern! I started knitting these but have gotten stuck –
I finished making the heel flap by repeating the RS and WS rows 7 times, but am not sure about where / how to turn the heel now? (there are 18 sts on my heel flap needle, 6 on the next needle and 12 on the last, but the pattern says to now K10, ssk, k1, turn, etc)
These are my first knit socks so I’m still figuring out how the different parts are knit up together-sorry if this is an silly question!
Hi Lane,
Not a silly question at all. After you’ve made the heel flap, you should have all those heel flap stitches on one needle. You’re going to turn the heel on your heel flap stitches by working “short rows”. That means you’ll knit partway across the row and will turn when it tells you, even though you haven’t reached the end of the row. Doing this creates a bend in the sock, making a heel. Following the pattern will get you there, but if you want to understand what you’re doing, you could go to knitting help.com or google “turning a heel” to get a visual of what happens. How exciting that you’re making your first socks! My first were a baby pair too! 🙂
Ohhh ok, I get it now! I’m definitely excited to be making these, they’re so cute and functional, and come together so fast -thanks alot for your help 😀
I just started to write down the pattern as I don’t have a printer. On the heel turn it says “Slip 1, P7, p2tog, k1, turn”. This ends with a K1 but the other purl rows end with a P1. Which should it be? Thank you
Hi Shirley,
Mom has been away from the computer for a few weeks. She returns this next weekend so hopefully she’ll be able to answer your question then. 😉
Thank you for letting me know.
Hi Shirley, that certainly looks like a typo. Without reknitting the socks to be certain, I’d recommend going with the P1, just as you suspected. Thanks for the heads up!
I ended up using the P1. I’ve finished them and I’m waiting for the sun to take a picture.
Hello
I don’t see the gauge used for this project. I would like to try converting it for a loom.
I’d say 7-8 stitches per inch on the fingering socks and 5 stitches per inch on the dk/sport weight ones, Erica.
How do I transfer stitch without working? One stitch or all stitches to what needle? The working needle?
What’s a Kitchener Toe please? The pattern stops with “8 foot stitches are on one needle and 8 instep stitches are on another” and I don’t know what to do next. I’m in the UK so we obviously use a different term over here, but I’d like to make sure as I haven’t knitted baby clothes in 30 years. Thanks
It’s the same as grafting a toe closed, Joan. Hope that makes sense!
I’m having a problem with turning the heel. Everything went fine up to that point. (I’ve made socks before so I’m not a newbie to them…)
I have 18 stitches on one needle – tried turning the heel based on the directions, but after the first two lines realized I would be running out of stitches for the lines after that.
This is how I read/knit the first two lines:
Line 1 – I knit 10, then slipped 2 stitches knit 1, knit 1 then turned.
Line 2 – Slipped 1, pearled 3, pearled 2 together, pearled 1, turned
Line 3 – is where I ran into trouble. I realized things weren’t going to work out.
SSK – Am I reading that correctly? Slip, slip, knit?
Hope you’ll be able to help me out. I’d really like to finish these!
Hi Rhonda,
The SSK stitch involves slipping two stitches knitwise one at a time, then knitting those two stitches together. Try starting your heel over, doing the SSK stitch in that way. That should solve the stitch count problem you’re having.
Thanks, I’ll try that. With the holiday coming up, I’m hoping to have the time to work on the socks!
Cutest socks and thank you for pattern. Could you just tell me, whenever you slip a stitch you are doing this purlwise? Since pattern doesn’t specify this, I figure that’s what I’m suppose to do. Thanks
Hi Katie! Yes, slip purl-wise. 🙂
I adore the look of these socks and have started knitting them. I am having trouble with keeping the continuity of the pattern for the instep stitches after I’ve turned the heel. Where it says to work across the instep stitches in pattern – I use the RS row for making the heel flap but it’s not working out. I’d appreciate your help. Thanks so much.
Hi Joan, When it says to work across the instep stitches in pattern, it simply means to knit the next row of the pattern that you left off on when you stopped working in the round and began the heel flap. If you ended on row 9, that means that you’ll begin the pattern on row 8. If that isn’t working out, perhaps you ended on row 8, so try starting with row 9 for those instep stitches. Hope that helps!
I will give that a try. I’ve pulled
I will give that a try. I’ve pulled back a few times, so I think I will start over from the cuff. I will let you know how it works out.
Thanks again.
Hi ladies, I hope to make some of your cute socks to raise money for the Air Ambulance. They will be listed soon on ebay and Knitting Paradise.
Hi again
I have started the heel flap but on the last row 9 before the heel flap it says to not work the last stitch but move it to the next needle which is the heel flap needle. This leaves 7 sts on one needle and 11 on the instep needle and 18 on the heel flap. Should I not move that stitch?
Please ignore my last post. I just figured it out. I will put the 7 plus 11 stitches onto one needle for the instep. Why did it take me so long for that to sink in??
Continuing on with this beautiful sock for my grandchild who should arrive soon.
So glad it’s making sense now, Joan. Believe me, I totally understand how sometimes instructions take awhile to sink in. I just pulled out 10 rows of 270 stitches on a scarf for that very reason. 🙂 Congratulations on the new Grandbaby!
LOVE LOVE LOVE this pattern. Thank you so much for sharing it! Works up quickly and they are adorable. Can’t wait to hear of a baby girl on the way that I can give them to.
You’re welcome Donna! 🙂
Hi, I am trying to make these cute little socks, but I am not sure about the SKYP. On the following row after to SKYP row 9-k4, p2, The SKYP looks like two stitches, do you knit both stitches separately or do you knit them together as one. this will make it a decrease.
Hi Cindy, Not sure what you are asking – how to do the SKYP sequence? I have those directions at the top of the pattern. It is: SKYP – slip 1 stitch, knit 1 stitch, yarn over, pass slipped stitch over both loops on needle
Hi!
I just want to stop by and tell you how much thos pattern has come to mean to me. Some years back, when I was first learning to knit, I wanted to make a pair of socks for my unborn nephew, to give him when he was born. So I found this pattern, a bit tricky for a beginner, but easy enough to learn, and just beautiful! So I presented two pairs to my sister in the hospital after she had given birth, and she loved them just as much as I do! Since then it has become tradition that when a family member og good friend gives birth, I make two pairs and give them to the baby the first time I see them. So far five babies are the proud owners of these adorable tootsies ( though a few of them arent babies anymore! ), and when I start a family, my kids will have these too. Thank you for sharing this pattern – I absolutely love it, and I’m sure the tradition of making these for the babies of family and friends will vontinue for a long time!
Such a wonderful tradition- thanks for sharing! Heart warming!
LOVE the little socks, beautiful cute pattern, but I need a bigger size…..just wondering can i just knit the Gusset longer, instead of 2 3/4″ foot make it 3 1/2 “?? (or do I have to make the heel bigger to?)
or do you have a pattern for a bigger size??
thanks, Jolanda
Hi Jolanda, I don’t have a bigger size pattern but if you knit the larger size by using the sport weight yarn and larger needles I think that size would work fine with a 3 1/2 inch length!
Hola, sencillamente hermosos, me encantan, pero ingles nada me divierte solo verlos Saludos desde Venezuela Gracias por compartir