Socks as a gift, you know you are at risk of that disappointed face. Until they unfold them and a cute piggy face and adorable ears are looking back at them.
This free pig socks knitting pattern makes a pink pair with a pig face on each foot: two knitted ears, a Swiss darned snout, and small embroidered eyes that look faintly pleased with themselves. They come in child, teen and adult sizes, so there is a pair for every member of the family, and anyone else who asks.
Quick Look
What you’ll find in this post:
- The complete free pig socks knitting pattern in three sizes
- Full materials list: yarn, needles, and notions
- Step-by-step instructions from cuff to toe, plus the ears and face
- The snout chart and how to Swiss darn it
- Technique notes for any unfamiliar stitches
- A link to the printable PDF if you would prefer one
Underneath the ears, this is a classic sock. It is worked from the cuff down with a heel flap and gusset, the construction most sock knitters learn first. The pig arrives at the very end. You knit a plain pink sock, then add the ears, snout and eyes afterwards, so there is no colourwork to manage while you are turning a heel. Perfect project for knitting in front of the TV.
I have been designing for children for 18 years, and it is the small details that get a hand knit worn. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. The child size takes a single ball of yarn, and the foot is knitted to measure, so you can make them for the particular child you have in mind. They are great for gifts, birthdays and Christmas stockings included.
Plain socks get lost under the bed. Socks with ears get worn and cherished.
About the Pig Socks Knitting Pattern
Each sock starts with a twisted rib cuff, worked by knitting into the back of every knit stitch. It looks neat and it holds its shape. The leg and foot are plain stocking stitch in the round.
The heel is a slip stitch heel flap, a turned heel, and a gusset that decreases back to the original stitch count. The toe is a simple wedge, closed with Kitchener stitch so there is no seam to rub.
The ears are four tiny triangles, knitted flat and sewn to the top of the foot. The snout is Swiss darned over the finished knitting from a small chart, seven stitches wide and six rows tall. The eyes and nostrils are a few embroidered stitches in dark grey.
Foot and cuff length are both adjustable, so you can knit to the foot you are making them for.
What You Need
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Yarn | Lang Yarns Jawoll, 75% superwash wool, 25% nylon, 210m (230yds) per 50g ball |
| Main colour | Pink (109): 1 ball for child size, 2 balls for teen and adult sizes |
| Snout | A small amount of dark pink 4ply yarn |
| Eyes and nostrils | A small amount of dark grey DK yarn |
| Needles | 2.5mm (US 1.5) double-pointed needles, or a 60 to 80cm (24 to 32in) circular needle for magic loop |
| Notions | Stitch markers, darning needle |
| Tension | 34 sts x 44 rows = 10cm x 10cm (4in x 4in) in stocking stitch using 2.5mm needles |
| Skill level | Confident Beginner (working in the round) |
Any 4ply (fingering weight) sock yarn with some nylon in it will work. West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4ply and Knit Picks Stroll Fingering are both good substitutes and easy to find.
Check your tension (gauge) before you begin. Socks are knitted firmly so they wear well, and a loose fabric will give you a baggy pig.
Sizes
| Measurement | Child | Teen | Adult |
|---|---|---|---|
| To fit foot circumference | 17cm / 6.75in | 19cm / 7.5in | 21.5cm / 8.5in |
| Actual foot circumference | 14.5cm / 5.75in | 16.5cm / 6.5in | 19cm / 7.5in |
To choose the best fit, measure around the widest part of the foot and knit the size closest to the “to fit” measurement. Instructions are given for the child size first, with teen and adult sizes in brackets.
Abbreviations
A full abbreviations guide is available as a free download from the Jane Burns shop. Download the free knitting abbreviations guide here.
