The Instant Gratification socks came about from a happy accident. Having ordered a ball of what I assumed was 4-ply/fingering sock yarn, I found it was actually aran (worsted) weight. Undaunted, I cast on a pair of socks and was amazed – and delighted – to find they worked up in a jiffy, and felt very comfortable to boot. Plus the thick yarn meant they would last a lot longer. I was hooked.

The only trouble is that aran weight sock yarn with a decent nylon content for toughness isn’t very common, so I decided to experiment by holding two strands of fingering weight yarn together. I discovered that this was not only a super-fast and addictive way to conjure up a pair of socks – ideal for when you need a quick gift - but they have other advantages too. Regretting those louder skeins of variegated yarn you bought on impulse? Pair up the garish yarn with a neutral and you get a calmer, more marled effect. Not keen on rough and toothy sock yarn? Add in something softer and luxurious, such as a ball of Drops Nord alpaca blend, and you end up with a softer fabric that’s pure joy for your feet.

Not to mention that Instant Gratification make the perfect first pair for beginner sock knitters – no need to buy in smaller needles, plus there’s no fiddling around with tiny stitches. And the round toe means no grafting or learning how to Kitchener stitch. What’s not to love?

I find I can just squeeze out a pair of socks for my UK Size 5 feet (US: 7/Europe: 37-38) out of two 50g balls held together, but you may find you need more or less yardage to accommodate your tension and foot size.

The pattern has one size, based on 44 stitches on 3mm (US: 2.5) circular needles doing magic loop, but it’s surprisingly flexible. I’ve also made a larger man-sized pair of these socks using the same stitch count but going up to 3.25mm (US: 3) needles. With this double thickness of yarn, you could easily use up to 3.5mm (US: 4) or even 3.75mm (US: 5) needles to get even more room in the leg and instep.