This pattern is a freebie, now and always! I’ve loved putting together my own tutorial for this simple, classic sock heel technique, and I’ve especially loved working with self-striping yarns and finding new self-striping dyers! If you know of any additional dyers who specialize in self-striping colorways, send me a DM and I’ll happily add them to the suggested yarns list for this pattern to help promote them :) I’ll be listing/linking the dyers below, and adding them to the suggested yarns above so you can check them out yourselves, thank you all so much for your amazing suggestions so far!

Alright, it sounds ridiculous but hear me out – this is a fun twist on the term “potato chip knitting”, reserved for those knits that you can’t make just once, and as the first sock sample started taking shape, I found that I couldn’t stop at a single stripe, and then at a single sock, or a single pair! This is a mindlessly addicting knit (and much healthier than kettle chips), and in a self-striping yarn it knits up fast.

Originally, the goal for this pattern was to make the most of a 50g skein of self-striping yarn that I had in my stash - I wanted matching socks, with a heel that didn’t break the stripe sequence, and for them to be as long as possible. The best way to achieve all of this? An afterthought heel.

This heel may sound intimidating if you’ve never worked it, but it is so much easier than it may seem at first! These socks can be knit cuff-down or toe-up (I provide both directions), and they are knit for several inches without even worrying about a heel until the end, when all stitches are bound off. I provide a detailed photo tutorial for working the afterthought heel, overall it’s much easier and quicker than it may sound, so don’t let it scare you!

Here are the links to the project pages for the samples: dark blue-green cuff, light brown cuff, and black cuff.

Sizes: finished foot circumference 6, 7, (8, 9, 10) inches, or 15.25, 17.75 (20.25, 22.75, 25.5) cm, measured around the widest part of the foot

• The sample was knit in size 8”, and for a 7.75” circumference foot (giving ~0.25” / 0.75 cm positive ease)

• Note: The afterthought heel can have a slightly snug fit compared to the heel flap method, if you are between sizes and worried about a sock that is too tight, I recommend sizing up.

Needles:

• Size US 1 / 2.25 mm DPNs or long circular needles for magic loop

Yarn: fingering weight yarn in up to three colors:

• MC: 231, 270 (308, 347, 385) yards / 211, 246 (282, 317, 352) meters

• CC1: 56, 65 (73, 81, 89) yards / 52, 59 (66, 74, 81) meters – for cuff

• CC2: 50, 56 (62, 67, 73) yards / 46, 51 (56, 62, 67) meters – for heel and toe

Gauge: 32 sts x 40 rows = 4” x 4” stockinette stitch, worked in the round and blocked lightly

Notions: stitch marker, tapestry needle 

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Tiny Human Knits
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