Earl Grey

Joe is very, very picky about his socks. He likes them tall, but not too tall. Short, but not too short. He likes them in “manly colours” and to be “not wild”. He loves cables. These socks out of plain sock yarn with cables (and no yarn overs, those are “girly”) are perfect. Plain enough that he likes them, but with a little cable down the side to keep the knitter awake. I’m happy enough with them that I’m passing the pattern (such as it is) along.

Earlgreypairf2908

It’s only here in one size, but if you were even a tiny bit clever you could easily see that by taking out some of the plain stitches in between the cable panels you could make it smaller.

Earlgreyflp2908

My apologies for the cable pattern only appearing as text rather than a chart and text. I had (and lost) a colossal argument with excel this morning and the car wreck of a a thing disappeared entirely. Also, this thing hasn’t been test knit yet, so if you spot a boo boo…do tell. (NOTE: There have been a few mistakes caught. Apparently I wrote this pattern out like I was on smack. If you printed it out when you first saw it and you’re having trouble, print again. I think it’s correct now. A thousand thanks to the instinctive tech editors out there. )

Cablesearlgrey2908

Earl Grey Socks.



Men’s size large.

I used two balls of KnitPicks
Essential sock yarn (this colour is “ash”) and only had a little left. If you think you’re going to knit these bigger than Joe’s feet (mens 12) then you might want a third one.

I used 2.25mm needles.

Gauge: 36 stitches to 10cm

Cast on 70 stitches.

Begin: k1, p1,k2,p2,k2,p1, (k1, p1) 13 times. k1, p1,k2,p2,k2,p1, (k1, p1) 13 times.

Repeat that row for 12 rounds, or longer, if you are more fond of rib than I.

With the next row, you’re going to start the cable pattern. Every stitch is knit except for the 8 stitch panel on either side of the sock.

To place the pattern : k1, Work the pattern, knit 14, M1, knit 13, work the pattern, knit 13, M1, knit 13. (72 stitches total)

Next round: Knit 1, work pattern, knit 27, work pattern, knit 26.

Repeat this last round, working each consecutive row of the pattern until you have repeated the pattern three times. (Or for however long you want, keeping in mind that if you stop somewhere other than at the end of a repeat, it should be at a point in the pattern where there is no centre cable.)

Cable pattern:



TR= knit the second stitch on the left needle, then the first one, then slide them off together.

CL=purl the second stitch on the left needle, then knit the first one, then slide them off together. (I know this is a little fiddly. You’ll get it, and you only have to do it a couple of times for each sock.)

CR= knit the second stitch, purl the first and slide them off together.

Row 1: p1, k2,p2,k2,p1

Row 2: p1, TR, p2, TR, p1.

Rows 3,4,5: p1, k2,p2,k2,p1

Row 6: p1, TR, p2, TR, p1.

Rows,7,8,9: p1, k2,p2,k2,p1

Row 10; p1, TR, p2, TR, p1.

Row 11: p1, k2,p2,k2,p1

Row 12: p1, k1, CL, CR, k1,p1

Row 13: p1,k1,p1,k2.p1.k1,p1

Row 14: p1.k1,p1.TR,p1,k1,p1

Row 15,16,17: p1,k1,p1,k2.p1.k1,p1

Row 18: p1.k1.p1,TR,p1,k1,p1

Row 19,20,21: p1,k1,p1,k2.p1.k1,p1

Row 22: p1.k1.p1,TR,p1,k1,p1

Row 23: p1,k1,p1,k2.p1.k1,p1

Row 24:p1,k1,CR,CL,k1,p1

Chart: I created this chart here, using Sweater project David’s very useful gizmo “visiknit”. It’s not a perfect chart, since the CR and CL don’t show up with the purl stitches, but between the written text and this chart, you should be in pretty good shape.

Chart



Heel: Take a moment and rearrange your stitches.

At the beginning of a round, k1, p1,k2,p1 (you will be in the centre of those 8 pattern stitches) and add them to the end of your round. (The needle you just finished.)

The next 36 stitches (they stretch from the centre of one cable panel to the centre of the other) are your heel stitches. They go on one needle. The others are instep stitches and they are going to wait for you.

Working back and forth on your 36 heel stitches:

Row 1 (right side) *Slip 1, k1 repeat from * all the way across.

Row 2 (wrong side) Slip 1, then purl all the rest of the way across.

Repeat those two rows 17 times more (a total of 36 rows) or until the heel flap is a square. Turn the heel:

Row 1: sl1, k20, SSK, k1, turn. [SSK= slip 2 sts knitwise, knit both together]

Row 2: Sl1, p8, p2tog, p1, turn.

Row 3: Sl1, k10, SSK, k1, turn.

Row 4: Sl1, p12, p2tog, p1, turn.

Continue in this fashion, slipping the first stitch, working to one stitch before the gap, working 2 sts together over the gap, then k1 [or p1] and turn, until you finish all the heel sts.

End having worked a knit row. Working up the side of the heel flap, pick up and knit stitches from the long “chain” of slipped stitches. There should be 18 or so. Use your good sense and pick up a few more or less as suits you. (If you are getting holes, knit them through the back loop.)

Put your instep stitches onto one needle and knit them as follows:

P1, k2,p1, knit to the last four stitches, p1, k2,p1.

