Baby Socks in Schachenmayr Little Finn - Downloadable PDF

Baby Socks Knitting Pattern in Schachenmayr Little Finn – Free Downloadable PDF

This free downloadable PDF pattern provides complete instructions for knitting a pair of classic baby socks using Schachenmayr original Little Finn yarn. The pattern is available in three sizes — S, M, and L — making it suitable for a range of infant and toddler foot sizes. Instructions for Size S appear before the first slash, Size M between the slashes, and Size L after the second slash; where only one figure is given, it applies to all sizes.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces a pair of snug, well-fitted baby socks complete with a decorative turned cuff, a ribbed leg shaft, a traditional heel flap with a three-part heel turn, a gusset, and a shaped toe. The construction follows a top-down approach worked in the round on a set of double-pointed needles, a time-honoured method that creates a seamless, comfortable sock perfectly suited to delicate baby skin.

Materials Required

• Yarn: Schachenmayr original Little Finn, 50 g in White (shade Nr. 00001). Little Finn is a 4-ply weight yarn, making it ideal for fine, lightweight baby knitwear.
• Needles: A set of Milward double-pointed needles (Nadelspiel) size 2–3. The sock is worked across four needles, with the round change positioned at the centre back between needle 4 and needle 1.

Tension / Gauge

The stated tension is 30 stitches and 42 rounds/rows to 10 cm × 10 cm worked in stocking stitch. Achieving this gauge is important for ensuring the finished socks match the intended sizes, so a tension swatch is recommended before casting on.

Stitches and Techniques Used

• Stocking stitch (Glatt rechts): Knit stitches on right-side rows, purl stitches on wrong-side rows; when working in the round, all stitches are knitted. Used for the main body of the sock and the heel flap sections.
• Rib pattern (Rippenmuster): A 1×3 rib — one purl stitch alternating with three knit stitches — worked throughout the leg shaft to provide elasticity and a neat, structured appearance.
• Garter stitch (Kraus rechts): Every row knitted, used along the first and last two stitches of the heel flap edges to create a tidy, stable selvedge.
• Turned cuff (Umschlag): The cuff is formed by alternating two rounds of knit and three rounds of purl, repeated twice, then finishing with two further knit rounds — a total of 17 rounds. This creates a soft, rolled or folded decorative cuff at the top of the sock.
• Heel flap: Worked back and forth in rows over the stitches of needles 1 and 4 (14/16/18 stitches depending on size), with the stitches of needles 2 and 3 held aside. The flap is worked for 12/14/16 rows.
• Three-part heel turn (3-teiliges Fersenkäppchen): The heel stitches are divided into three sections — two side sections of 4/5/6 stitches each and a centre section of 6 stitches. Short rows are worked, using slip-stitch decreases to join the centre to the side sections, a classic technique that shapes the heel cup neatly.
• Gusset (Spickel): After the heel turn, gusset decreases are worked on needles 1 and 4 every round — a right-leaning decrease (k2tog) at the end of needle 1 and a left-leaning decrease (slip 1, k1, psso) at the beginning of needle 4 — repeated three times in total until all four needles hold equal stitch counts again.
• Toe shaping: Although the full toe instructions are partially referenced, the pattern uses standard decrease rounds to shape and close the toe of the sock.

Cast-On and Sizing

The pattern begins with a cast-on of