Free DK sock knitting pattern: birch hollow socks out now
This Free DK sock knitting pattern uses simple knits and purls to create a ribbed cuff to keep from slouching, and the rest is an easy stockinette stitch! Worked in Knit Picks Hawthorne DK “Cattail Kettle”, a beautiful “grellow” (grayish yellow), the kettle dyed yarn brings texture into the sock itself.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no additional cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.
New from This Yellow Farmhouse: the Birch Hollow Socks, a free dk sock knitting pattern that you’ll memorize quickly!
Taking this vanilla sock pattern, you can make socks for anyone. Consider this your template to knitting dk socks!
After you master simple dk socks, there’s no stopping what size you can make, what texture (hello cables!) you can add, and how tall or short (shorties!) you knit them.
Check out the free dk sock knitting pattern below to see how to knit your socks. You can also purchase the printable ad-free version HERE, which helps support this blog and more designs I can share with you!
What Yarn Should You Use to Follow This free dk sock knitting pattern?
Designing under the name This Yellow Farmhouse, I wanted my basic vanilla sock to be, of course, yellow!
The “grellow” I found felt so fun, with the brightness of yellow, but slightly subdued for every day wear. You can find the yarn I used here.
I enjoy knitting dk weight socks with a wool/nylon mix, because wool has warmth and structure, and nylon has durability. Since these are socks I tend to wear in shoes more often than my worsted weight cabin socks, the nylon is really important in there! You can also knit with two strands of fingering weight yarn together if you’re having trouble hunting for dk weight yarn that is a wool/nylon mix.
Want to learn how to knit? Check out my guide to learning how to knit here!
Sizing in this free dk sock knitting pattern
The first step when you are choosing what size socks to knit: always measure your foot circumference, not length. I recommend choosing a size with 1-2″ of negative ease for the best fit for socks.
The sizes are written in S(M, L) with a foot circumference of 8-9″(9-10″, 10-11″) for this free cabin sock knitting pattern.
Of course, everyone is built differently! If you need to make your socks longer or shorter on the foot, you will add or decrease the number of rows you knit before working the heel.
How to Knit dk socks
Dk weight socks are growing in popularity in the knitting world. You can knit with dk weight yarn or double up fingering weight yarn to use up your sock yarn stash.
And if you’re knitting for someone as a gift knit, these are a go-to project. You will finish them in just a few days, and in true hand-knit fashion, they’ll be unlike store-bought socks. I love gifting socks to my family and friends with a candle and book for a cozy at home gift!
The Free dk Sock Knitting Pattern
Scroll down for the free pattern or you can purchase the ad-free printable HERE.
Materials:
- US Size 6 (4.0 mm), 9″ circular knitting needles and double pointed needles
- 1 skein of Knit Picks Hawthorne DK, sample knit in “Cattail Kettle” (100g and 225yds/skein)
- Scissors
- Yarn needle to weave in ends
- 3 stitch markers
Size:
Women’s S(M, L) with a foot circumference of 8-9″(9-10″, 10-11″).
Gauge:
Approximately 22 stitches and 17 rows in a 4″ stockinette swatch
Pattern notes:
These socks are knit with a 9″ circular needle, which is my preferred method of sock knitting. You will switch to double pointed needles to work the heels and toes. But you can use another needle or heel method that’s comfortable for you!
First we’re going to knit these socks top down, knitting the cuff first, then the leg. After knitting the heel flap and gusset, we’ll work the length of the foot. Finally, we’ll decrease stitches for the toe and close with a kitchener stitch.
You can watch my How to Knit video above to see how to cast on, knit, and bind off. I also wrote a post for beginners learning to knit! If you would like to adjust the sock’s length, keep in mind that you’ll need to increase or decrease the number of rows you knit before working the heel.
Free dk sock knitting pattern abbreviations (US) and skills:
co- cast on
k- knit
p- purl
cn- cable needle
st(s)- stitch(es)
rep- repeat
dpn- double pointed needles
BOR- beginning of round
pm- place marker
sm- slip marker
rs- right side
ws- wrong side
ssk- slip, slip, knit
ktbl- knit through back loop
sl- slip
pu- pick up
k2tog- knit 2 together as one
n1, n2, n3- needle 1, needle 2, needle 3
birch hollow Socks: A dk Cabin Sock Knitting Pattern
CUFF
CO 40(48, 56) sts using the long-tail cast on. Then, place a beginning of round marker here and join to knit in the round. *I recommend placing a middle of round marker at 20(24, 28) now to make the split for the heel flap easier later on.