NOTE: At this point, you can keep the instep stitches as they are, knitting and purling as they appear, if however, you would like to keep some of the pattern going down the foot:

Work 12 rounds knitting knits and purling purls : p1, k2,p1, knit to the last 4, p1,k2,p1

Then work a twist round
every 4th round three times : p1, TR, p1, knit to the last 4, p1, TR, p1.

Then 12 rounds as set…then then twist round every 4th round three times….carrying on until the foot is the right length.

Pick up and knit stitches down the left side of the flap (it would be good if you picked up the same number you did on the right, but I’m not judging) and then knit HALF of the heel stitches onto the end of that needle. This is the new beginning of the round.

Your stitches should be divided like this:

Needle 1: half the heel stitches, new gusset stitches

Needle 2: instep stitches (36)

Needle 3: new gusset stitches, half the heel.

Resume working in the round, keeping the instep in its pattern and decreasing for the gussets as follows:

1st round:

1st needle:: K to 3 sts before the end of needle, k2tog, k1.

2nd needle: pattern

3rd needle:: K1, SSK, k to end.

2nd round:

1st needle:: knit

2nd needle: pattern

3rd needle:: knit

Continue repeating these two rounds until you have 72 stitches again. (18, 36, 18)

Then repeat the second round until the sock fits to the base of the big toe, or is 5cm shorter than the total length of the foot.

Toe:

1st round:

1st needle: K to last 3, k2tog, k1.

2nd needle: K1, ssk, k to last 3, k2tog, k1

3rd needle, K1, ssk, knit to end

2nd round: knit plain.

Repeat these 2 rounds until 18 sts remain, ending with a “round 1”

Graft together the two sets of 9. Make a second sock to match. Or not. Go nuts.

202 thoughts on “Earl Grey

  1. Those are indeed manly. I have yet to convince my husband to wear plain, boring as toast, handknit socks so it’ll be a while before I can talk him into cables. I’ll tuck the pattern away till we get there though. Thanks!

  2. Awesome, thank you! I’m facing the daunting task of knitting my husband his first handknit pair of black, manly socks, and this will definitely help 🙂

  3. Steph, you are awesome! Thanks so much for sharing your brilliance with us. I think most of us probably have Knitting Rules!, and can work the cable pattern into the recipe in there to get different sizes. I’ve been looking for a good pattern for my dad (who has similar requirements to Joe’s) and I think this just may be it. Thanks again! 🙂

  4. Earl Grey — tea for tootsies.
    (Renee the S., if your husband wants to suggest he’s more manly than Joe, I’d be glad to hold his coat.)

  5. I made my partner’s Father a pair of socks from this exact same yarn. Love the cable, very elegant. Thanks for sharing.

  6. Good timing. I was trying to come up with something to knit my brother for Christmas and he’s also boring… er, I mean “conservative” to knit for.

  7. Thank you, for the pattern. I will try them. My DH is the same way, Manly color, manly style…
    Good job!

  8. I love this blog–not only is Stephanie a genius but the comments are great fun also.
    Rams–you are a joy and a delight!

  9. I am so glad I am not the only one with a picky husband. I have found myself in the process of knitting socks for him when he turned up his nose at this or that, and said he wouldn’t wear them.
    I send those socks to old boyfriends.

  10. Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, Stephanie for sharing this pattern. My DH has size 11 EEE feet and I gave up trying to knit him a pair of angora socks, I just couldn’t get it right, his feet are like oars. Also, the name Earl Grey reminds me of a friend I lost who liked Earl Grey tea and his widow gave me their stash after he passed. I think I’ll make myself some Earl Grey socks, too!

  11. Those are terrific! I think my husband would wear those. He’s only a size 10, but knitting completely plain stockinette socks for him would drive me batty. I’m already contemplating knitting a cable rib cardigan for which I just learned to cable w/out cable needle, “semi matching” socks might be something I could actually get done before Christmas.

  12. Great socks. Great pattern (I haven’t mastered reading a chart yet). But mine will likely be bright blue, or purple.

  13. They are, indeed, beautiful. This may be my favorite cable sock. I’m kind of a plain sock kind of girl. Fancy yarn is okay but I’m not into the wild yo patterns either. (I’m with Joe.) So I want these for myself. My husband only wears boring tube socks. Thanks again, Stephanie, for coming through with another show stopper. BTW, they will look great with his unfinished sweater. Tell him not to wear them out. (ouch.)

  14. I’m the grinch who suggested a few days ago that you just buy him some socks. I take it back! These are lovely, and worth the trouble.

  15. Those are beautiful! Enjoy, Joe! I wish I’d made my last pair like that–they were dark charcoal plain as plain could be in men’s shoe size 13, and I haven’t knit socks again since.
    A little variety in the knit is a very good thing.

  16. So who’s the brave soul who’s going to chart this so us lefties can knit these without our brains exploding? 😉

  17. Thanks so much for the pattern!!!
    I was admiring them the other day and thought I’d knit them for my Dude who has similiar sock requirements to Joe. I was thinking if I studied them long enough, I could fudge a pattern that looked close. Thanks for speeding up the process. Now all I have to do is find time to knit some man sized socks.

