Man's Knee Length Socks in Regia 4 Ply Tweed - 5413

Man's Knee Length Socks in Regia 4 Ply Tweed – Pattern 5413

This downloadable PDF knitting pattern from Schachenmayr provides instructions for crafting a pair of men's knee-length socks worked in Regia 4 Ply Tweed yarn. Designed to reach the knee, these socks are a classic wardrobe staple that combine traditional sock construction techniques with decorative cable detailing, making them both functional and visually interesting. The pattern is available as a free downloadable PDF, making it an accessible project for knitters who enjoy working with fine-weight sock yarn.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces a pair of long, knee-length men's socks worked in the round on double-pointed needles. The finished sock measures approximately 40 cm in sock length before the foot section begins, indicating a substantial leg that rises to the knee. The socks feature a structured cable panel running up the back of the leg, adding a refined, traditional detail suited to a men's dress or casual sock.

Construction and Techniques

The socks are constructed using several classic sock-knitting techniques combined into a cohesive, well-engineered design:

• Working in the round: The leg and foot are knitted circularly across four double-pointed needles, a traditional method for seamless sock construction.
• Cable panel (Zopf): A central cable column runs along the back of the leg. The cable stitches are incorporated into the shaping of the heel, with the cable centred over the back 6 stitches of the heel flap, flanked by 16 stitches on either side, for a total of 38 heel stitches.
• Calf shaping with decreases: The leg is shaped with regular decreases to taper from the calf down toward the ankle. Decreases are worked every 4th round 6 times, then every 2nd round 17 times, reducing the stitch count to 72 stitches. The decreases are worked as cable-integrated slip-stitch decreases for a neat finish.
• Heel flap worked in rows: The heel is knitted flat (back and forth in rows) over 38 stitches in stocking stitch for 32 rows, with 4 stitches decreased evenly across the first row to give 34 stitches for the heel cap.
• Three-part heel cap (dreiteiliges Käppchen): The heel is turned using a traditional German three-part heel cap method, dividing the heel stitches into three sections — two outer sections of 11 stitches each and a centre cap section of 12 stitches — for a well-fitted, rounded heel turn.
• Gusset shaping: After turning the heel, stitches are picked up along both sides of the heel flap — 16 stitches from each side — plus one stitch from the yarn-over between needle 1 and needle 2, and between needle 3 and needle 4, giving 23 stitches on needles 1 and 4. Gusset decreases are then worked every 3rd round, 6 times, on needles 1 and 4 to return to the working stitch count.
• Foot construction: The foot is worked following the general foot instructions provided on page 29 of the pattern booklet, with the sole worked in stocking stitch and the instep continuing in the main pattern stitch.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The pattern draws on a combination of foundational and decorative knitting stitches:

• Stocking stitch (glatt rechts): Used throughout the sole, heel flap, and portions of the foot, providing a smooth, elastic fabric ideal for the underside of a sock.
• Main pattern stitch (Grundmuster): A textured stitch pattern worked across the instep on needles 2 and 3, adding surface interest to the top of the foot and complementing the cable on the leg.
• Cable stitch (Zopf): A central cable column worked up the back of the leg, integrated into the heel construction. The cable decreases are executed as a slip-stitch method — slipping one stitch knitwise, knitting the next stitch, and passing the slipped stitch over — for a clean, directional decrease that maintains the cable's visual line.