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Socks are my guilty pleasure knit. They are the one thing I will knit for myself when I want to treat myself. I love having pretty socks, even if I’m the only one that sees them.
I will often choose yarn that is super soft or beautifully dyed to splurge on myself. But! For these socks, the softness was an inexpensive splurge. For Wheat Socks I went with Knitpicks Stroll. It’s an easy care yarn, comes in loads of colors, and is so very soft. I have a few pairs of socks in it and they have all worn very well. After years of use they still have no holes, so I expect these socks to last just as well.
Like the Wheat Cardigan, the lace panel is inspired by the wheat fields that surround us in our new home in Montana. It’s truly so beautiful and I wanted to bring that beauty into my knitting. But instead of covering the socks with all over lace I chose to do a single repeat as a panel down the front side. The simplicity is exactly what I was looking.
Because my kids love to match me, I made sure to do the math for all the sizes from baby through to large adult. And she loves them as much as I love mine!
If you love Wheat Socks, check out Baby Wheat Cardigan, Youth Wheat Cardigan, Wheat Cowl, and Adult Wheat Cardigan.
To purchase the yarn for these socks click here.
Materials and Info
Materials:
Yarn: 120 (180, 240), 300, 320, (380, 480) yards fingering / sock weight yarn
Needles: US #1 / 2.5mm DPNs (or circular for magic loop)
Notions: stitch markers, needle
Gauge: 8sts x 11rows per inch
Sizing:
baby (toddler, child,) lg child, adult S, (M, L)
Finished measurements (unstretched):
Cuff (around): 5 (5.5, 6.5) 7, 7.5, (8, 9)”
Leg Length (adjustable): 2.5 (3.5, 4) 4.5, 5, (6, 7)”
Foot Length (adjustable): 4 (6, 7.25), 8, 9, (10, 11.25)”
Method:
Wheat socks are a top-down, heel flap sock with the same lace motif as Wheat Cardigan. These socks make a beautiful mommy and me set since they come in baby through adult sizes.
WHEAT LACE PATTERN
Row 1 – knit across
Row 2 – k4, k2tog, k3, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k1
Row 3 – knit across
Row 4 – k3, k2tog, k4, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k1
Row 5 – knit across
Row 6 – k2, k2tog, k5, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k1
Row 7 – knit across
Row 8 – k1, k2tog, k6, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k1
Row 9 – knit across
Row 10 – k1, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, k3, ssk, k4
Row 11 – knit across
Row 12 – k1, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, k4, ssk, k3
Row 13 – knit across
Row 14 – k1, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, k5, ssk, k2
Row 15 – knit across
Row 16 – k1, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, k6, ssk, k1
Wheat Socks Pattern
Cuff
Cast on 40 (44, 52) 56, 60, (64, 72) sts, join for working in the round.
Place beginning of round marker.
Work in 1×1 rib (k1, p1) for 8 (8, 10) 10, 12, (12, 14) rounds.
Set-up round
(right foot) –knit 0 (0, 0) 0, 1 (1, 1), pm, k13, pm, knit to end of round.
(left foot) – knit 7 (9, 13) 15, 16 (18, 22), pm, k13, pm, knit to end of round.
Row 1 -knit to marker, sm, work lace chart, sm, knit to end of round.
Work in pattern until piece measures 2.5 (3.5, 4) 4.5, 5, (6, 7)” from cast on.
Heel Flap
Next round: work 20 (22, 26), 28, 30, (32, 36) in pattern, then place these sts on hold. You will work the heel flap on the next k20 (22, 26), 28, 30, (32, 36), sts.
Row 1 (RS): sl1, knit to end, turn work
Row 2 (WS): sl1, purl to end, turn work
Repeat rows 1-2 a total of 8 (10, 12), 13, 14, (16, 18) times.
This is a total of 16 (20, 24), 26, 28, (32, 36) rows.
Heel Turn
Row 1 (RS): sl1, k12 (12, 14), 15, 16, (18, 20), ssk, k1, turn work
Row 2 (WS): sl1, p7 (5, 5) 5, 5, (7, 7), p2tog, p1, turn work
Row 3: sl1, knit to 1 st before the gap, ssk, k1, turn work
Row 4: sl1, purl to 1 st before the gap, p2tog, p1, turn work
Repeat rows 3-4 until all stitches have been worked: 14 (14, 16), 16, 18, (20, 22) sts remain.
Knit across these heel stitches slipping the first st.
Gusset
Pick up and knit 9 (11, 13), 14, 15, (17, 19) sts along the edge of heel flap, PM, continue working in pattern 20 (22, 26), 28, 30, (32, 36), PM, pick up and knit 9 (11, 13), 14, 15, (17, 19) sts along heel flap, k7 (7, 8) 8, 9, (10, 11) sts, mark the new BOR (located at the bottom of the foot). [52 (58, 68) 72, 78, (86, 96) sts]
Round 1: work around, keeping lace in pattern
Round 2: knit to 3 sts before marker, k2tog, k1, sm, work 20 (22, 26), 28, 30, (32, 36) keeping lace in pattern, sm, k1, ssk, knit to end [2 sts dec]
Work rounds 1-2 a total of 6 (7, 8) 8, 9, (11, 12) times. [40 (44, 52) 56, 60, (64, 72) sts]
Foot
Shift beginning of round (BOR) remove marker as follows: remove marker, k10 (11, 13) 14, 15, (16, 18), place marker – this is the new BOR, located at the side of the foot.
Keep the lace markers in place.
Continue working in the round, keeping the lace in pattern, until the piece measures 3 (5, 6) 6.5, 7, (8, 9)” from back of heel, or 1 (1, 1.5) 1.75, 2, (2, 2.25)” short of desired foot length.
Toe
The lace pattern ends here so you can remove your lace stitch markers as you will switch to stockinette stitch.
Round 1: k1, ssk, knit to 3 sts before marker, k2tog, k2, ssk, knit to 3 sts before end of round, k2tog, k1 [4 sts dec]
Round 2: knit
Work rounds 1-2 a total of 5 (6, 7) 8, 9, (9, 10) times. until 16 (16, 20) 20, 20, (24, 24) sts remain.
Cut yarn leaving a 12” tail, then graft toe using Kitchener stitch.
Weave in all ends
Abbreviations
Kitchener stitch:
Place half the stitches on one needle, half the stitches on the other needle, (top and bottom NOT side to side)
Cut yarn (leaving a long yarn tail) and thread through a blunt needle.
Set-up steps: Insert needle purlwise (back to front) through the first st on front needle, leaving the st on the needle. Then insert needle knitwise (front to back) through the first st on the back needle, leaving the st on the needle.
Step 1: Insert needle knitwise through first st on front needle, then slip this st off the needle.
Step 2: Insert needle purlwise through the second st on front needle, leaving the st on the needle.
Step 3: Insert needle purlwise through first st on back needle, then drop this stitch off the needle.
Step 4: Insert needle knitwise through second st on back needle, leaving the st on the needle.
From this point to the end, repeat steps 1-4.
Kitchener stitch can be intimidating, but you get into a rhythm:
Front needle: knitwise drop off, purlwise leave on,
Back needle: purlwise drop off, knitwise leave on,
Repeat!
At the end of the row, there is only 1 stitch left on each needle.
Work steps 1 and 3 once more.
Abbreviations
k – knit
P – purl
sm – slip maker
pm – place marker
st – stich
sts – stitches
k2tog -knit 2 stitches together
ssk – slip next st knitwise, slip next st knitwise, place stitches back onto left needle, knit both slipped sts together
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