  18. So what size are Joe’s feet then? Does he wear size 11 or 12 shoes? Or are they more like 9’s? That matters. Men come in all sizes, dontcha know.

  19. Thanks for the pattern. My husband says that he’s “secure enough” in his masculinity to wear colours… and he is.
    I have a friend who is in his 70’s, tho, who just asked for a pair of “nice” wool socks. I showed him the lovely hand dyed sock yarn I have in blues and tans. Too much color. Sigh… gray it is. Thanks for giving me something that might actually get me thru the socks before christmas.

  20. Oh thank you Harlot – my honey has size 11’s at the end of horrendously long legs and whle he’s been very happy wearing the “cottage socks” I knit for him, I’ve been wanting to do some dressier socks for Christmas. This will keep my brain engaged enough over the long haul! Also, if Rams is holding the coat, I’ll volunteer to hold the water bucket in case anyone needs “refreshing”. Manly indeed!
    Chris S

  21. These are beautiful! I’d been thinking of reverse-engineering that cable on my own ’cause it would be so very appropriate for manly socks I’d like to make…thank you for saving me the trouble. 🙂

  22. Having just turned my first sock heel LAST NIGHT (while watching “Bones”, I don’t know why it matters but it does, to me – she’s an anthropologist, I’m an anthropologist…)I was really happy to read your post and finally UNDERSTAND the woefully underappreciated charm of knitting socks.
    I’m doing some Earl Greys next. I already have the right shade of grey sock yarn!

  23. Wow – I have two balls of that exact yarn in my stash, waiting to be made into socks. For my husband. It’s knitting fate – got to go find some needles. Thank you!!!

  24. I have to admit I was not jazzed about knitting pairs of socks for the various man types in my family for Christmas. But this pattern has completely turned that around!
    Thank you for the inspiration.

  25. Thank you so much these are great!
    on a side note…when are you going to tell us about the baby sweater pattern that has the little roses on it?

  26. Even a 4 x 2 ribbing is driving me bonkers and was facing a severe crisis. Theft of your pattern was not only possible it was happening. You have saved me from sin, posted the pattern, and I my conscience can stay clear.
    I’m trying to find a Canadian source for the Felted Clogs pattern. Can anyone out there point me to one.

  27. Handsome socks, though! I have some tweedy sock yarn that might suit the pattern too. Wonder if I can persuade my 22-year-old son that he needs a pair? Thanks for the pattern!!

  28. Thank you so much! I am totally making these for my husband. He will love them. His might have to be Coffee socks, though.

  29. I love these socks- thank you for the pattern.My husband will definitly be receiving a pair of these.
    I have to tell you that I keep missing you in places. At the beginning of the Summer you were in Northern California- I arrived there a week too late. I was at the Toronto airport the day before you began your Kinnear career . I am sure I would not have Kinneared you , but hopefully, pulled myself together enough not to run screaming up to you and begging to have my picture taken with the sock. I hope I would have been able to aproach you politely , tell you how much I enjoy your blog and books and perhaps ask for an autograph- and then begg to have my picture taken with the sock 🙂
    To top it off ,I have been able to find a week to visit Virgina from the 8th to the 15th of October, and I see that you will have been in Virginia on the 20th of September. Maybe three times is the charm and the next time I am in the States or Canada I can catch you somewhere. Or, you could do a few stops in Germany? Lots of wonderful sock yarns here to indulge in.

  30. Thank you for sharing your pattern. I had been admiring the cable in those socks ever since you posted a close up photo of your sock-in-progress a few days ago. Sometimes I like quiet, unassuming socks too.
    So…. how is MS3 going? Are you going to do the wing or are you going symmetrical? Inquiring minds want to know…

  31. I’m one of the lucky ones – my husband will wear any colour combo in his socks, as long as there’s no pink. That’s his bow to manliness – no pink.
    I’ll try to carve out some time to Excel the chart for you soon.

  32. Thank you so much for the pattern, I have almost exactly the same picky guy….though he is picky about everything, not just socks. sigh.
    by the way, forget excel. IWork ’08 will make you happy!

  33. My darling 10 year old son (mens size 9 shoe) would probably like these, although, he is not afraid of color (real men are not afraid of pink according to him), just patterns.
    I do have a question, this line
    k1, Work the pattern, knit 27, work the pattern, knit 28.
    When working in the round it would end up being k29, work the pattern, k27, work the pattern
    Is that correct? Or should it end up being
    k28, work the pattern, k28, work the pattern?

  34. Thanks Stephanie! Rather than trying to convince DH that a vest is just the thing he needs, maybe I’ll knit him these socks!
    PS Sandra – my husband won’t wear even the slightest hint of pink either. Such a shame… I do loves a man in pink!

  35. Seeing as we seem to have ordered the same model from the Male Catalog, thank you for sharing this handsomely-manly-yet-not-totally-devoid-of-all-visual-interest-acceptably-colored sock pattern. I know there are a lot of sock patterns out there, but not many that answer to the latter!

  36. My husband’s socks must be boot high, in black or gray. And they must be ribbed the whole leg. I bet could substitute that cable pattern for some of the ribs. I won’t die of boredom knitting them and he’ll be okay with that little bit of “flash.”
    And Rams, not to speak for her or anything, but I think Renee the S. is just saying that her husband isn’t as enlightened as Joe.

