The benefits of toe-up socks (no leftover yarn, easy fit), and the fit of a sock with a gusset and heel flap!
Pattern + video tutorial – $8 US via PayPal. 
You can add this pattern to your Ravelry queue here.
Sizes: Women average width, any shoe size
Needles: Size US 2 (2.75mm), you’ll need 32” or longer circular needles for the cast-on and toe, then after the toe, you can use double-pointed needles, 9” circulars, or magic loop – whichever needles you prefer
Yarn: 100 grams of fingering weight yarn (also called sock yarn or 4ply yarn)
Additional Materials: tapestry needle for weaving ends
Gauge: 8.5 stitches per inch
In the demonstration, I use much bigger needles and thicker yarn to make it easier to see the techniques used.
The poncho on the mannequin is my Rodeo Drive Poncho, pattern and video tutorial.
The yarn I used in my socks:
Solid color socks – Roots & Rain Yarns, Monsoon Sock, naturally dyed yarn using onion skin and indigo
Striped socks – Turtlepurl Yarns, A Stroll Down Duckworth Street
The yarn I use for demonstration is Deramores Tweedy DK, in color Cornish Sea. Please note! This is worsted weight yarn, used only for demonstration. The pattern uses sock (fingering) weight yarn.
The circular needles I used for the cast-on are Knitter’s Pride Zings from an interchangeable set.
The 9″ circulars are Knitter’s Pride Dreamz.
The DPNs are Knitter’s Pride Ginger.
No holes to close up?
Thanks
Miki – any time you change direction in your knitting, like knitting heels, you can get gaps. But that can be solved by picking up an extra stitch if you see a gap, then decreasing that stitch (or those stitches) back out on the following round. It is all explained in the pattern.
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Just bought the pattern – Judy’s Magic Cast On sold me! The only way this video could be better is if you showed two at a time 🙂 That’s the only way I will knit socks because I suffer horribly from second sock syndrome.
If you’re familiar with the method of knitting two at-a-time, there is nothing tricky about this pattern! You can certainly knit these that way.
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I totally will! I just love to see you do more advanced techniques in videos 😀 These are great, thanks for writing the pattern!
Thanks for this. I’ve been knitting for *mumblemumble* years and hate Kitchener with a passion. This will be great to add to my collection of basic socks.
Staci do you have to use long circulars for Judy’s Magic Cast On?
Can it be done with dpn’s?
Carol – It can be done on DPNs, but you’ll get much better tension (and a better looking toe) using magic loop.
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Ok thank you.
Dear Staci, I would love to make these for my brother-in-law. Do you think the pattern works also for mens feet, since tbere is so much more space for the instep?
Thank you
Kathrin
Kathrin – this pattern is sized for women, but it is likely that I will release a free update that includes men’s sizes, I often do that with my patterns.
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Thank you for your quick reply!
Stacie,
Could I knit the sock pattern using a heavier yarn and larger needles such as your demo so as to make my first pair of socks?
I’m ok with sock yarn as well just trying to decide what to do for first pair of socks.
Thank you,
Cheryl
Cheryl – changing the weight of yarn will totally change the fit of the sock, I don’t recommend it, it won’t work. But I have several sock patterns that use thicker yarn, and are a better choice for your first pair of socks. This is the pattern I recommend for newer knitters wanting to learn toe-up socks, it uses DK weight yarn: https://verypink.com/2015/03/11/toe-up-socks-using-german-short-rows/
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I bought my pattern today and have my socks started on magic loop and TAAT. Can’t wait to get to the gussets and heel. I love the look of that heel. I will have to go down a needle size for me, but these will fit my husband. He will be pleased. Thank you for working this pattern out using the toe up method.
Hi Staci,
I love this pattern and plan to use it with my next pair of socks. Is this pattern suitable for the color change for toes and heels such as when you use Turtle Purl self-striping sock yarn with the extra hank for the toe and heel? Thank you.
Hi Stephanie – the pattern works well with a different toe and ribbed cuff color, but the shape isn’t great for a different heel color. (My other toe-up patterns work better for toe and heel.) You can see in my Turtlepurl striped socks that I only changed color for the toe and ribbed cuff, and left the gusset and heel striped. I like how they turned out.
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Could I do these with a German short row toe and then the heel flap ? I really like the rounded look of the German short row toes, but have very high insteps so the heel flap and gusset will work better for me I think.
If you are comfortable substituting a different toe, you can use whatever you like.
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