Vintage knitting patterns: 1947 sport socks

On Monday I shared my new socks to secretly tuck inside my ankle boots.

And I promised I'd share a free vintage sock pattern with you. Actually, I'm sharing two! A plain and a cabled pair.

Both patterns are from the same knitting booklet from 1947. The plain socks are knit to 8.5 stitches per inch, casting on 52 stitches for the ribbed cuff, with the rest of the sock knit on 60 stitches. The cabled socks don't specify gauge (only row gauge, which is rather silly for socks since you're mostly knitting to desired length for the cuff and foot anyway), but the cuff is knit on 62 stitches and the rest of the foot on 72 stitches. Keep in mind cables and ribbing pull your knitting in, hence more stitches for these socks.

Both are knit using vintage size 12 sock needles (AKA double-pointed needles). That size corresponds to our modern size 1, which is 2.25mm. That's the size I usually knit socks on unless I'm using heavier yarn. If you'd like to knit socks as short as mine, simply knit a shorter ribbed cuff and then launch straight into the instructions for the heel. If you have wider feet or ankles, you can always cast on an even number of extra stitches, or go up a needle size.

Download 1947 sport socks patterns (pdf) 

I love the name of some vintage yarns. These socks were knit using Fleisher's Wonderized De Luxe Sock and Sport Yarn.

I wish more things were "wonderized" these days, don't you?

Why it's warm inside my boots

I love living in a four-season climate, but I don't love being cold. This winter I've been working on making myself warm in ways that don't make me look like a marshmallow. Don't get me wrong, I know there will still be some days I can't avoid looking like this. But I'm determined to look like the Michelin man as few days as possible this winter. As it gets colder I hope to do a post on how I'm layering to keep warm.

One trick I've learned to help keep the cold away from stocking- or tights-clad legs is socks hidden inside boots.

And now, my boots (this pair are Miss L Fire Havanas) hold a warm little secret tucked inside.

Because I knit wool ankle socks. Store bought cotton socks don't cut it when it's cold. Wool wicks moisture and retains heat at the same time.

Since no one can see them, why shouldn't they be pink and black stripes with silver sparkles?

Of course the answer is naturally, they should be.

(the silver sparkles kind of read as white bits in the photos, sorry)

Knitting socks is very satisfying. They're a great project to take on the go (even small enough to stuff in some vintage purses), they work up relatively quick even on tiny needles, and are good projects for confident beginners. There are tons of free basic sock patterns out there for every weight of yarn, and you'll even find sock patterns in many vintage knitting booklets.

The yarn I used was self-striping, so no extra ends to weave in to make all those stripes! Look online and you'll find tons of dyers creating self-striping yarn. For the ribbing, heels and toes I just used plain black, in a nylon/merino/cashmere blend because a) it adds a bit more warmth but mostly because b) that's what I had in my stash.



Remember if you plan to wear socks inside your boots, look for boots a half or full size larger than you'd normally wear so your feet aren't cramped. Maybe even bigger if you want extra thick socks.

Don't knit? Buy washable wool socks. It's hard to find ones that don't have a longer cuff, but they do exist, like these by SmartWool. Or simply fold the cuff down. If they tend to sneak back up, use tiny safety pins. If you can't quite hide them in your boots and are wearing dark opaque tights, try putting them on underneath, it may not be noticeable that way.

Don't suffer cold toes for the sake of vintage fashion! Frostbite isn't attractive in any era.

Stay tuned later this week for a free vintage sock pattern so you can quickly knit up your own!