  37. Thank you! So very much! I’ve been loving these socks since you’ve been posting them and I know just the manly man to knit a pair for ;^)

  38. Very nifty pattern and thanks also for the hint about how much yarn – my SO has very large feet (13EEE) and a large head (26 in – I laughed so hard at your blog entry on measuring Joe’s head back in 2004) to boot so knitting for him is challenging, and I’m always worried about how much yarn I need for him. I have not dared to knit him socks yet, but it’s nice to know I will need at least 3 balls ahead of time so I don’t end up desperately searching for another ball of the same dye lot!

  39. This reminds me (again) that I have to try Grant on handknit socks. He claims the ones he buys at the drugstore are just fine, thank you.
    Of course with my luck he’d refuse to wear store-bought socks ever again.

  40. Thanks for sharing! I was enjoying the way the cables were flowing so lovingly into each other. Cabling at its best!

  41. a) Great Socks! I’ll make them in yellow for my kid bro, H. wouldn’t be able to appreciate such beauties:)
    b) Joe’s obviously has quite shapely feet for such a big, extremely manly sock model( who takes bets in R the S’s H. vs Joe?;).I was wondering if you two dance a lot?

  42. Oh, thank the heavens (or, more accurately, you). That bloody “this is the way we wash our…” song has been stuck in my head for hours after each time I’ve swung by here and was driving me well ’round the bend….

  43. Thank you for sharing the pattern Stephanie. These are fine, dignified, manly socks if ever there were a pair! I know that my husband will love a pair (though he’ll want them “boot-length”, which practically means knee-highs if they were mine! Heck, maybe I’ll just make myself some of these, knee-high, all for me…)

  44. Craftninja, mine seems to be about the same shape as yours – 14E feet and 26″ head too! Thank goodness he won’t wear anything heavier than a t-shirt, or I’d be bogged down in sweaters for years!
    Steph, the cables on the side are just lovely. If I wasn’t halfway through a pair of socks (they will never end, ever) in gray varigated, I’d add some in starting at the ankle right away! But I’m afraid Trekking XXL’s varigated probably wouldn’t show it at all.
    …maybe I should try it anyway….he’ll never notice, right? Get some practice in before I make myself a pair? Yeah!

  45. these are lovely, any chance you’ll divulge the length of foot and circumferance in inches? I don’t think shoe sizes translate across the ocean and I’m not sure how a Canadian 12 relates to a UK 10

  46. You know, a pair of those socks made up in Joe’s leftover gansey yarn would be quite fetching…
    *ducks flying wet fiber burrito*

  47. Does the cable on alongside the foot create any friction when he’s wearing shoes? I’d be fearful that it may cause skin irritation.

  48. this is my first response in the comments, just wanted to say hello. i started reading your blog a few months ago, starting with the first entry and reading through to today. i feel like i’ve gotten to know you and your family a bit. just started knitting in oct 2005. so i’m still very wet behind the ears. thanks for the sock pattern. i have this disease, you know it well, were i can not enter a yarn store without buying something. i always buy sock yarn, then i know i have enough for a project. i currently have enough to make 36 pairs of socks. so i decided to do a sock a month starting in 2008, see you in about 3 years 😉

  49. So, being the type of nerdy person that I am, I’m attempting to chart out the pattern using the downloadable knitting font from Knitters Universe. I am chart-ily challenged though – In rows 1-12 and 24 in the written instructions, it appears to be 8 stitches wide, but in rows 13-23, there are 7 stitches? Am I missing something? Does the CL/CR decrease the stitch count, and I’m not following? Heylp 😉

  50. Thanks for sharing your pattern. Very tasteful and conservative — I think they would work for a woman’s sock, too, after adjusting the pattern for size.

  51. (LOL at Sue. =) )
    Thanks for the pattern! My guy likes hand-knit socks too, and also prefers them to be plain. When they come with large feet, this can cause the knitter much distress at the thought of all that stockinette.

  52. THANK YOU!!! The Earl Grey socks had me drooling. I love the little cable down the side. I doubt I’ll be making them in grey, though. Maybe Dream in Color “Giant Peach”. Will that make them Earl Peach????
    Speaking of Dream in Color, I would like to quote from the Lettuce Knit website:
    “We must have mailed out over 300 of these kits already, and the requests continue to pour in to the extent that the mill that spins the yarn has now run out! That means that Tulip kits in the original colourway won’t be available again until September.”
    That’s the *mill*, not Dream in Color!!! And that is just *one* of the shops which have been producing the Tulip kits. Do a Google search to see how many there are.
    Do not doubt your power, woman; it is an awesome thing!

  53. Am I less feminine if I say that I like the pattern — for me? And the instructions are clear, and easy, I may have to face the sock phobia again and make them . . . I have ‘boring’ navy-fleck and grey-fleck yarn in the stash that might work . . . thanks Steph!

  54. Thanks so much for the sock pattern… I have a number of guys on my list and, although I have stashed quite a bit of manly sock yarn, feel less than inspired to create manly socks – but now with the beautiful and manly cables up the sides, I think I’ll get those Christmas socks knit early.