The abbreviations used in this pattern are:
- k: knit
- p: purl
- k1tbl: knit 1 through the back loop
- k2tog: knit 2 stitches together
- p2tog: purl 2 stitches together
- p3tog: purl 3 stitches together
- ssk: slip, slip, knit (a left-leaning decrease)
- s2kpo: slip next 2 stitches together as if to knit, knit the next stitch, pass the slipped stitches over
- sl: slip
- pm: place marker
- sm: slip marker
- RS: right side
- WS: wrong side
- st(s): stitch(es)
- rep: repeat
If any of these are unfamiliar, see the Technique Notes later in the blog post.
The Pig Socks Knitting Pattern
Cuff
Cast on 48 (56: 64) sts using 2.5mm needles and the long-tail cast on method. Join into the round taking care not to twist the sts. Place marker for beginning of round.
Round 1: *K1tbl, p1; rep from * to end.
Repeat Round 1 until cuff measures 2.5 (3: 3.5) cm / 1 (1.25: 1.5) in from cast on edge, or desired length.
Leg
Round 1: Knit.
Continue working as set, knitting every round, until piece measures 7 (10: 12) cm / 2.75 (4: 4.75) in from cast on edge.
Heel Flap
Heel flap is worked over next 24 (28: 32) sts.
With RS facing, work back and forth as follows:
Row 1: *Sl 1 purlwise, k1; rep from * to end.
Row 2: Sl 1 purlwise, purl to end.
Repeat these 2 rows until 24 (26: 32) rows are complete.
Turn Heel
Row 1: K13 (15: 17), ssk, k1, turn.
Row 2: Sl 1, p3, p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 3: Sl 1, k4, ssk, k1, turn.
Row 4: Sl 1, purl to 1 st before gap, p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 5: Sl 1, knit to 1 st before gap, ssk, k1, turn.
Continue as set until all sts are worked. 14 (16: 18) sts
Heel Gusset
Begin working in the round again.
With RS facing, knit across heel flap sts, pick up and knit 12 (13: 16) sts along the side of the heel, pick up and knit 1 st at corner from row below to prevent hole, pm, knit across next 24 (28: 32) instep sts, pm, pick up and knit 1 st at corner from row below to prevent hole, pick up and knit 12 (13: 16) sts along the side of the heel and knit across 7 (8: 9) heel sts. Place marker for beginning of round. 64 (72: 84) sts
Round 1 (Dec): Knit to 3 sts before marker, k2tog, k1, sm, knit across next 24 (28: 32) instep sts, sm, k1, ssk, knit to end. [2 sts decreased]
Round 2: Knit, slipping markers.
Continue decreasing every alternate round as set until 48 (56: 64) sts remain.
Foot
Knit to start of instep, pm to mark new beginning of round.
Continue knitting every round until foot measures 2.5 (3: 3.5) cm / 1 (1.25: 1.5) in less than desired foot length.
Shape Toe
Round 1 (Dec): *Sm, k1, ssk, knit to 3 sts before marker, k2tog, k1, sm; rep from * once more. [4 sts decreased]
Round 2: Knit, slipping markers.
Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 until 36 (40: 40) sts remain in total.
Work decrease round only until 20 (20: 20) sts remain.
Finishing
Slip all instep sts onto one needle. 10 (10: 10) sts
Slip all heel/sole sts onto another needle. 10 (10: 10) sts
Holding two needles together, graft sts using Kitchener Stitch.
Ears (Make 4)
Cast on 9 sts using 2.5mm needles.
Row 1 (WS): Purl.
Row 2: Knit.
Row 3: Purl.
Row 4: K1, ssk, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. Seven sts
Row 5: Purl.
Row 6: K1, ssk, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. Five sts
Row 7: Purl.
Row 8: K1, s2kpo, k1. Three sts
Row 9: P3tog.
Fasten off.
Darn in ends and using image as a guide sew to top of foot.
Snout, Nostrils and Eyes
Using Chart and dark pink yarn, Swiss darn (duplicate stitch) the snout on to the top of the sock, using the image as a guide and taking care to centre the chart.
Using dark grey yarn, embroider on eyes and nostrils.
