I love handknit socks, and I love large, stompy boots. After my beloved Docs killed yet another pair of socks, I decided it was time to take matters into my own hands.

These socks are designed to take a beating. Knit from the toe up, they have a full gusset, a short-row heel, and a raised heel flap to help ensure that the sturdiest parts of the sock--not the soft, tender bits of your ankles--absorb the friction from the boots.

One size will fit most. The foot is about 8” around when relaxed, but stretches easily to 13”. The length of the foot is knit to fit, so if you have very small or very long feet, you should be fine. 400 yards of yarn is sufficient to create socks in women’s medium (shoe size 7-9) that measure about 9” from heel to cuff. If your feet are markedly larger, or if you want more than 9”, you’ll need more than 400 yards of yarn.

A note about the yarn. I love Dream in Color’s Everlasting Sock, and remain in denial about its discontinuation. If you’re not hoarding a stash of it like--ahem--some people are, any fingering weight yarn will work. If you, like me, are trying to make really sturdy socks, I’d suggest finding a four-ply fingering weight yarn, maybe with some nylon content.

Skills needed: This pattern is appropriate for an intermediate knitter, or a beginner who likes a bit of a challenge. In addition to knitting and purling, you’ll need to ssk, k2tog, knit through the back loop, increase (I love directional increases, but kfb will work fine!), and wrap and turn.

Does the seed stitch cuff really keep the sock up? No. The cuff is just there for aesthetic purposes. The leg is ribbed, and in my experience, that’s been sufficient to keep the sock (and the cuff) up.

I’m following the directions, and I’m not getting an eye of partridge heel! It’s ok! You’re not supposed to! If you love eye of partridge, you can easily put one in, but as written, the heel is a simple slip-stitch heel.

This pattern has been tech edited and test knitted, and should be free from errors, but please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if something is unclear or you’ve found a mistake!