Free Pattern: Simple Square Toe Linen Stitch Knit Sock

A Sock You Can Actually Knit as a Total Beginner

If you have ever looked at a knitted sock and thought "that looks impossible," this is the pattern for you. This simple square toe linen stitch sock is knit flat as one long rectangle, which means no knitting in the round, no double-pointed needles, and no confusing heel turns. You will knit back and forth in rows just like a scarf, then fold, seam, and close the toe. The finished sock is a cozy tube with a soft ribbed cuff, a dense woven-looking linen stitch texture, and a straight squared-off toe. In self-striping dusty rose and grey yarn, the linen stitch creates a speckled, marled fabric where the stripes meet, and a clean visible seam runs down one side. It feels sturdy, warm, and wonderfully handmade.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: 1 skein (approx. 400 yd / 366 m, 100 g) of self-striping sock-weight yarn (fingering weight, approx. 28 sts = 4 in / 10 cm in stockinette), in a dusty rose and grey colorway. One skein makes one sock; buy two skeins for a pair.
• Needles: US 2 (2.75 mm) straight or circular knitting needles. You will also need a second matching US 2 (2.75 mm) needle for the three-needle bind-off.
• Tapestry needle: A blunt-tipped needle with a large eye for seaming and weaving in ends.
• Stitch markers: 2 or 3, to mark section boundaries (optional but helpful).
• Scissors: Any sharp pair for cutting yarn.
• Stitch holder or spare needle: To hold live stitches before the toe.

Finished size: Foot circumference approx. 8 in / 20 cm (to fit women's US shoe size 6–9). Foot length from heel to toe approx. 9 in / 23 cm (adjustable). Leg length from cuff to heel approx. 6 in / 15 cm. Total rectangle before folding: approx. 16 in / 41 cm long.

Abbreviations and Beginner Glossary

• st / sts – stitch / stitches. One loop on your needle is a stitch.
• K – knit stitch. Insert the right needle into the front of the stitch on the left needle, wrap the yarn around, and pull the loop through.
• P – purl stitch. Insert the right needle into the front of the stitch from right to left, wrap the yarn around, and pull the loop through to the back.
• sl1 – slip one stitch. Move one stitch from the left needle to the right needle without knitting it.
• wyif – with yarn in front. Hold the working yarn between you and the needle before you slip the stitch. This creates the woven linen texture.
• RS – right side. The side of the fabric that faces outward when worn.
• WS – wrong side. The inside of the fabric.
• rep – repeat. Do the instruction again.
• * ... * – repeat the instructions between the asterisks as many times as stated.
• cast on – the very first step: creating the starting loops on your needle.
• bind off – the final step that locks stitches so they do not unravel.
• long-tail cast-on – a stretchy, neat cast-on. Make a slip knot, hold the tail in one hand and the working yarn in the other, then scoop the yarn through the loop on your thumb to create each new stitch.
• mattress stitch – an invisible seaming technique. Bring the needle under the horizontal bar between the first and second stitch on one edge, then under the matching bar on the other edge, and pull snug. Repeat along the seam.
• three-needle bind-off – a way to join two sets of live stitches while binding them off at the same time, creating a flat seam. You knit one stitch from the front needle together with one stitch from the back needle, then bind off.
• live stitches – stitches still on the needle, not yet bound off.
• blocking – gently wetting and shaping the finished sock so the stitches even out.

Gauge

24 sts and 44 rows = 4 in / 10 cm in linen stitch, blocked.

Gauge matters because it tells you whether your sock will actually fit. If your stitches are bigger than the pattern expects, the sock will be too loose; if they are smaller, it will be too tight. To check, cast on about 30 stitches and work in linen stitch for about 5 inches. Lay the swatch flat, place a ruler across the middle, and count how many stitches fit in 4 inches and how many rows fit in 4 inches. If you have more stitches than 24, go up a needle size; if you have fewer, go down a needle size. Wash and dry your swatch the way you plan to wash the sock before measuring.

Beginner Tips Before You Start

• Use stitch markers to track sections. Place a marker after the cuff, after the leg, after the heel, and after the foot. This way you never lose your place in a long rectangle.
• Do not pull the yarn too tight when slipping stitches. A gentle tension keeps the linen stitch fabric even. If the slipped stitch looks pinched, relax your grip.
• Count your stitches after every few rows. You should always have 48 stitches. If you have 47 or 49, you dropped or added a stitch — fix it right away.
• Keep the slipped stitch untwisted. Always slip purlwise (as if to purl) and do not twist the stitch. This keeps the woven texture neat.
• Measure, don't guess. Use a ruler or tape measure to check each section length rather than counting every row. Row counts vary with tension.
• Leave a long tail when you cast on. About 6 inches of tail makes seaming and weaving in much easier.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Stitch Guide: Linen Stitch Worked Flat

Row 1 (RS): K1, *sl1 wyif, k1; rep from * to end.

