These socks are knit with either DK or Sport weight yarn (also called 8-ply). This weight of yarn allows you to learn the techniques quickly and complete the socks, and you get a nice weight of socks when you’re finished. Once you follow this tutorial and learn how to apply the German Short Row technique to socks, you can easily take that skill and apply them to other sock patterns you’d like to knit, in any weight of yarn.
This pattern includes bonus content – both in the written pattern, and a bonus video. The bonus content explains how to modify this pattern for both magic loop knitting, and two at-a-time magic loop knitting. The link to the bonus video is in the pattern.
Sizes: Women, Men, and Children; normal foot widths, any shoe size
Needles: Size US 3 (3.25mm) double-pointed needles (bonus video includes information on magic loop and two at-a-time magic loop knitting)
Yarn: 100 grams DK or Sport weight yarn (also called 8-ply yarn)
Additional Materials: Size G or H crochet hook, a few feet of worsted-weight scrap yarn in a contrasting color, tapestry needle for weaving ends
Gauge: 6.5 stitches per inch in stockinette
The yarn I used in my socks:
– Pink socks: Lion Brand LB Collection Superwash Merino, DK weight, 306 yards. This yarn gave me an 11 inch cuff in the women’s size sock (measuring from the last row of the heel to the bind-off at the cuff)
– Multi-colored gray/pink socks: Knit Picks Hawthorne Sport Multi in color Arbor Lodge, sport weight, 258 yards. This yarn gave me an 8 inch cuff in the women’s sized sock (measuring from the last row of the heel to the bind-off at the cuff)
Pattern, links to four-part video tutorial and bonus video – $8 US via PayPal. 
Information on things you’ll see in this video:
The yarn I used in my pink socks is Lion Brand LB Collection Superwash Merino, in color Peony.
The yarn I used in my multi-color socks is Knit Picks Hawthorne Sport Multi in color Arbor Lodge.
The yarn I used for demonstration is Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Bulky.
The needles I used for demonstration are Knitter’s Pride Bamboo.
The little bamboo pins I use can be found here.
The nail polish I’m wearing is by Julep, and isn’t actually a color, but I like the way it looks. It’s a nail treatment, called Oxygen Nail Treatment. It seems to help my nails grow, and prevents chipping and peeling.
Hi Staci,
This is a great tutorial. I appreciate your clear style and your helpful information. I am new to sock knitting and am eager to start out on the right track. Do you have a conversion for your pattern to sock weight yarn?
Thank you!
Lillian
Lillian, from my FAQ:
Q: Staci, I’d like to modify your sock pattern to knit in sock (fingering) weight yarn. Can you help me?
A: My sock patterns and tutorials are designed to teach the skills and techniques you need to knit that item using the techniques specified. Once you’ve finished a tutorial, you have what you need to know to move on to all kinds of similar patterns, available in all yarn weights. Just do an advanced search on Ravelry for the specifics – toe-up, two at-a-time, cuff-down, etc. I’m sorry – changing the gauge in a pattern requires an entirely new pattern. Sock patterns can’t be easily modified.
S t a c i
Hi Staci,
I just bought your toe-up socks pattern using the German Short Rows and I was wondering if you are going to make a pattern using fingering weight yarn. I really love this new technique but I don’t know how to convert the patterns that I already have. You are the best. Thank you for your help.
Stephanie
Stephanie – thank you for the note. I don’t currently have plans to offer this exact pattern in any other gauge…here is a question from my FAQ that explains more:
Q: Staci, I’d like to modify your sock pattern to knit in sock (fingering) weight yarn. Can you help me?
A: My sock patterns and tutorials are designed to teach the skills and techniques you need to knit that item using the techniques specified. Once you’ve finished a tutorial, you have what you need to know to move on to all kinds of similar patterns, available in all yarn weights. Just do an advanced search on Ravelry for the specifics – toe-up, two at-a-time, cuff-down, etc. I’m sorry – changing the gauge in a pattern requires an entirely new pattern. Sock patterns can’t be easily modified.
Hi Staci, I bought this pattern, and I have a question. In your video tutorial, after knitting the sock shaping, when you begin to knit in the round for the foot section, you slip the first stitch of the roubd…am I supposed to slip the forst stitch of every round of the foot? It doesnt mention this in the pattern but you started doing it in the tutorial so im a little confused. Thank you!
Kelsi – no – I only slip the first stitch to make the transition from flat knitting to knitting in-the-round smoother, it’s something I always do, but it isn’t even really necessary to slip that stitch.
S t a c i
Hi Staci
I am a tight knitter and have found that to get the right gauge on this needle size i need to use worsted weight, is this going to make a difference?
Francine – if you’re happy with the results you’re getting, then you’re fine. But it’s likely you’re going to get a kind of stiff pair of socks. I recommend changing to a larger needle size to get gauge, not changing the yarn weight.
S t a c i
I love the German short row, this is my first pair of socks ever I couldn’t believe I did it! I have only been knitting for six months and learned most of it from you! I could sure use those knitting needles you are giving away!
Staci, I couldn’t find any dk/sport weight at my JoAnns so I got some thin looking worsted. And while looking, I noticed that some sock yarn listed as size 1 or 2, looked amazingly similar in size to be worsted I was holding. Why is this?
Thanks,
Amanda
Yarn companies don’t always stick to the standards of wraps-per-inch when labeling yarn, and some yarn knits up differently than it looks in the skein.
S t a c i
I can’t open the bonus video.
Hi again!
I’m knitting the cuff on my first sock ever! Thank you so much for the wonderful patterns and tutorials, and answering all these questions!! ?
My latest question is: Is it normal that half the GSR stitches be looser than the other half? For instances, when I pulled up my GSRs on the purl side, they ended up tighter than those on the knit side.
Thanks again!!
Amanda
I made my first pair of socks! I need to make many more to make my GSR stitches more even, but I plan to!
Thanks for such a great pattern and tutorial!
Amanda