  55. Those are the awesome-est man-socks EVER! Thanks so much for helping me with my Christmas-gift ideas!!! You are sooooo sweet for sharing this wonderful pattern with the world 🙂

  56. Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou! Now I don’t have to peer at the picture and figure out what you did. Those manly colours are a killer. This should revive me quite nicely.
    I’m going through my stash as soon as I get home to find something appropriate to knit those socks!
    Hey, Needles, this lady’s in Whitby, Ontario and she carries Fibre Trends patterns:
    http://www.kniterary.com/

  57. Brilliant. Thanks for sharing the pattern. Glad to know my Joe isn’t the planet’s only picky person where socks are concerned. You have just given me his Christmas present. Now off to shop for yarn!!!

  58. Yes! I saw the picture of the socks at the top of the post and thought to myself, I wonder if she’ll post the pattern, when low and behold… Thanks!

  59. Okay–my hats off to you for sticking to your chosen gauge etc. w/those monstrous feet to knit for. My son has requested a pair of socks–he’s a size 13. I said, “Fine–but I’m doing them in dk or worsted, because I don’t live forever.”
    The pattern is beautiful.

  60. You have no idea how much your offering this pattern tickles me! Thank you so much Steph, you generosity is very much appreciated. I only hope mine will look as great as the ones you just finished.

  61. Thank you so much, this pattern is perfect for my husband, who has tastes very much like yours.

  62. Those are great! I love Knitpicks Essential, it’s so hard to find classic manly colours in sock yarn these days. I love the name of the pattern too, it’s coincidentally my boyfriend’s favourite tea. Hmm.

  63. And here I was trying to figure out how to do the cable by staring at the close-up pictures. Thanks for sharing!

  64. Bless you, Stephanie, and thank you! My brother will eventually have a pair of these, and heck, I will too. Very, very manly, and very, very gorgeous! Good grief, I’ll have to purchase my first-ever *solid* sock yarn. What is the world coming to?!?
    (And ROFLMAO, Rams & Chris S & Sue.)

  65. OOoh. Thanks for sharing the pattern. I’ve been watching these develop and have wondered how long I could stare at my computer screen (trying to figure out the cable) before going blind(er).
    I can’t wait to try it!

  66. Very beautiful, thank you! And there’s nothing like a free pattern with a free giggle, too. (“even if you are only a tiny bit smart…”)

  67. Ok really stupid question time: are Canadian shoe sizes the same as US? Because I think my husband might like these, and he wears a 13 (I think it would take less time to make a sweater for his 40″ chest, lol).

  68. “Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman” (with big feet)
    Seriously I’d make them for myself (and my husband)

  69. My man will love them. He adores all things…grey and unpatterned. Yech. I’m stuck in the middle of a Brown Sheep ultra-plain stockinette vest for him, a UFO from last year. All of the moisture gets sucked out of my brain-pan when I attempt to work on it.

  70. Excellent–an interesting manly sock!
    Now I just need to finish these awful toe-up 2×2 rib (i’m only at the heel of the 1st) plain beige socks, before I can give these a go.
    Thanks for sharing!

  71. Thank you for sharing another pattern. I am afraid that I tend to be very selfish with my socks, and those are going to be for me… now to pick the right colour – …

  72. Splendid! Thank you for sharing this pattern…another reason to buy MORE yarn.
    Also, the last entry about fleece washing was really interesting (and funny! I spit out my coffee at the end!). I wash fleece in the dish pan in my sink in hanks (not locks). Why I never thought of heating the water on the stove, I have no idea. Thank you for that too! Ahem, having admitted, indirectly, to being a spinner, I guess I should spin the sock yarn, yes? Not buy it?

  73. Femiknitzi! I think you solved my problem. My husband thinks the socks I knit for him are TOO GOOD for wearing. I keep telling him that socks are the ultimate expression of love and by all means, wear them out so I can knit more, etc., etc. But now I think I’ll just say, “Listen, if you’re not going to wear them, I’m going to go drop them off at my old boyfriend’s house.”
    He’s half-Cuban, my husband. I don’t think he’ll be very happy about that.
    Thanks!
    Barb

  74. Love the socks, and love the name. Earl Grey is my very favorite kind of tea. If only it were easier to find my favorite brand of Earl Grey loose, in tins, but alas.

  75. Needles,
    Don’t know where you are in Canada but Wool-Tyme has the Fibre Trends felted clogs pattern. Their website is http://www.wool-tyme.com. The pattern probably isn’t listed on the website but just send them an email. Last time I checked they had some in stock.

  76. They look great! I love the name. And I love Knitpicks Essential, so really, it’s sort of like I HAVE to knit these. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

  77. These might be a little too “staid” for my husband but I’ll have fun making them anyway!

  78. Thank you for the pattern. DH actually asked when I’m going to knit him a pair of socks, so I’m going to give it a go.

  79. Love your floors. (can’t help it, I’m in the middle of a house reno at the moment). Oh yeah, and nice socks too!

  80. Thank you for sharing! I have a very picky man who nevertheless likes hand-knit socks. In fact, this particular shade of Essential is his favorite! I suspect the cabling might be a bit too wild for my very plain man, but I will certainly show him the picture and see how he reacts (with any luck he’ll like what he sees, thereby saving me from the boredom that is stockinette in a solid shade of non-color).

