Intermediate
What the pattern's own author called it. Nothing here is graded again.
Wearables 6 Laid out for paper No account, no download
Top-down crochet socks you can finish in a weekend
Top-down socks worked in hdc: 48-ch join, heel flap over 24 sts, 6-round toe. 3mm hook.
- Skill
- Intermediate
- Time
- 4-6 hours
- Yarn weight
- Fingering
- Hook
- 3 mm
- Rounds
- 6
Fingering
What the sample was worked in. Any weight works; the size moves with it.
6
Each one is typed out whole and gets its own line.
This is a top-down sock built entirely in half double crochet, starting from a joined ring of 48 chains and worked in the round through the ankle and leg before the heel is shaped flat over 24 stitches. Have the full skein of Alize Angora Gold and the 3mm hook on hand before starting, along with a way to track rounds, since the ankle section has no stitch count changes to signal progress. The piece finishes with a six-round toe decrease and a seamed closure, suited to a US 7-8 foot.
Common mistakes and their fixes
- Losing track of the round join
- Place a marker at the first stitch of the ring before starting the two hdc rounds, and move it up each round so the join stays visible.
- Uneven heel flap decreases
- Decrease at both the start and end of each right-side row as instructed, and recount all 24 stitches after every wrong-side row before continuing.
- Picked-up stitches off balance
- Pick up the same number of stitches along each side of the heel flap so the decrease rounds back to 24 stitches land evenly rather than skewing the foot to one side.
The materials list
Yarn
- Alize Angora Gold (550m/100g)
Hook
- 3mm crochet hook
Size
- Fits US 7–8 (EU 38–39)
Listed by the pattern's own author, in their words.
Key to this pattern, 1 short form
Cuff/Ribbing
Step 1 Chain 48 stitches and join into a ring with a slip stitch.
Step 2 Crochet two rows of half double crochet in the round.
Ankle/Leg
Step 1 Start the main ankle section with half double crochet stitches.
Step 2 Continue working until you reach your desired leg height.
Step 3 Add a few extra rounds to prepare for the heel.
Heel Flap and Turn
Step 1 Work the heel over 24 stitches (half of the total).
Step 2 In right-side rows, decrease at both the beginning and end.
Step 3 In wrong-side rows, crochet half double crochets evenly.
Step 4 Once the heel is formed, pick up stitches along both sides of the flap.
Gusset/Heel Decreases
Step 1 Begin decreasing at the start and end of each round until you return to 24 stitches in total.
Step 2 Continue working in the round once the heel is shaped.
Foot
Crochet in half double crochet around until you reach just before the toes.
Adjust length as needed for your foot size.
Toe Decreases
Round 1
(6 hdc, decrease) repeat 6 times.
Round 2
(5 hdc, decrease) repeat 6 times.
Round 3
(4 hdc, decrease) repeat 6 times.
Round 4
(3 hdc, decrease) repeat 6 times.
Round 5
(2 hdc, decrease) repeat 6 times.
Round 6
(1 hdc, decrease) repeat 6 times.
Assembly, in order
Step 1Cut the yarn and close the toe using a needle.
Step 2Weave in all ends neatly.
Step 3Block lightly if desired for a smooth finish.
Check these before you start
- Keep tension even through the ankle and leg rounds; half double crochet shows gauge drift more visibly than taller stitches once the leg is folded for wear.
- The heel flap decreases happen at both the beginning and end of each right-side row, so count stitches at the end of every flap row rather than every few rows.
- When picking up stitches along the heel flap sides, pick up evenly on both edges so the return to 24 stitches lands symmetrically before the foot section.
On one line
| Rounds | 6 |
|---|---|
| Parts | 6 |
| Level | Intermediate |
| Time | 4-6 hours |
| Hook | 3 mm |
| Yarn | Fingering |
Set-up
- Check that one skein of Alize Angora Gold (550m/100g) is enough to cover both leg length and foot length before dividing yarn for a pair.
- Place a stitch marker at the join point of the initial ring so every round start is easy to find in later rounds.
- Work a small hdc swatch with the 3mm hook to confirm gauge matches a US 7-8 foot before committing to the full leg height.
- Read through the heel flap rows once before starting them, since right-side and wrong-side rows are worked differently over the same 24 stitches.
Construction
The 48-stitch chain joined into a ring sets the leg circumference once and that count carries unchanged through the ankle rounds until heel shaping begins.
The heel is worked flat, not in the round, over half the total stitches (24), because turning rows let decreases sit at both edges to pull the flap into a cupped shape before stitches are picked back up for the foot.
Time per section
| Ring, ankle, and leg rounds | about 90-120 minutes because the leg height is worked to personal preference in plain hdc rounds |
|---|---|
| Heel flap and turn | about 45-60 minutes because of the paired decreases on right-side rows across 24 stitches |
| Foot and six-round toe decrease | about 60-90 minutes because the foot is worked to length before the toe tightens over 6 decrease rounds |
Photographs of this one
Every one was taken by whoever published the pattern, in the order the source listed them.
Common questions
These answers came from whoever first published the pattern, kept word for word.