Purlbed

Socks · Intermediate

Knee-high socks

Knee-high socks: AI picture of the finished item
AI picture of what this pattern makes, drawn to its own construction (hems, shaping, seams). Not a photo of a real piece.

Built like the everyday socks, with a long leg that follows the calf. You cast on for the calf and knit the cuff, then decrease one stitch at each side every few rows down the back of the leg until the strip is as wide as the ankle; the heel, the sole, the toe and the top of the foot are knitted on the ankle's needles. On the way up the front of the leg you increase again in the same rhythm, so when you fold the strip at the toe the two sides match row for row and sew up neatly. You need a machine whose needles can wait in hold; a hand flat cannot do it.

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All steps, charts, sizes and checks (for printing)

Virtual test knit

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Every row of every piece on this page has just been knitted on a model of your machine, for the size, machine and gauge you chose. The model follows each needle's loops through transfers, held needles, hems and cast-offs, then measures the finished pieces.

1118 rows and 37,124 stitches knitted, 64 stitches transferred, 1600 held-needle passes: no dropped stitch, no hole, no lost loop, every stitch cast off or secured at the end.

Measured on the simulated pieces
MeasurementShould beSimulated
Sock circumference (two layers)18.7–21.3 cm✓ 20 cm
Foot length, back of heel to toe tip22.5–24.5 cm✓ 23.5 cm
Leg height above the heel, with cuff41–43 cm✓ 42 cm
Heel and toe cups: needles left knitting in the middle25–45 %✓ 33.3 %
Rows to ease into each side seam0–3 rows✓ 0 rows
Calf circumference (top of the leg)28.9–33 cm✓ 30.7 cm

The simulation checks the instructions and the arithmetic. Yarn, tension and blocking still differ from knitter to knitter, so knit the gauge swatch first and type in your own numbers. Knitted one? We would love a photo: support@purlbed.com.

Women (EU 37–39) · Single bed, punch card · Gauge (stocking stitch, after steaming): 30 sts × 40 rows

Sizes

MeasurementWomen (EU 37–39)Men (EU 42–44)
Foot circumference (round the ball of the foot)22 cm25 cm
Calf circumference (widest part)34 cm38 cm
Foot length24 cm27 cm
Leg above the heel38 cm42 cm
Cuff depth4 cm4 cm

You will need

Yarn: Sock yarn with some nylon (4-ply / fingering, about 75 % wool, 25 % nylon) on a standard 4.5 mm machine, at a fairly tight tension: sock fabric should be firmer than a sweater.

About 110 g in total for this size (an estimate from the area of the pieces; buy a little more).

Also: Tapestry needle, Waste yarn (single bed), Hold levers or buttons set on the carriage, 2-prong transfer tool

Gauge swatch first

  1. Cast on 40 needles with waste yarn and knit a few rows. Change to the main yarn and choose a tension that gives a fabric you like (see the starting points below).
  2. Knit 60 rows. Tie a contrast thread to the 11th needle from each side at row 10 and row 50, so the marks are 20 needles and 40 rows apart.
  3. Knit a few rows of waste yarn and take the swatch off. Steam or wash it the way you will treat the finished piece, and let it rest flat for a few hours.
  4. Measure between the marks: stitches in 10 cm = 20 ÷ width in cm × 10, rows in 10 cm = 40 ÷ height in cm × 10. Type the two numbers into the gauge boxes above; that tension is your main tension (MT).

Pieces

Sock (knit 2)

Cast on 46 sts, 559 rows. Flat size about 15.3 × 131.3 cm.

