It seems that everyone has a vanilla sock pattern. Or less a pattern and more a recipe where you can do a dash of this and dash of that as you prefer. Here’s mine for toddler & mama sizes. I use DPNs for my needles, you can use your preference – magic loop, 2 circs, magic.
Using size 1 CO 10 (12) stitches on each of two DPNs using Judy’s Magic Cast on JMCO
Knit one round
Row 1: K1, increase by picking up bar and twisting before knitting, K to last two stitches, increase by picking up bar and twisting before knitting, K1
Row 2: Knit around
repeat rows 1 & 2 until you have 48 (60) stitches
Knit around until work measures 2.25-2.5″ less than your foot length. For my toddler’s size 8 that’s currently 4″, for my US women’s 11 that’s a smidge more than 7.5″
Follow the Fish Lips Kiss Heel or your choice of forethought wrap and turn heel. I’m quite fond of basically making a top down toe. I do suggest you try the FLK heel, but if not here’s how I do a forethought heel.
Place half your stitches on holding yarn or needle. Using your preferred provisional cast on, cast on half your total number of stitches, ie 24 (30).
Row 1: Knit around
Row 2: K1, K2tog, K to last two stitches,K2tog, K1
Repeat rows until 20 (24) stitches total are left. Kitchener closed.
Then knit, knit, knit up until you have your desired leg length, do a minimum 2″ K2P2 or K3P1 ribbing & bind off using Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off.
I usually then go back and duplicate stitch a few stitches around each side of my heel to strengthen that slightly weak point.
CO cast on
K2tog knit 2 stitches together
A quick tip for you: If you don’t want to carry your foot cut out, or heavans, don’t have one and you don’t have a measuring tape for every project bag, just cut out a small piece of paper the length you need to knit for the foot and use it to measure where you’re at on your sock while out and about.