Winging Worsted Weight Socks

As promised, here is my formula for winging charity socks in knitting worsted. Whatever size they turn out, they will be in human proportion and will fit someone.

This is NOT a pattern. It assumes you know the basics of sock knitting such as how to turn a heel and decrease for a toe.

The sock in the picture was knit on #5 needles using the instructions in the example sock below. The yarn is 1.4 ounces, 85 yards, of Paton's worsted weight wool. The cuff measures 5.5 inches and the foot measures eight inches from back of heel to tip of toe.

It fits me, a woman's shoe size 6. For the CIC big kids challenge, I would call it a medium.

1. Cast on an even number of stitches from 30 (toddler size) to 48 (large teen size).
   
   Example: Cast on 40.
   
   
2. Rib until the number of rows = ~1/3 the stitches.
   
   Example: 1/3 of 40 =13. I like even numbers so I ribbed for 14 rows.
   
   
3. Finish cuff so total rows = number of stitches around.
   
   Example: 40 total rows - 14 cuff rows = 26 pattern rows.
   
   If you're doing a stitch pattern, adjust the number of rows so the bottom of the cuff ends on a pattern row that looks nice. All these numbers are approximate.
   
   If you've got plenty of yarn, the cuff can be a little longer. They can always be turned down at the top if the child is short.
   
   
4. Work heel on half the stitches.
   
   Example: 1/2 of 40 = 20 stitches heel and 20 stitches instep.
   
   Once again, a stitch or two isn't going to ruin the shape of the sock. I often do a cuff stitch pattern I want centered and end up with 19 stitches on the heel and 21 stitches on the instep. A make one in the middle of the first row of the heel brings the heel stitch count back up to 20.
   
   
5. Knit heel flap back and forth with the number of slip rows = ~ 1/3 number of total stitches around. On the last slip row, don't purl back.
   
   Example: 1/3 of 40 = 13 slip rows and 12 purl backs.
   
   Slip 1, knit 1 across right side. Purl back on wrong side. Repeat these two rows 12 times, then knit the slip row a 13th time.
   
   
6. Turn heel.
   
   First Row: Slip 1, purl # of stitches = half the heel stitches, purl 2 together, purl, turn.
   
   Second Row: Slip 1, knit 3, ssk, k, turn. Continue turning heel.
   
   Example:
   First Row: Slip 1, purl 10 (half of 20 = 10), p2tog, p, turn.
   
   
7. Pick up gusset stitches. # gusset stitches on each side = #slip rows or whatever works so you don't get a hole.
   
   Example: Pick up 13 or 14 gusset stitches on each side.
   
   
8. Reduce gusset stitches every other round until back to original number of stitches around.
   
   Example: That would be 40.
   
   
9. Using the gusset pickup row as Row 1, work foot until number of rows = number of stitches around.
   
   Example: Work 40 foot rows from gusset pickup.
   
   
10. Toe decrease every other row until half the stitches are gone.
    
    Example: Toe decrease every other row until a total of 20 stitches are left.
    
    
11. Decrease every round until 10 or 12 total stitches remain.
    
    Example: Toe decrease every row until a total of 10 stitches remain.
    
    
12. Kitchener and done.