Recipe for My Favorite Shorty Socks (knit)

Hello! 

It has been awhile since I've written here but I thought this would be a good place for me to write out a sock recipe I use as my "go-to" short sock pattern. It is easily adaptable for various cast on stitch counts and yarn weights and knitting tool preference (double pointed needles, magic loop, short circulars). I won't be writing out different sizes. It is a recipe that is easily modified!

Here's the general idea:

• foldover cuff using a contrast color for a pop of color
• 3x1 (knit 3, purl 1) ribbing
• shadow wrap heel
• I knit everything on 9" circulars, then switch to 32" magic loop for the toes

Any unfamiliar techniques I would recommend looking on YouTube. This is the recipe I have configured for myself, it is not an in-depth pattern, it is not for sale - feel free to knit it for personal use! 

If you're new to knitting socks, I recommend searching for a beginner's sock pattern and/or look for books or tutorials on how to knit socks!

For the socks in this photo, I used fingering weight sock yarn and US1/2.25mm needles.

CUFF

• My "Peek-a-Boo Cuffs" tutorial
• With contrast color (CC) Old Norwegian cast on (CO) number of stitches you use for your socks
• Place BOR (beginning of round) marker, join in round without twisting
• Knit 16rnds, cut CC
• Join main color (MC), knit 12 rnds
• Fold wrong sides together (tucking tails in or weave them in), knit to CO edge

LEG

• place marker (I like using lightbulb safety pins) on 1st round for easy counting
• k3, p1 for 20 rounds

HEEL 

• set-up by removing BOR, knit 1, replace BOR (so no purl channels on the very edges)
• knit across half of sts (instep)
• shadow wrap heel in main color (or use contrast color if you prefer)
• Earthtones Girl Tutorials
• No Fear Sock Knitting: Class 9: Shadow Wrap Short Row Heel 
• No Fear Sock Knitting: Class 11: Contrast Shadow Wrap Heel without Cutting Main Yarn

FOOT

• 3x1 rib on top half of stitches and stockinette on bottom half of stitches (I use a stitch marker that's different from my BOR marker to mark the half way point)
• use a stitch marker to mark every 10 rounds for easy counting and to knit a pair of socks that are the same length
• knit until it covers tip of pinky toe

TOE

• switch to 32" magic loop by knitting one round without purls - divide stitches in half for top and bottom onto the two needles
• decrease round (one stitch decreased on each side of each half so 4 stitches less per round)
• alternate knit even with decrease round until 20/20 stitches on top and bottom
• decrease every round until 10/10 or 8/8 or 6/6 depending on if you need more length or like a slightly pointier toe
• graft top and bottom stitches

Chit chat on a "summery" version of this recipe from June 2021 on Episode 61 of my YouTube channel (link should take you to the spot in the episode where it starts talking about the finished socks): https://youtu.be/-NcKIyEFkM4?t=1716.