  81. The moment I saw the socks yesterday, I wanted the pattern for my own husband. I’m in a bit of a sock phase right now. Thank you for taking the time to document the pattern!

  82. OOOH. Pretty. Manly. Socks. YEEEEAAAAHHH!!!! My DH who is an RN gets teased enough and refuses to wear “fluffy” socks to work. Unfortunatly fluffy is anything but solid colors, and he WILL NOT wear red socks to match his tomato inspired scrubs. (Which I get to make since he is 6’8″) Thank you soooo much for your thoughtfulness to share your pattern!!
    (Jenn M – I was turning a heal with Bones last night, too!!!)

  83. Joy of all joys! A sock made for a man with man sized feet. (what man wears a size 9?) Now you are a very lucky woman to have a man that will wear a cabled sock. Cables are too lumpy for some men, like my darling husband, who will only wear plain colored socks in plain mind numbing plain knit (if I am lucky with a little ribbing)size 12 socks. He won’t even wear manly colored stripes. Lucky woman you!

  84. thank you so much for the pattern! great pattern for my husband too, i’m tired of knitting him plain stockinette socks.

  85. I think those socks are – jeez louise, it’s hard not to say “pretty”! – really nifty in an elegant, understated attractive way. Someday after my current sock project (I’m on my second sock EVER) is finished, I plan to make myself a pair of Earl Greys. But not in grey. Thanks SO MUCH for sharing the pattern, and thanks to your gifted knitterly friends for helping with the tech issues! A knitter at my, erm, “level” can create ALL the tech issues required on any given project – and then some!

  86. Way classy! Thank you so much for offering your pattern free on the blog (although I like the look of those socks so much I would have paid for the pattern.) I can’t wait to knit them up for my husband. He’ll love them.

  87. Fabulous cable pattern. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I will be knitting this one quite soon, probably in grey, possibly as knee socks.
    How I wish we were going to have the opportunity to be there for your Los Angeles visit — first time ever in Southern California, n’est-ce pas? But we are #71 and #72 on the ever-growing waiting list, so I guess not.
    But the Earl Grey sock pattern is a wonderful consolation.

  88. Needles,
    The felted clogs pattern is by Fibertrends and if you go to their website (fibertrends.com) they have a sources button on the first page with a subsequent listing of stores which carry their patterns all across Canada–of course you could probably email them with your location and they may have a more up-to-date location nearest you. Now that it’s past 6:00 p.m. EST you probably have all this info but just in case…
    And Stephanie, the Earl Grey socks are delicious–just like the tea–my DH’s favourite tea too so I really MUST make a pair for him, yes?
    Cheers, Barbie O.

  89. Thank you so much for the pattern! I love the socks – especially the way the cable pattern runs down to the toe. I bet they will look great with the Birks. Now I have to convince myself that I really do have to go out and buy some grey sock yarn, since I have some navy blue waiting patiently in the basket. I purchased that yarn to make another pair (fools rush) but…well…maybe I’d better get the grey…!

  90. hey,
    Nice socks! Handmade socks are why I (a guy)learned to knit. Maybe Joe could learn to make his own.
    Handmade socks are like little sweaters for your feet.
    I found a 50’s book of men’s sock patterns at Value Village for 5 cents (original 1950’s price 35 cents). Nice patterns, with cool names…Swordfish (jaggy purl stitch design), Knotty Pines (lots of YOs, sort of lacey, but in a butch way), Norman Keep (slip stitch), Bar and Cable, Casement, Zigzag, etc, etc. All on 2.25 mm dpns (the patterns actually specify #13 British).
    Everyone should have a pair of handknit socks.
    When are you coming to Calgary?
    Jake (in Cowtown)

  91. Thanks for sharing this pattern. I have been trying to decide on the pattern for my husband’s next pair of socks, and this looks great.

  92. Thank you for taking the time to share your very virile sock pattern. I’d been admiring Joe’s socks, thinking my husband might like a hand-knitted pair for Christmas (since for two years his sweater has not gotten beyond the buy-the-yarn stage). The socks might be more manageable, as I take socks to knit everywhere I go!

  93. That is SO bizarre! Over the weekend, I took two yarn options to my husband to let him pick one, and he picked the Knit Picks “Ash” and as these are my first socks that aren’t in a self-striping yarn, I have stopped just short out of banging my head against the wall out of sheer boredom. Mine are toe-up, so after the excitement of the toe increases it has been mind-numbing row after mind-numbing row of gray stockinette stitches. Thanks for the wonderful idea–I will be adding some “he-man” cables to the leg to prevent madness. 🙂

  94. That is very, very lovely sock. Thank you for the pattern–I can’t wait to try it out for my own manly man! I really like the wee tiny little cables. They’re awesome!

  95. It would be great if you write a book with ALL your knitting patterns. It will be the bigest best seller of the century. Love the socks, will knit them for my son that has the same taste as Joe. I am kntting now a pair of plain dark grey for him. NO END……

  96. Thanks for the great socks pattern.
    I loved the last line. I just realized that I don’t see it (i.e. make a second sock) in most patterns. So, for all these years, has most of the world been knitting one-off socks??
    Or is it that knitters are assumed to just use common sense and make the required number of socks (hey, we have to remember the pirates in the crowd…)? This is unlike what is apparently considered to be the intelligence of most cooks where the instructions seem more often to be completely and overly detailed.
    I’m imagining a world where most wear unmatched socks….

