EVERY CROCHET Socks 12 rounds No account, no download
Two-tone half double crochet socks with ribbed cuff
A toe-up sock pattern worked in half double crochet (UK: half treble crochet), with a ribbed cuff and two-tone colourwork.
- Skill
- Intermediate
- Time
- 4-6 hours
- Yarn weight
- Worsted
- Hook
- 4.5 mm
Intermediate
What the original write-up called it. Nothing here is graded again.
Worsted
What the sample was worked in. Any weight works; the size moves with it.
4-6 hours
What the original page reckoned. Your own pace is the one that matters.
About this pattern
This is a toe-up adult sock pattern worked in half double crochet (UK: half treble crochet), using two colours for the toe, heel and cuff against a smooth foot and leg. The toe increases over three rounds, the heel turns in short rows and seams shut, and the leg ends in ribbing for stretch. A 4.5 mm hook and worsted-weight yarn in two colours are required.
These adult socks belong to the half double crochet family (UK: half treble crochet), the stitch used throughout the smooth foot, leg and toe sections. It sits between single crochet and double crochet in height, giving the fabric a dense but flexible hand that suits footwear without becoming stiff. The ribbed cuff breaks from the smooth body to add stretch at the ankle, a common pairing in sock patterns that need to hold shape while staying easy to pull on and off.
Construction runs toe-up: Colour B forms a rounded toe over three increasing rounds, then Colour A takes over for the Foot and Leg Section, continuing the tube at a steady 22 stitches until just before the heel. Colour B returns for the Heel Section, worked flat in short rows at the side of the foot and seamed closed with a slip stitch. Colour A is reattached at the back-centre of the foot for the Initial Rounds of the cuff, and Colour B finishes the sock with the ribbed Ribbing section. The colour changes mark the toe-to-leg, leg-to-heel, heel-to-cuff and cuff-to-ribbing transitions, so yarn tails appear at predictable points rather than scattered through the fabric.
Materials
- Medium weight yarn (Worsted weight, size 4)
Color A
- Main color for foot and leg
Color B
- For toe, heel, and cuff ribbing
- 4.5 mm crochet hook
- Yarn needle and scissors
The list is the pattern's own wording.
Instructions
Every round is printed as the pattern wrote it, brackets and all. Open the key beside a round to see only the short forms that round uses.
Toe Section (Color B)
Make a slip knot and chain 5.
- Round 1
2 HDC in 2nd chain, 1 HDC in next 2 chains, 4 HDC in last chain, 1 HDC in next 2 chains (on opposite side), 2 HDC in first chain, sl st to join. (12 sts)
Key4
- sl st
- slip stitch
- sts
- stitches
- hdc
- half double crochet
- st
- stitch
- Round 2
Ch 1, (2 HDC in next 2 sts), 1 HDC in next 2 sts, (2 HDC in next 4 sts), 1 HDC in next 2 sts, (2 HDC in last 2 sts), sl st to join. (20 sts)
Key5
- sl st
- slip stitch
- sts
- stitches
- hdc
- half double crochet
- ch
- chain
- st
- stitch
- Round 3
Ch 1, 1 HDC in 4 sts, 2 HDC in next, 1 HDC in 3 sts, 2 HDC in next, 1 HDC in next 11 sts, sl st to join. (22 sts)Finish Toe: Ch 1, cut yarn, and attach Color A.
Key5
- sl st
- slip stitch
- sts
- stitches
- hdc
- half double crochet
- ch
- chain
- st
- stitch
Foot and Leg Section (Color A)
- Round 4
Ch 1, 1 HDC in each of 22 sts, sl st to join.Rounds 5–17 (or desired length): Repeat Round 4 until the sock reaches just before your heel starts.Finish Foot/Leg: Ch 1 and cut yarn.
Key5
- sl st
- slip stitch
- sts
- stitches
- hdc
- half double crochet
- ch
- chain
- st
- stitch
Heel Section (Color B)
Attach Color B at the side of the sock.
- Round 1
Ch 1, HDC in 12 sts.
Key3
- sts
- stitches
- hdc
- half double crochet
- ch
- chain
- Rounds 2–4
Ch 1, turn, HDC in 12 sts.
Key3
- sts
- stitches
- hdc
- half double crochet
- ch
- chain
- Round 5
Ch 1, turn, HDC in 4 sts, HDC2tog twice, HDC in 4 sts. (10 sts)
Key4
- HDC2tog
- half double crochet two together (decrease)
- sts
- stitches
- hdc
- half double crochet
- ch
- chain
- Round 6
Ch 1, turn, HDC in 10 sts. Close Heel: Fold heel in half and sl st both sides together to close seam.Finish Heel: Ch 1 and cut yarn.
