Originally designed for the Woolgirl sock club, The Sock Thief is a fun, easy ribbed lace sock that comes in fingering and DK weight. Written in a table format, it’s easy to keep the pattern straight so you remember which size you’re knitting.

My parents have a little tiny yorkie who has a terrible habit of stealing socks. She has a special fondness for worn socks, so it didn’t surprise me when she dug these socks out of my knitting bag – more than once! – after they’d be tried on a few times. I think puppy, aptly nicknamed The Sock Thief, definitely appreciated the ultra soft merino and forgiving nylon in the Sweet Georgia Tough Love Sock. The generously stretchy lace and rib pattern hugs your foot and keeps your toes cozy.

The pattern is written for fingering weight and DK weight yarns. Both socks are worked top down. To knit a larger sock in either yarn weight, add a few extra stitches and work (k1tbl, p1) in between the two chart repeats.

Materials and Sizing

DK weight

Sweet Georgia Superwash DK (100% superwash merino. 256 yds/234 m per 115 grams).

US 3 (3.25mm), circulars recommended. 22 sts and 26 rows per 4 ins/10 cms, stockinette stitch. Use the needle that works best when you work ribbed socks.

Finished size: fits US women’s 8–9, expect 8 in/20.5 cm.

Fingering weight

Sweet Georgia Tough Love Sock (80% superwash merino, 20% nylon. 425 yds/388 m per 115 grams) Color shown: Terrywinkle.

US 1.5 (2.5mm) 32 sts and 40 rows per 4 ins/10 cm, stockinette stitch. Use the needle that works best when you work ribbed socks.

Finished size: fits US women’s 7–8, expect 7.5 in/19 cm.

Errata

• Gusset decreases - the pattern tells you to stop decreasing when you have 31 foot stitches and 30 instep stitches. Instead, it should be 30 foot stitches and 31 instep stitches. The lace pattern is worked over 31 stitches.

• Clarification: Where it says “continue working in pattern” this means to continue working the lace pattern over the top of the foot and knit plain stockinette on the bottom of the foot.