I posted my Quick sock formula on the web ages ago and I still use the same principle to make a sock pattern if I have non-standard sock yarn.
However, for most socks in standard 4ply sock yarn I have standard pattern scribbled on to a tiny note in my knitting bag that recently disintegrated. To not loose that precious pattern and also share it with the world, I decided to post it here.
Yarn: any standard 4-ply superwash sock yarn, I quite like Regia 4-ply
Gauge: should be 30sts x 42r for 10x10cm / 4x4inch
Needles: either 2.0mm (if you knit loosely like me) or 2.5mm DPNs
Size: 5.5UK / 38-39 EUR (works for 36-41 I would say, you just need to make the foot bit longer)
Cast on 60sts. (I work with 4 needles, so 20sts on each needle)
K1 p1 for 20 rows.
Knit until piece measures 17cm from beginning (or longer if you want longer socks).
Now it is time for the heel.
Redistribute the stitches so that you have: 15/30/15sts on the needle.
The first needle (with 15sts) is needle 1, the needle with 30sts is needle 2 and the last needle (with 15sts again) is needle 3. See chart.
Knit all stitches on needle 1.
The heel will be worked over the stitches on needle 2. To shape the heel we will use short rows, if you are not familiar with working short rows you can watch this video:
http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/advanced-techniques
watch: short row with wrap. They explain it better than I can.
To make the heel knit the stitches on needle 2 until there is only one stitch left on the needle. Turn the knitting and wrap the last stitch as learnt from the video or the way you have always done it. Up to you.
Now purl the stitches on the needle until you reach the last one. Turn and wrap this stitch.
Now knit back, but this time stop 2 stitches before the end and wrap the one before the last one (the last one has already been wrapped, so you can just ignore it for now).
Purl your way back and wrap the stitch before the last one on the other side.
Now knit all but the last 3 stitches, wrap the unwrapped one of the three.
And so on, until you have 8 stitches wrapped on either side (with 14 unwrapped stitches inbetween), ending with a purl row.
Now knit until you reach the first wrapped stitch (not the first one you wrapped but the first one of the wrapped stitches on the left side that you reach knitting). Hide the wrap by knitting it together with the stitch as shown in the video. Now turn the knitting and slip the stitch without purling it (the stitch that you just created by knitting together wrap and stitch). Now purl until you reach a wrapped stitch on the other side. Hide the wrap as explained in the video (by purling it together with the stitch), turn work and slip the stitch. Now knit until you reach a wrapped stitch and so on.
When all wraps have been hidden you should be at the beginning of needle 2. Now knit all the stitches on needle 2 and 3 and then continue knitting round, knitting all stitches on all needles.
Knit until the foot measures 17.5cm, measured from the heel (see very small photo). This length is for 5.5UK, adjust for smaller or larger sizes by knitting less or more.
Now start the decreases.
A decrease row works as follows:
Needle 1: knit until there are only 3 stitches left. K2tog, k1.
Needle 2: K1, SSK, knit until 3 left, k2tog, k1.
Needle 3: k1, SSK, knit to end of needle.
See chart for a visualisation.
Now that you know how to do a decrease row, here is how the decreases will go:
1 decrease row
3 rows without decreases
1 decrease row
2 rows without decreases
1 decrease row
1 row without decreases
1 decrease row
1 row without decreases
1 decrease row
1 row without decreases
5 decrease rows
There should be 5 stitches left each on needles 1 and 3 and 10 on needle 2.
Knit needle 1.
Now combine the stitches from needle 3 and 1 on to one needle. Now you should have only two needles, with 10 stitches each.
To finish the sock, join the two sides using kitchener stitch, a great tutorial can be found here.
Be good and weave in your ends immediately.
That's it. Socks done! :-)