Row by row

  1. Bring 46 needles into work (L23 to R23). Cast on with waste yarn, knit about 10 rows, 1 row of ravel cord, then change to the main yarn. Set RC to 000.
  2. Turned hem: knit 16 rows at MT−1, 1 row at MT+2 (the fold line) and 16 rows at MT−1. Hang the loops of the first main-yarn row (just above the waste yarn) back on the needles, then knit 1 row at MT (RC 034). Remove the waste yarn later.
  3. Knit 2 rows at MT (RC 036).
  4. Decrease 1 stitch at each end on the next row and every 13 rows, 8 times in all: move the 2 edge stitches 1 needle in with the 2-prong tool and put the empty needle out of work. 46 → 30 sts (RC 140).
  5. Knit 46 rows at MT (RC 186).
  6. Short rows over all 30 needles (L15 to R15), to make the cup that curves round the heel or toe: for a while only the middle needles knit, the outer ones wait in hold. Set the carriage to hold. Before each row, push 1 needle on the side away from the carriage into hold, until 10 needles still knit in the middle (20 rows). Then, before each row, bring 1 held needle on the side away from the carriage back to work, until all 30 knit again (20 rows). Take the yarn under the end needle at each turn so no holes form. Release the hold (RC 226).
  7. The heel is done; now knit the sole. Knit 54 rows at MT (RC 280).
  8. Short rows over all 30 needles (L15 to R15), to make the cup that curves round the heel or toe: for a while only the middle needles knit, the outer ones wait in hold. Set the carriage to hold. Before each row, push 1 needle on the side away from the carriage into hold, until 10 needles still knit in the middle (20 rows). Then, before each row, bring 1 held needle on the side away from the carriage back to work, until all 30 knit again (20 rows). Take the yarn under the end needle at each turn so no holes form. Release the hold (RC 320).
  9. The toe is done; now knit the top of the foot back towards the cuff. Knit 54 rows at MT (RC 374).
  10. Knit 59 rows at MT (RC 433).
  11. Increase 1 stitch at each end on the next row and every 13 rows, 7 times in all: bring the next needle into work and hang the heel of the neighbouring stitch on it. 30 → 44 sts (RC 524).
  12. Increase 1 stitch at each end on the next row, 1 time in all: bring the next needle into work and hang the heel of the neighbouring stitch on it. 44 → 46 sts (RC 525).
  13. Knit 1 rows at MT (RC 526).
  14. Closing hem: knit 16 rows at MT−1, 1 row at MT+2 and 16 rows at MT−1 (RC 559), then a few rows of waste yarn, and release. Fold the hem inside along the loose row and sew the open loops to the first hem row.
Bed chart
Row 1 is at the bottom. Arrows mark the transfers; the key under the chart names each colour.
Needle notation

Step 1 at the bottom; only the needles around the changes are shown.

Row sequence (103)
RowsWhat the carriage knitsTension
1–16Stocking stitchMT−1
17Stocking stitchMT+2
18–33Stocking stitchMT−1
34–36Stocking stitchMT
37–49Stocking stitchMT
50–62Stocking stitchMT
63–75Stocking stitchMT
76–88Stocking stitchMT
89–101Stocking stitchMT
102–114Stocking stitchMT
115–127Stocking stitchMT
128–186Stocking stitchMT
187Stocking stitch · hold 1MT
188Stocking stitch · hold 2MT
189Stocking stitch · hold 3MT
190Stocking stitch · hold 4MT
191Stocking stitch · hold 5MT
192Stocking stitch · hold 6MT
193Stocking stitch · hold 7MT
194Stocking stitch · hold 8MT
195Stocking stitch · hold 9MT
196Stocking stitch · hold 10MT
197Stocking stitch · hold 11MT
198Stocking stitch · hold 12MT
199Stocking stitch · hold 13MT
200Stocking stitch · hold 14MT
201Stocking stitch · hold 15MT
202Stocking stitch · hold 16MT
203Stocking stitch · hold 17MT
204Stocking stitch · hold 18MT
205Stocking stitch · hold 19MT
206Stocking stitch · hold 20MT
207Stocking stitch · hold 19MT
208Stocking stitch · hold 18MT
209Stocking stitch · hold 17MT
210Stocking stitch · hold 16MT
211Stocking stitch · hold 15MT
212Stocking stitch · hold 14MT
213Stocking stitch · hold 13MT
214Stocking stitch · hold 12MT
215Stocking stitch · hold 11MT
216Stocking stitch · hold 10MT
217Stocking stitch · hold 9MT
218Stocking stitch · hold 8MT
219Stocking stitch · hold 7MT
220Stocking stitch · hold 6MT
221Stocking stitch · hold 5MT
222Stocking stitch · hold 4MT
223Stocking stitch · hold 3MT
224Stocking stitch · hold 2MT
225Stocking stitch · hold 1MT
226–280Stocking stitchMT
281Stocking stitch · hold 1MT
282Stocking stitch · hold 2MT
283Stocking stitch · hold 3MT
284Stocking stitch · hold 4MT
285Stocking stitch · hold 5MT
286Stocking stitch · hold 6MT
287Stocking stitch · hold 7MT
288Stocking stitch · hold 8MT
289Stocking stitch · hold 9MT
290Stocking stitch · hold 10MT
291Stocking stitch · hold 11MT
292Stocking stitch · hold 12MT
293Stocking stitch · hold 13MT
294Stocking stitch · hold 14MT
295Stocking stitch · hold 15MT
296Stocking stitch · hold 16MT
297Stocking stitch · hold 17MT
298Stocking stitch · hold 18MT
299Stocking stitch · hold 19MT
300Stocking stitch · hold 20MT
301Stocking stitch · hold 19MT
302Stocking stitch · hold 18MT
303Stocking stitch · hold 17MT
304Stocking stitch · hold 16MT
305Stocking stitch · hold 15MT
306Stocking stitch · hold 14MT
307Stocking stitch · hold 13MT
308Stocking stitch · hold 12MT
309Stocking stitch · hold 11MT
310Stocking stitch · hold 10MT
311Stocking stitch · hold 9MT
312Stocking stitch · hold 8MT
313Stocking stitch · hold 7MT
314Stocking stitch · hold 6MT
315Stocking stitch · hold 5MT
316Stocking stitch · hold 4MT
317Stocking stitch · hold 3MT
318Stocking stitch · hold 2MT
319Stocking stitch · hold 1MT
320–433Stocking stitchMT
434–446Stocking stitchMT
447–459Stocking stitchMT
460–472Stocking stitchMT
473–485Stocking stitchMT
486–498Stocking stitchMT
499–511Stocking stitchMT
512–524Stocking stitchMT
525–526Stocking stitchMT
527–542Stocking stitchMT−1
543Stocking stitchMT+2
544–559Stocking stitchMT−1
Opens a copy of this piece as an editable bed chart in your browser.

