My daughter is extremely knitworthy, but she is also picky, especially about her clothing. These ankle socks are the culmination of my quest to knit her the perfect socks. They are just enough to keep her feet warm but don’t cover so much that they make her overheat. They have a textured short-row tab on the back that raises the fabric above the heel and gives her something to grab when she’s pulling them on. And they have ribbing on the sole, which she says makes it feel like she’s “walking on pillows.” While you and those you like to knit for might not be as discerning as my tween, you can still enjoy the comfort of these footies and the speed at which they knit up.

To knit these socks, you need to work how to:

• work flat and in the round in both knit and purl,
• slip stitches,
• work basic decreases (k2tog, ssk, and p2tog),
• pick up stitches along a vertical edge, and
• use Kitchener stitch to graft live stitches.

The pattern does not specify yarn requirements because how much you need depends on the size you make and the length of your foot, but most people will need between 25 and 100 g of fingering weight yarn. The socks are designed to have a snug fit to ensure that they stay on.

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