Row 2 (WS): P1, *p1, sl1 wyif; rep from * to end.

Always slip stitches purlwise with the yarn in front, and do not twist the slipped stitch. The stitch you knit on one row is the stitch you slip on the next.

Construction Note

This sock is knit flat as one long rectangle. The rectangle runs from the cuff down the leg, across the heel, and along the sole and foot to the toe. It is then folded and seamed along one side, and the toe is closed with a straight three-needle bind-off to create the squared toe.

Cast On

Using the long-tail cast-on, cast on 48 sts. Do not join; work flat.

Cuff (approx. 1 in / 2.5 cm)

Row 1 (RS): *K1, p1; rep from * to end. (48 sts)

Row 2 (WS): *K1, p1; rep from * to end. (48 sts)

Repeat Rows 1–2 until the cuff measures 1 in / 2.5 cm, ending on a WS row. (Approx. 11 rows total.)

Leg in Linen Stitch (approx. 6 in / 15 cm)

Row 1 (RS): K1, *sl1 wyif, k1; rep from * to end. (48 sts)

Row 2 (WS): P1, *p1, sl1 wyif; rep from * to end. (48 sts)

Repeat Rows 1–2 until the leg measures 6 in / 15 cm from the cast-on edge, ending on a WS row. (Approx. 66 rows.)

Heel Section (approx. 2 in / 5 cm)

Continue in the linen stitch pattern as established for approx. 2 in / 5 cm, ending on a WS row. (Approx. 22 rows.) This section becomes the heel when folded.

Foot Section (approx. 7 in / 18 cm)

Continue in the linen stitch pattern as established until the foot section measures 7 in / 18 cm from the end of the heel section, ending on a WS row. (Approx. 77 rows.) The total rectangle length should now be approx. 16 in / 41 cm.

Toe Preparation

Work 1 more RS row in linen stitch. (48 sts) Do not bind off. Leave the stitches on the needle or on a stitch holder.

Seaming the Side

Fold the rectangle in half lengthwise with right sides together, matching the cast-on edge to the toe edge. Using the tapestry needle and mattress stitch, seam the long open side from the cuff to the toe, leaving the toe opening free. Fasten off and weave in the ends. Turn the sock right side out.

Three-Needle Flat Toe

Slip the live toe stitches onto two needles, 24 sts on each needle, with right sides together and the seam at one side. Hold the two needles parallel.

Using a third needle, work a three-needle bind-off: *insert the third needle into the first stitch on the front needle and the first stitch on the back needle and knit them together, then bind off the resulting stitch; rep from * across all 24 pairs of stitches. Fasten off the last stitch and weave in the end. This creates a straight, squared-off toe.

Assembly and Finishing

Seam: With the sock still inside out, thread the tapestry needle with a long tail of yarn. Working from the cuff down to the toe, bring the needle under the horizontal bar between the first and second stitch on one edge, then under the matching bar on the other edge. Pull gently but snugly after every few stitches. Keep the seam flat and even so it does not pucker. When you reach the toe opening, fasten off on the inside.

Weave in ends: Thread each loose end onto the tapestry needle and run it through the back of several stitches, changing direction once or twice so it cannot work loose. Trim close to the fabric.

Blocking: Fill a basin with cool water and a little wool wash. Submerge the sock for about 15 minutes, then gently squeeze out the water without wringing. Roll it in a towel to remove excess moisture. Lay the sock flat and shape it to the finished measurements, smoothing the linen stitch texture and the side seam. Let it dry completely away from direct heat. Wear the sock with the seam at the outer side of the foot.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Change the colors: Use a solid dusty rose for a softer look, or a solid grey for a more neutral sock. Self-striping yarn creates the marled effect where stripes meet, but any sock-weight yarn works.
• Adjust the size: For a larger sock, cast on 52 or 56 stitches (any multiple of 2 works in linen stitch) and add about half an inch to the foot length. For a smaller sock, cast on 44 stitches.
• Substitute yarn: Any fingering-weight yarn with a similar gauge works. Avoid bulky or worsted yarns, which will make the sock too thick to fit comfortably in shoes.
• Make a pair: Knit a second identical rectangle and seam it the same way. For matching socks, start the second sock at the same point in the self-striping sequence.