Great things often begin with mistakes! I made these socks as a test of the yarn, and I made a mistake with the gusset shaping on the first one, ending up with too few stitches, but I persevered. They ended up fitting really well! These socks are more fitted than other sock patterns, with a narrow band through the arch of the foot. This prevents slipping and feels more secure on the foot especially in a boot.
This pair was made with Premier Serenity Sock Weight yarn: 1.76 oz/50g, 230 yds/210m; 50% Merino wool, 25% rayon (made from bamboo), and 25% nylon. I love the soft feel of this yarn, which knits up less bulky than a 100% wool yarn, is not itchy, and is machine washable and dyeable!
Because is it not available in a many solid colors, I recently ordered some multicolor yarn and dyed the skeins black, which worked really well.
Caution: This pattern used almost every inch of yarn in one 50g ball. To make sure you have enough, knit to 1” on the leg (instead of 1.5”), buy another skein, or cross your fingers like I did.
Any yarn with a similar weight and gauge should work.