Now we’re going to begin with a simple and stretchy ribbed cuff.
Rows 1-16. *K1, p1* repeat around, slipping middle of row marker and stopping at the BOR marker.
LEG
We will now knit the length of the leg, which is listed below for size S(M,L).
Note: I recommend highlighting your size.
Row 17-40: K20 (24,28), sm, k20 (24,28).
Rep instructions for Row 17-40 until you reach your desired leg length.
HEEL FLAP
Switch to DPN’s to work the heel flap. Because you will be working on these next 20(24, 28) sts for the heel, you will leave the instep section alone until the entire heel is worked.
Row 1 (RS): *Sl1 purlwise with yarn in back, k1* Repeat across row.
Row 2 (WS): Sl1 purlwise with yarn in front, purl across row.
Repeat these two rows a total of 10(12, 14) times. You will end with a total of 20(24, 28) rows on your heel flap.
HEEL TURN
Row 1 (RS): *Sl1 purlwise with yarn in back, k10(12, 14), ssk, k1, turn
Row 2 (WS): Sl1 purlwise with yarn in front, p3, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 3 (RS): Sl1 purlwise with yarn in back, k to 1 st before gap, ssk, k1, turn
Row 4 (WS): Sl1 purlwise with yarn in front, p to 1 st before gap, p2tog, p1, turn
Repeat Rows 3 and 4 until all sts have been worked. Do not slip the first st of the very last purl row, you will purl it.
You will end on a RS and have 12(14, 16) sts remaining on your needle.
GUSSET
To set up the gusset, complete the following:
K6 (7,8), pm (this is your new BOR marker), k6 (7,8) across your needle.
PU 10 (12, 14) sts along the side of the heel flap, PU the ladder from the row below and ktbl to reduce the gap.
PM, k20 (24, 28) across the instep, PM.
Pick up the ladder from the row below and ktbl on this side of the instep, then PU 10 (12, 14) sts along the other side of the heel flap.
K across to the center BOR marker. Note: As you do this step, you’ll switch back to your 9″ circular needles.
Begin decreasing by repeating the following 2 rows until you are back to the total st count of 40(48, 56).
Row 1: K to 3 sts before marker, k2tog, k1, sm, k across instep in pattern, sm, k1, ssk, k to center back marker, slip BOR marker.
Row 2: K to marker, sm, k in pattern, sm, k to BOR marker.
FOOT
Once you are done decreasing and at a st count of 40(48, 56) you will continue to k until the first marker, sm, k20(24, 28) in pattern, sm, k to beginning of the row until the sock measures 1.5″ less than the length of your gusset to toe.
Example: If your gusset to toe measures 7.5″ you will continue to k the foot for 6″ before beginning the toe.
TOE
As you decrease sts for the toe, you will now switch to DPN’s and remove all markers as youcome to them. Arrange sts so that N1 has the first 10 (12, 14) sts, N2 has the next 20 (24, 28) sts, and N3 has the last 10 (12, 14) sts of the row. We will rep the following 2 rows until you have a total of 20 (24, 28) sts on all needles combined.
Row 1: N1: K to 3 sts before marker, k2tog, k1. N2: K1, ssk, k until 3 sts remain, k2tog, k1. N3: K1, ssk, k to end of needle.
Row 2: K across all sts.
Rep rows 1 and 2 until you have a total of 12 sts left . You will have 3 sts on N1 and N3. Knit the 3 sts from N1 onto N3. You will now have only 2 DPNs with 6 sts on N1 and 6 sts on N2 and areready for the Kitchener Join.
KITCHENER JOIN
You will now do the kitchener join to close the toe. You can find the video tutorial of this at: https://youtu.be/A7bjDZnKo0Q
Set up:
Purlwise through 1st st in front, leave on
Knitwise through 1st st in back, leave on
1: Front st knitwise, slip off
2: Next front st purlwise, leave on
3: Frist back st purlwise, slip off
4. Next back st knitwise, leave on
Rep 1-4 until all sts have been dropped.
Weave in ends from toe and cuff, cut tails, & enjoy the cozy warmth on your feet!
That’s it!
I hope you enjoy knitting this free dk sock knitting pattern, and even more fun wearing it!
If you make your own Birch Hollow Socks I’d love to see it! Feel free to tag me on Instagram @thisyellowfarmhouse and #thisyellowfarmhouse.