The chart is seven stitches wide and six rows tall. Rows 1 and 6 cover the middle five stitches only, leaving the four corners unworked. Rows 2 to 5 cover all seven.
Technique Notes
K1tbl (knit 1 through the back loop): Insert the right needle into the back of the stitch, from right to left, and knit it as normal. This twists the stitch and gives the rib its crisp, tidy look.
Ssk (slip, slip, knit): Slip the first stitch knitwise, then slip the second stitch knitwise. Insert the left needle through the fronts of both slipped stitches and knit them together. This is a neat left-leaning decrease.
S2kpo: Slip the next two stitches together as if to knit them together. Knit the next stitch, then pass the two slipped stitches over it. Three stitches become one, with the centre stitch sitting neatly on top. It gives each ear its point.
Picking up gusset stitches: The slipped stitch at the start of every heel flap row leaves a chain of large loops down each side. Pick up one stitch in each loop. The extra stitch at the corner closes the small gap where the heel flap meets the instep.
Kitchener stitch: This grafts the two sets of toe stitches together so the join looks like a row of knitting. It has a reputation it does not really deserve. If you would like to watch it done slowly, Very Pink Knits has a slow motion Kitchener stitch video.
Swiss darning: Thread a darning needle with the dark pink yarn. Bring the needle up through the base of the stitch you want to cover. Pass it behind both legs of the stitch above, from one side to the other, then take it back down where you started. The new stitch sits exactly on top of the old one. Work from the bottom row of the chart upwards and keep the yarn relaxed, so the stitches underneath are covered but not pulled in.
If you enjoyed these, my free watermelon socks knitting pattern uses the same sock construction in grown-up sizes.
Would You Like the PDF?
The full pattern is free right here on the blog and always will be. If you would prefer a neatly laid-out, printable version, the PDF is available from the Jane Burns shop.
It includes the sizing table, the snout chart and a step-by-step guide to Swiss darning, all in one place. Socks get knitted on sofas, in cars and in waiting rooms, and a printed pattern does not go to sleep halfway through a heel. It is also a nice thing to tuck in with the socks if you are giving them as a gift.
[BUTTON: Get the Premium Pig Socks PDF here. Link to the Shopify listing]
If cats are more their thing than pigs, the Cat Paw Socks are fluffy, clawed, and sized for all the family.
Pig Socks Knitting Pattern: FAQ
How many stitches do I cast on for socks?
It depends on the yarn, the needles and the foot. For these socks, in 4ply yarn on 2.5mm needles, you cast on 48 stitches for the child size, 56 for the teen size and 64 for the adult size.
Can I knit these pig socks for an adult?
Yes. The adult size fits a foot measuring around 21.5cm (8.5in) at its widest point, and the teen size fits around 19cm (7.5in). The foot length is knitted to measure, so it will fit whoever you are knitting for.
What size socks should I knit for my child?
Measure around the widest part of the foot and choose the size closest to the “to fit” measurement in the table above. The finished sock is a little smaller than the foot on purpose. Socks need to stretch slightly to stay up. If the socks are a surprise, a parent can usually measure a foot without giving the game away. For other measurements, my baby and children’s knitting size guide is a useful reference.
Can I use a different yarn?
Yes. Choose a 4ply sock yarn with some nylon in it, as the nylon helps the heels and toes last. If you are comparing labels from different brands, the Craft Yarn Council yarn weight guide is helpful. Knit a tension square before you start.
Are these socks suitable for a first-time sock knitter?
They use the classic heel flap and gusset method, which is where most sock knitters begin. Every step is written out in full and there is no colourwork in the knitting itself. If you can knit in the round and follow a decrease, you can make these. The pig face is added at the end and is very forgiving.
Can I knit them on a circular needle?
Yes. The pattern works on double-pointed needles or on a 60 to 80cm (24 to 32in) circular needle using the magic loop method. Use whichever you find more comfortable.
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