  97. Thank you for sharing! You are lucky Joe doesn’t like his socks too tall. My husband likes his socks +/- 8″ on the cuff and he wears a 12 1/2 so it seems to take forever to finish a pair.

  98. I wish I could knit those for my DH, unfortunately he screwed up the nerves in his foot when he broke his ankle, and can’t wear hand knit socks unless they have a bejillion stitches an inch that you can’t feel. My son however will love him! ( once I get them long enough! Boys feet do stop growing at some point right? He’s 15, 6’2″ and has size 13/14 feet!)
    Christmas knitting here I come 🙂

  99. YAY!! I was going to ask about the pattern but decided not to be pushy but here you are publishing it. I’m very excited and grateful!!
    Thanks Stephanie!

  100. I like the socks and the name for the socks. I always try to find some clever name for whatever it is that I’m knitting if I “make up” the pattern. Alas, some names are more clever than others. Anyway, thanks for posting the pattern.

  101. My father’s preferred business dress socks were navy or black silk (or nylon), which all had a very fine design down the sides, not more than a thread wide, in a slightly lighter color, hardly noticeable only to any but the sock launderer and folder. These look like a variation on that theme in wool, and may tempt me to try to join the ranks of sock knitters. Elegant.

  102. Yes, very…manly. [I say, as I plot sizing them down to fit my size 8 feet and doing them in zowier colors…]

  103. I LOVE the socks — perfect little cables as far as I am concerned! And thank you for the supportive comments — very much appreciated.

  104. Those are some nice looking socks, Stephanie — thank you! My husband — formerly the I-don’t-want-socks spouse — has decided that he now would like “boot” socks — so, he’s getting a pair in Cascade 220 (or maybe Classic Merino). But, it’s only a matter of time until he is hip to smaller gauge.

  105. Very, very sophisticated socks; I love the way the cables butt into the ribbing at the top and insist their way right down to the toe. Thank you, Stephanie, for the pattern. These are going on my list. My very long list. My hopelessly long, I’ll-be-knitting-in-my-coffin list.
    I do feel sorry for everyone out there who’s trying to get their guy out of the grey sock rut. I have a husband and five sons, and they’ll wear pretty much anything on their feet. However, NOT ONE OF THEM WILL WEAR A SWEATER. Not. One.
    [sigh]

  106. Oh very sweet! Thank you for sharing. I just showed the pictures to my hubby and he would very much like a pair. I have my next knitting project. Woot! Now to figure out how to adjust the size for his short, wide feet (a smidge over 10″ long, 11″ around the instep, 14″ around his lower calf… is it any wonder I get oddly shaped socks for him?)

  107. i’m going to show this to my husband. he’s been refusing socks until this point. this might actually push him over the edge (although he wears a size 14, sigh)

  108. wOOt! A non-boring, NICE looking guy’s sock! (will he mind if I steal the pattern for me???) Thanks! I like that basic sock yarn from Knit Pics, too. Only for me… *Technicolor*

  109. Those are very cool guy socks, I am currently holding out knitting my DH socks as he complained that the one and only pair he had were “too warm”.
    Needless to say I scratched him from the sock list, he has recently started commenting on how nice some of my sock yarn is, I will wait till he is begging!

  110. Exquisitely beautiful and understated socks, Steph.
    I mean, MANLY! Yes, manly. Manly as a lumberjack. We are talking cut-down-trees, eat-your-lunch, go-to-the-lavatory manly. Yes indeed those are some manly socks, with remarkably engineered and exceedingly masculine cables running straight down them. Good, straight cables. Straight as an arrow, they are. Just enough cabling to maintain structural integrity. No more. Perfect.
    Thanks for sharing the pattern!
    I am so lucky that my husband likes colors. If I knit those in a nice medium green he’d like them.

  111. Oooooh! They’re even the right size for my husband! Thanks for the great pattern. My husband has the same sentiments about socks as Joe does, so these will be perfect. I haven’t knit anything with cables yet, so I think these will be the perfect 1st cable project. Thanks!

  112. Earl Grey socks! I HAVE to make them. Why? I am from the place where Earl Grey resided – we have a huge statue of him on a pillar in Newcastle! His family home is nearby too and has beautiful gardens. The socks are a great addition to my Earl Grey anecdotes. You know that the tea was blended for his family especially to make the most of the local water? It doesn’t taste the same anywhere else IMHO… Thanks!

  113. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. What a beautiful sock pattern. Very classic and can be used for men or women. I personally like my socks, bright, bold , and uniquie 😉
    My significant other likes his stockings just a tad bit toned down but with a little pizzaz. These fit the bill perfectly.

  114. Thanks so much! For some reason, I enjoy knitting socks for the men in my family more than for myself, and a nice manly sock pattern is hard to find. My husband will likely be getting these for Christmas!

  115. Chennpug,
    Personally I think we have a treasure in our unusually-sized men – I doubt anyone will love anything I make as much as my man loved the hat I made for him – the only hat he’s ever had that actually FITS his head!
    As Gwyneth Paltrow said in Shakespeare in Love…”And that was only my first try!”

