Pattern: Crochet Heart & Sole Socks (AKA Step-by-Step Socks) by Amy O’Neill Houck

Ravelry Listing: Step-by Step Socks by Amy O’Neill Houck

Yarn: Patons Kroy Socks in Aqua Jacquard (Deborah Norville Serenity Sock Weight in Soft White was used for the toe and heel)

Skill Level: Intermediate

Size: The pattern is written for a 9″ foot length but you are advised to try the sock on as you go (if possible) to adjust.

Special Pattern Features

Toe-up method
Afterthought heel
Stitch for foot: linked double crochet on the bottom, V-stitch on the top
Stitch for leg: V-stitch

This sock is worked from the toe up in continuous rounds. The toe, foot, and ankle are worked in one piece and an opening is created for the heel. The afterthought heel is created by working 50 stitches into the heel opening and then decreasing with sc2tog at each corner for 15 rounds.

For the month of July, Patricia (my year of the sock partner in crime) and I chose Crochet Heart & Sole Socks by Amy O’Neill Houck to complete for the month of July along with the crowd over on our Facebook group.

This is one popular pattern. It even goes by two different names depending on the source. It has been featured by Crochet Today!, Crochet Now! (twice), Red Heart Yarns, and the Knit and Crochet Today! TV show. After completing these socks, I can see why. They are pretty fast and easy to do. The instructions are clear and straightforward and contain a lot of interesting features.

One thing I am learning as we go through this year of the sock is that the stitch patterns that a designer selects for the top and bottom of the foot can mean the difference between a mediocre pattern and a great pattern. There are a few things to consider it seems. 1) The stitches on the bottom of the foot need to be flat so that they are comfortable to walk on. 2) The stitches on the top can be anything, so long as they are the same height as those on the bottom (for socks worked in the round). 3) The shorter the stitches used, the less ease is created to the fabric. In other words, short stitches create a tighter, less stretchy sock. What you really want is for the sock to hug the foot with just enough ease so that movement isn’t restricted. So far the stitch patterns that seem to work best for the bottom of the foot are the modified half-double crochet (used in March’s sock), extended single crochet (used in April’s sock), and linked double crochet, which was used in this month’s pattern.

Let’s take a closer look at some of these details.

The bottom of the foot is done with a linked double crochet stitch. I had never done this one before, so it was quite a treat to try it out for the first time with this sock. This variation of the double crochet stitch creates a denser, tighter fabric, but without the bulk of a single crochet stitch. If this stitch is new to you as well, check out this great tutorial video I found from New Stitch a Day.

The top of the foot is created with a V-stitch. This is easy as pie. Alternate a round of “dc, ch 1” with a round of “2 dc into ea chain space” and you’ve got V-stitches. Because we’re working in double crochet stitches (the linked double crochet for the foot is the same height as a double crochet stitch) the foot works up really fast!

The leg is also worked in a V-stitch. I was able to crochet both legs in an afternoon!

Once you reach the desired length for the leg, it is time to add the cuff. The ribbed cuff is worked out from the leg of the sock by single crocheting rows (in the back loops only) and attaching each row to the sock with slip stitches into the last round of the leg.

If you’d like to join in the sock-crocheting fun, come on over to the Year of the Sock Facebook group. We haven’t chosen a pattern for August yet, so if you have a crochet sock pattern that you think the group will enjoy, tell us about it! We’re an adventurous crowd, as far as sock crocheters go, so we’ll be ever so excited to hear from you.

Check out previous months in this incredible year of the sock:

January

February

March

April

May

June