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?