  116. Yay! These are beautiful – my sweetie likes manly socks, too, doesn’t wear sweaters, and likes his hats not-knit. (He’s a challenge.) But I think he’ll like these!

  117. Oooh, I was hoping you would share the pattern when I first saw these. Thanks so much, I know exactly who needs a pair….

  118. Whattre you tryin to pull here, lay-dee? You think just because I’ve been saying to myself with each small finished project “gee, what I should do next is get busy with some Christmas knitting” that I actually meant it? Like, that I shouldn’t futz around with knitting 5 socks to get 2 socks like I did last year and actually use a pattern? A pattern remarkably similar to the one I torturously invented for Mr. W last year, knit up in a very similar color, except with a finer yarn and a more elaborate cable, as was my intention to make for him this year?
    I mean, seriously, lady, what are you trying to pull? I think Mr. W will thank you sincerely for it.
    I’m off to huff over a cup of Earl Grey. I find have a strange craving for bergamont.
    Really, thanks very much. I’ll still probably start, um, several times to get the sizing right, living as I do in denial of my loose gauge and my need to use extremely tiny needles to make these things work properly.
    I know I harrassed you before to give the pattern or infos or whatnot for your wedding shawl, which I still think of often, but that should probably be a stand-alone, and I know I would pay a good hunka change for that one, and it would be well deserved for you. And you should still consider publishing it somehow. Because, I mean, seriously. Seriously wow. But maybe you want it to be your own personal masterwork that no one else will have ever created. But now, now with the socks! So practical! So elegant! How very Canadian of you!

  119. Stephanie-You Rock! Thanks for the pattern. I was hoping you’d share. I received the new Knit Picks catalog yesterday and it is gorgeous! I can’t wait to try your pattern with Essential. Thanks!

  120. I LOVE these! Thank you so so much for sharing. They are perfect for the guys and will look pretty in a pastel for girls too.

  121. Very nice Very nice.. but my husband has the hugest feet in the world so he is not getting any!!! hehe … but ooooooh look at that nice wood floor! Pretty Shiney!

  122. Thanks for the sock pattern, Stephanie. I had already decided to figure it out, but you have saved me hours of work. I will definitely knit these – but for me! I love cables, and I have gotten tired of self-striping yarns, so this pattern should work in the solid colours I bought this summer.
    Katherine

  123. Dude. Those are awesome! Perhaps even awesome enough to convince my husband that he doesn’t need ribbing all the way up the leg (over his size 13 feet!) – thank you so much for the pattern! You just may have saved my sanity and brought a modicum of peace and tranquility to my home. 🙂

  124. I love solid colored socks, so this would work for me (especially if I remove some extra stitches to accommodate my much more slender foot).
    Gosh, guys have really big feet!

  125. I was wondering if you’d specify that one should knit a second sock. Ten points!
    I was just knitting socks at the orthopedic surgeon’s today and the doc was fascinated that I could make a perfectly fitting size 11 1/2 AAA for my dad. It used to be normal to knit socks that fit. I’m having trouble interfacing with the modern mentality of ready-made one size fits all…
    What is Joe’s width?

  126. I have big love for your hardwood floors. Yes, yes, and the socks are great, too! My hubby is also particular about socks, but I think these would pass inspection.

  127. Thanks so much for sharing this pattern. I’ve been looking for something to knit my future son in law for Christmas. This will be perfect. (I found out he loves wool socks! No wonder I love him so much.LOL!)
    I also wanted to tell you I just finished reading your book Yarn Harlot: The Secret Life of a Knitter. It was wonderful. You have a great sense of humor, and I could so relate to everything you wrote about.
    Take care,
    Linda Jo aka The BeadKnitter

  128. You may just have given me the perfect pattern to make up for my bro-in-law for Christmas. Thanks!

  129. Those socks are truly lovely. Thank you for so generously sharing them with the world. We need more interesting patterns for our men that our men don’t find fussy and emasculating-patterns like this!

  130. Thanks for the pattern. I’m in Kansas right now, away from a printer, but with some socks on five needles (my first time… I’ve always done two circs…toe up). I’ve decided to mix it up and do them cuff down on five circs. I’m going plumb crazy right now with all the points sticking everywhere, but I’m stubborn, and it’s all about the process for me. I am a first time poster, and I see you’re a very popular lady. I’ll be sure to check back! I have enjoyed my visit here!

  131. beautiful!!! I’m just going to have to get over my fear of cabled socks and make these for my DH. Thank you so much for sharing the pattern.

  132. Those are amazing socks- the perfect unfussy pattern, but still an interesting knit! I’d really like to knit myself a pair of these- iusually don’t like sock patterns that are so intricate, since socks always wear out (ah, the short but happy life of a sock). Thanks so much for sharing the pattern.

  133. THANK YOU! I started knitting a sock almost exactly like this…and got confused, and nervous. I’m not sure what size to knit for a size 13 man…but you came through. Thank you so much! Slight changes, different yarn, but such a great start for me, with sizing help and everything. Lots of thanks!!

  134. Stephanie,
    You are soooo energetic! I love these socks and so does hubby. I even already own two balls of the yarn!
    I have a question: Where did you get the knit symbol font?
    Keep writing. I need more Yarn Harlot books and blog info.
    Oh, and don’t punish yourself over something a trivial as word count again.

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