Free Toe-Up Sock Knitting Pattern – The Capsized Socks

This is a knitting pattern for a pair of stockinette socks knit from the toe-up with a Fleegle heel. The pattern is graded to five sizes. Scroll down for more information about yardage, suggested needle sizes, gauge, and more. The full pattern will follow.

Introduction

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.

I try my very best to make sure that all my patterns are error-free and easy to follow. If you have any trouble with this pattern, please let me know! Please send help requests to help@abeeinthebonnet.com.

And of course, if you share photos of your project on social media, I’d love to see them! Please tag your photos with #CapsizedSocks and #ABITBKnits to share with others.

Pattern Specs

Abbreviations

• k = knit
• k2tog = knit two stitches together
• kfb = knit into the front and back of the same stitch
• LLI = make a new stitch by inserting your left-hand needle from back to front into the left-side leg of the previous stitch below and knitting through the back loop
• RLI = make a new stitch by inserting your right-hand needle from back to front into the right-side leg of the next stitch below, drawing it up onto the left-hand needle, and knitting through the front loop
• ssk = slip two stitches individually knitwise and knit together through the back loop
• p = purl
• p2tog = purl two stitches together
• RS = right side
• WS = wrong side

Pattern Instructions

Using Judy’s Magic Cast-On or your preferred cast-on method for toe-up socks, cast on a total of 20 (24, 28, 28, 32) stitches and distribute evenly across your needles. Place marker to mark beginning of round if desired.

Round 1 and all odd-numbered rounds: Knit to end of round.

Round 2: *K1, kfb, k8 (10, 12, 12, 14), kfb, k1; repeat from * to end of round.

Round 4: *K1, kfb, k10 (12, 14, 14, 16), kfb, k1; repeat from * to end of round.

Round 6: *K1, kfb, k12 (14, 16, 16, 18), kfb, k1; repeat from * to end of round.

Round 8: *K1, kfb, k14 (16, 18, 18, 20), kfb, k1; repeat from * to end of round.

Round 10: *K1, kfb, k16 (18, 20, 20, 22), kfb, k1; repeat from * to end of round.

Continue increasing as established until you have 52 (60, 68, 76, 84) stitches on your needles.

Foot Instructions:

Continue knitting all stitches in each round until your sock foot is 2.5 (2.75, 3.25, 3.5, 4) inches/ 6.5 (7, 8.5, 9, 10) cm shorter than your total desired foot length. Then begin heel section as follows.

Heel: 

This sock uses a Fleegle heel. You’ll work your heel using the last 26, (30, 34, 38, 42) stitches of your sock. If you are using a 9” circular needle, I find it helpful to place stitch markers on either side of your heel stitches to separate them from the instep stitches.

Now begin working your gusset increases as follows:

Round 1: Knit across the first 26 (30, 34, 38, 42) stitches of your sock. K2, RLI, k22 (26, 30, 34, 38), LLI, k2.

Round 2 and all even-numbered rounds: Knit all stitches in round.

Round 3: Knit across the first 26 (30, 34, 38, 42) stitches of your sock. K2, RLI, k24 (28, 32, 36, 40), LLI, k2.

Round 5: Knit across the first 26 (30, 34, 38, 42) stitches of your sock. K2, RLI, k26 (30, 34, 38, 42) LLI, k2.

Continue increasing as established until you have 50 (58, 66, 74, 82) stitches in the heel portion of your sock (a total of 76 [88, 100 112, 124] stitches on your needles), finishing after working an even-numbered round.

Now it’s time to turn the heel. To set up your work, place a marker at the center of the heel section. You should have 25 (29, 33, 37, 41) stitches in the heel section on either side of the marker (not including the 26 [30, 34, 38, 42] stitches that form the instep of your sock).

Row 1 (RS): K27 (31, 35, 39, 43). Ssk, k1, turn.

Row 2 (WS): Slip 1 purlwise. P5, p2tog, p1, turn.

Row 3: Slip 1 purlwise, knit to within first stitch from gap, ssk, k1, turn.

Row 4: Slip 1 purlwise, purl to within first stitch from gap, p2tog, p1, turn.

Continue working Rows 3 and 4 until you have two stitches on outside edge of each of the gaps in the heel, ending after working a WS row. You should have a total of 30 (34, 38, 42, 46) stitches in your heel section.

Now we will resume working in the round as follows.

Preparatory row: Knit across heel until 3 stitches remain, ssk, k1.

Round 1: Without turning your work, continue on to knit across instep stitches. When you reach the heel again, k1, k2tog, knit to two stitches before end of heel, ssk.

Round 2: Knit across instep stitches. When you reach the heel again, k2tog, knit to end of heel.

Leg:

Continue knitting each round until leg reaches 6” (15 cm). You can make this section as long or as short as you’d like, but know that changing the length of the leg will also change your yarn requirements.

Cuff:

Knit 12 rounds of k2, p2 ribbing. Bind off using your preferred stretchy bind-off method (I like the elastic bind-off, myself).

Break yarn, weave in ends securely, and block.

Thank you for choosing one of my patterns! I try my very best to make sure that all my patterns are error-free and easy to follow. If you have any trouble with this pattern, please let me know. Please send help requests to help@abeeinthebonnet.com.

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