B3 Basic Socks - Knitting Pattern for Women in Valley Yarns Huntington

B3 Basic Socks – Knitting Pattern for Women by Kirsten Hipsky

The B3 Basic Socks is a women's sock knitting pattern designed by Kirsten Hipsky and worked in Valley Yarns Huntington yarn. This pattern produces a classic, well-fitted pair of knitted socks available in three sizes — Small, Medium, and Large — with finished foot circumferences of 7, 8, and 9 inches and foot lengths of 9, 9.5, and 10 inches respectively. The socks are rated advanced beginner, making them an excellent stepping stone for knitters who have mastered basic techniques and are ready to tackle their first pair of socks with confidence.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a pair of women's knitted socks constructed from the cuff down to the toe in a seamless, top-down method worked entirely in the round. The finished socks feature a ribbed cuff, a plain stockinette leg, a short-row heel, a simple stockinette foot, and a classically shaped toe closed with Kitchener stitch. The result is a smooth, comfortable, everyday sock suitable for a wide range of foot sizes.

Construction and Techniques

The socks are worked seamlessly in the round using a top-down construction, beginning at the cuff and finishing at the toe. This approach allows the knitter to try on the sock as they go and adjust the foot length to suit individual measurements. Key construction techniques used in this pattern include:

• Working in the round on a set of five double-pointed needles, with stitches divided evenly across four needles — 14, 16, or 18 stitches per needle depending on size
• Short-row heel shaping using the wrap and turn (W&T) method, which creates a smooth, rounded heel cup without leaving holes
• Double-wrap pickup during the heel turn, where wrapped stitches accumulate two wraps and are then worked together with both wraps to eliminate gaps
• Kitchener stitch (also known as grafting) to close the toe seamlessly, joining the stitches from two needles together invisibly for a smooth, comfortable finish against the toes

Sock Structure – Section by Section

Cuff

The sock begins with a cast-on of 56, 64, or 72 stitches distributed across four double-pointed needles. The cuff is worked in a simple 1x1 ribbing — alternating knit 1, purl 1 — for 2 inches or the knitter's desired length. Ribbing is an essential element of sock construction because it provides elasticity, helping the sock stay up on the leg without the need for any additional support.

Leg

Following the cuff, the leg is worked in plain stockinette stitch — knitting every round — until it measures 6, 6.5, or 7 inches depending on size, or until the desired leg length is reached. Stockinette worked in the round produces a smooth, clean fabric that is both durable and comfortable against the skin.

Heel

The heel is shaped using the short-row wrap and turn method, worked back and forth across 26, 30, or 34 stitches. Each row works one fewer stitch than the last, wrapping and turning at the end to create the curved heel shape. The heel is then completed by working back across all stitches, picking up the wraps and knitting or purling them together with their wrapped stitches. By the end of the heel turn, some stitches carry double wraps, which are also worked together to maintain a tidy, gap-free fabric. This style of heel is popular among sock knitters for its neat appearance and the absence of a picked-up gusset.

Foot

Once the heel is complete, knitting resumes in the round across all stitches. The foot is worked in stockinette stitch — knitting every round — until the foot measures 7.5, 8, or 8.5 inches, or until the sock reaches the back of the ankle bone. This measurement point is a practical guide that allows the knitter to customize the length for their own foot before beginning the toe decreases.