Simple Striped Shorties are basic vanilla socks that were designed to be used with self-striping Knit Picks Felici sock yarn, but they will work well with any fingering weight sock yarn. Knit Picks releases new colors of Felici seasonally, so even if the colors used in this pattern are not available, be sure to check their website for their latest selections!

These socks are knit in the round, top down, with a heel flap and gusset and modified wedge toe. This pattern is suitable for a beginner sock knitter, and it can easily be customized by knitters who already know other sock techniques and their preferred methods. The skills you will need to know are knitting and purling, working flat and in the round, picking up stitches from the sides of the heel flap, basic decreases (ssk and k2tog), and Kitchener stitch to finish the toe. If you would like to learn more about picking up stitches for a heel flap or doing a Kitchener stitch finish, I will be sharing demo videos on my TikTok (@katenash.knits) and Instagram (@katenashknits). I have included some of my favorite sock making tips in this pattern. I hope you will enjoy making them!

Special thanks to Jeanelle (my Instagram friend @southern_labratknitter) who requested this pattern and ended up testing it twice! Also check out the beautiful work by my other test knitters, Ravelry users KayleighKnit, knittergirl714, and Janetjek — you can see their socks shown on the Ravelry pattern page!

Materials

Knit Picks Felici 75% Superwash Merino Wool, 25% Nylon; 218 yd/199 m per 50g ball
27903 Sally, 2 balls (pastel sample used 42 g, approx. 183 yds)
63577 Zen, 2 balls (blue sample used 40 g, approx. 174 yds)

Both pairs of sample socks (knit in size Medium, 64 stitches, to fit US Women’s Size 6 foot) used less yardage than one full ball of Felici, but if you prefer matching socks as pictured, you will need to purchase two balls of Felici, or 100g of self-striping fingering weight yarn.

US #1 / 2.25 mm DPNs

Notions: tapestry needle; stitch markers, if desired

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS:

Circumference: 7 inches (8, 9 inches)
Length: easily adjustable

GAUGE

34 sts / 50 rows** = 4 inches/10 cm in stockinette stitch

HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR SIZE

Most experienced sock knitters have a preferred needle size and stitch count for their socks. If this is your first pair, you can do some simple measurements and swatching or you can try on your socks as you go, if using DPNs. Most knitters like to have their socks fit with about 10% of negative ease (the socks measure smaller than your actual foot measurements). You can measure your foot around the arch and the ball of your foot to see which size would be slightly smaller than your measurements, and do a small swatch to test your gauge.

For my own feet, I prefer 64 sts on US #1s for a plain “vanilla” sock. Even though I have really small feet (US size 6) they are somewhat wide. My feet measure 9” around at the arch and 8.5” around at the ball of the foot, so the 64-stitch size (finished measurement of 8” circumference) gives me the best fit, and I make the length shorter to fit my small shoe size.