Key5
- sl st
- slip stitch
- sts
- stitches
- hdc
- half double crochet
- ch
- chain
- st
- stitch
Initial Rounds (Color A)
- Round 1
Attach Color A at back-center. Ch 1. Work 6 HDC along first side, 12 HDC across top of sock, 6 HDC along second side.Sl st to join. (24 sts)
Key5
- sl st
- slip stitch
- sts
- stitches
- hdc
- half double crochet
- ch
- chain
- st
- stitch
- Rounds 2–7
Ch 1, 1 HDC in each of 24 sts, sl st to join. Finish Color A section: Ch 1 and cut yarn.
Key5
- sl st
- slip stitch
- sts
- stitches
- hdc
- half double crochet
- ch
- chain
- st
- stitch
Ribbing (Color B)
- Round 8
Attach Color B at back-center. Ch 1, 1 HDC in each st around, sl st to join. (24 sts)
Key5
- sl st
- slip stitch
- sts
- stitches
- hdc
- half double crochet
- ch
- chain
- st
- stitch
- Rounds 9–10
Ch 1, alternate FPHDC and BPHDC around, sl st to join. Finish Sock: Sl st, ch 1 to secure, cut yarn, and weave in all ends.
Key5
- sl st
- slip stitch
- FPHDC
- front post half double crochet
- BPHDC
- back post half double crochet
- ch
- chain
- st
- stitch
Notes from the pattern
- A 4.5 mm hook is used throughout the pattern; change hook size only after testing gauge against a specific foot measurement.
- Since joins are made with a slip stitch rather than a continuous spiral, a stitch marker at the start of each round in the Initial Rounds and Foot and Leg Section helps keep the 24-stitch count visible from round to round.
- HDC rounds need even height and tension, since the Toe Section's stitch counts of 12, 20 and 22 depend on consistent stitch size to lie flat rather than cup.
- Colour B is cut and Colour A attached at the end of the Toe Section, and Colour A is finished and cut before the Ribbing begins; weave tails in along the inside of the sock so they don't rub against the foot.
The essentials
- Rounds
- 12
- Parts
- 5
- Level
- Intermediate
- Time
- 4-6 hours
- Hook
- 4.5 mm
- Yarn
- Worsted
Stitches you will use
- Working increases in the round Toe Section rounds 1-3 build from 12 to 22 stitches; place increases in the correct stitch so the toe stays symmetrical rather than pointed to one side.
- Changing colours mid-piece Colour changes happen at the end of the Toe Section, at the start of the Heel Section, and at the back-centre join for the Initial Rounds; fasten each join securely so the colour block doesn't loosen with wear.
Troubleshooting
The toe cups instead of lying flat
Stitch counts have drifted from the 12, 20 and 22 totals given in rounds 1-3. Count stitches at the end of each round and correct before continuing, since one missed increase changes the shape of the whole toe.
A gap or ridge appears where the heel seam closes
The slip stitch seam joining the two folded heel sides was worked loosely or missed a stitch. Re-close with a tighter slip stitch, matching stitch for stitch along both edges.
The cuff rolls or flares instead of hugging the ankle
Ribbing worked at the same tension as the smooth body loses its pull. Work the Ribbing rounds slightly firmer than the Foot and Leg Section so the rib draws in as intended.
Substituting yarn
- Wool-blend, worsted weight
- Adds natural elasticity that helps the ribbed cuff grip the ankle; the same 4.5 mm hook works without altering the given stitch counts.
- Cotton-acrylic blend, worsted weight
- Produces a firmer, less stretchy fabric suited to lounging socks rather than boots; a slightly larger hook may be needed to keep the fabric from stiffening.
- Acrylic, worsted weight
- Keeps the same drape and hook size as the pattern specifies, with less breathability than a natural fibre as the main trade-off.
Washing and care
- Check the yarn band for fibre content before washing, since worsted-weight sock yarn can be wool, cotton or acrylic and each tolerates different machine settings.
- Lay finished socks flat to dry rather than hanging, and ease the ribbed cuff back into shape by hand while damp so it doesn't stretch out of its stitch pattern.
The photographs taken while this was being made
Every one was taken by whoever published the pattern, in the order the source listed them.
FAQs
Questions
What does HDC mean, and is it the same stitch everywhere?
HDC stands for half double crochet, the US term used throughout this pattern. In UK terminology the same stitch is called half treble crochet, so patterns written with UK terms will use a different name for identical instructions.
Can the socks be made in a single colour instead of two?
Yes, Colour A and Colour B can be the same yarn throughout; the two-colour split is a styling choice built into the toe, heel and cuff sections rather than a structural requirement.
How is the sock sized up or down?
Sizing is controlled through hook size and yarn weight rather than a separate chart in this pattern. A smaller hook or finer yarn tightens the fit, while a larger hook or heavier yarn loosens it.
How much of each colour is needed?
The materials list names a main colour for the foot and leg and a second colour for the toe, heel and cuff, but does not give exact yardage. Since Colour B covers three shorter sections and Colour A covers the longest stretch of the sock, keep more of Colour A on hand relative to Colour B.
These answers came from whoever first published the pattern, kept word for word.