Finishing

  1. Weave in the ends and remove any waste yarn.
  2. Fold the sock in half at the toe (the middle of the second short-row cup), right sides out, so the cuffs meet.
  3. Sew both sides with mattress stitch from the toe to the cuffs, matching row for row: the decreases on the back of the leg meet the increases on the front.
  4. Sew the ends of the cuffs together and steam lightly.

Notes and changes

  • Measure round the widest part of the calf and round the ball of the foot. The sock is knitted about 10 % smaller than both, so it hugs the leg and stays up.
  • The leg height above the heel is a starting value: knee-highs usually end 2–3 cm below the bend of the knee. Measure the leg and change it in the size boxes.
  • Stripes make the long leg go faster. Count the stripe rows from each cuff, so the stripes meet at the side seams.

What the words mean

Short rows (引返)
knitting only some of the needles for a few rows while the others wait. The middle grows taller than the sides, which makes a cup: that is how the heel and toe of a sock get their curve.
Hold
the needle position for short rows: a needle pushed all the way forward keeps its stitch and does not knit while the carriage is set to hold.
Turned hem
a neat double edge: knit a strip, then fold it up and hang its first row back on the needles, so the edge is a fold instead of a raw cast-on.
1×1 rib
one stitch on the main bed, one on the ribber, side by side: the stretchy edge of socks, cuffs and hat brims. Needs a ribber or a double bed.
Decrease / increase
making the piece one stitch narrower or wider at the edge. Fully fashioned means moving the 2 edge stitches in (or out) with a transfer tool, so the edge stays smooth for sewing.
Transfer tool
the small hook (1, 2 or 3 prongs) that lifts stitches off needles and puts them on others.
Waste yarn
a few rows in a spare colour knitted before or after the piece and pulled out later, leaving open loops to hang back or sew.
MT (main tension)
the tension dial number of your gauge swatch. MT−1 is one number tighter, MT+2 two numbers looser.
RC (row counter)
the counter on the carriage. Set it to 000 after casting on; every step says what it should read when the step is done.
L10 / R10
needle numbers, counted outwards from the middle (0) of the needle bed.
Mattress stitch
the usual way to sew knitted pieces together: you catch the bar between the first two stitches on each side, so the seam disappears.
Duplicate stitch
embroidery that follows a knitted stitch's V shape with a needle and a second colour, so the pattern looks knitted in.

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