"Directions for Knitting Socks" from the United States Sanitary Commission Bulletin, Volume I, Number 31, February 1, 1865, p. 963

Modern Interpretation For Experienced Knitters

Yarn: 5 ounces 3/8 Jagger Spun yarn (1490 yards per pound). Contrasting heels and toes: 3 ounces of contrast color.

Needles: Use a set of five American size 1 needles (2.25 mm) or size to make gauge.
If you prefer to knit with four double point needles, one circular or two circulars, adjust these instructions accordingly

Gauge: 9 stitches to the inch, 11 rows per inch.

19th Century Sizes
Some people believe “people were smaller then” – but the average height of soldiers in the Civil War was 5’ 8” – most wearers will fit into the size feet included in this pattern. What has changed is how much modern people weigh vs. Civil War soldiers. While you may not need to change the size of the foot, you might well have to change the size of the leg.

The original pattern provides instructions for making three sizes: small (10 inch foot); medium (11 inch foot); and large (12 inch foot).

Leg Size: We tried on socks made to each size to see how large a leg they could comfortably fit. The “small size” can stretch to snugly fit a leg that is up to 13 inches around. The “medium” will fit a leg up to 14 inches around and the “large” a leg up to 15 inches around. If the person wearing the socks doesn’t want a really tight fit around his leg, you may want to adjust accordingly (see below).

How many stitches to cast on for a good fit in the leg:

Measure from the floor up the wearer’s leg 13 inches. Using a tape measure, measure how big around the leg is at this point (circumference).
Multiply this number by your stitches per inch (from your gauge swatch).
Subtract 30%. Your new total is the number of stitches to cast on.

Foot Size: If the wearer has a foot that is smaller than 10 inches long or larger than 12 inches long, you’ll need to alter the length of your sock. Either have them stand on a ruler to give you the exact length, or make a tracing of their foot and use that to measure.

Ribbing: Use either a) knit one, purl one or b) knit two, purl two until your ribbing is 3 ½ inches long.

Leg: Knit leg in stockinette, keeping one stitch at the beginning of each row in purl, forming your “seam stitch” down the back of the sock leg until leg is 6 ½ inches long.

Heel Flap: Locate your purl (or seam) stitch. This will be the center of your heel flap. Divide instep stitches from heel flap.
Cast on 65 stitches? Heel flap will be 33 stitches
Cast on 70 stitches? Heel flap will be 35 stitches.
Cast on 75 stitches? Heel flap will be 37 stitches.
Cast on any other number? Divide the total number cast on in half (you need to have an odd number, because your seam stitch will be in the middle) to determine heel flap total.

Contrasting Color Heels: You can choose to start your contrast color at start of heel flap, after an inch or inch and a half of heel flap.

Heel Flap Construction Choices:
This pattern includes a choice of two ways to make a heel flap:

Version A:
Row 1: Slip first stitch, knit straight across, remembering to purl the seam stitch when you come to it.

Row 2: Slip first stitch, purl straight across; remembering to knit the seam stitch when you come to it.

Repeat these two rows until your heel flap is three inches in length, and end ready to start a right side row..

Version B:
This version of the heel flap will add durability to your heel flap.

Row 1: Slip first stitch, knit straight across, remembering to purl the seam stitch when you come to it.

Row 2: Slip first stitch, then purl one stitch and slip one stitch – alternate purling and slipping stitches across the heel flap. Knit the seam stitch when you come to it.

Repeat these two rows until your heel flap is three inches in length, and end ready to start a right side row.

Turning the heel: Discontinue seam stitch.

Mentally divide the number of stitches by four.
If your heel flap is 33 stitches, one quarter is 8 stitches.
If your heel flap is 35 stitches, one quarter is 9 stitches.
If your heel flap is 37 stitches, one quarter is 10 stitches.

Start with the right side of the heel flap facing you:

Row 1. Slip one, then knit until (8; 9 or 10) stitches remain unknit on the needle. Knit the next two stitches together. There should now be (7; 8; or 9) stitches remaining unknit. Flip work so wrong side is facing you.

Row 2: Purl back until (8; 9 or 10) stitches remain unpurled. Purl next two stitches together. There should now be (7; 8; or 9) stitches left unpurled. Flip work so right side is facing you.

Row 3: Look for the “gap” that was made by knitting two stitches together in two places on this heel flap. Continue alternately knitting and purling across, each time knitting or purling together the two stitches on either side of the “gap.”

Knit until (7; 8 or 9) stitches un-knit. Knit the next two stitches together (one from either side of the “gap”). You should now have (6; 7; or 8 stitches left unknit) Flip the work so that the wrong side is facing.

Row 4: Purl until(7,8; or 9) stitches remain unpurled. Purl the two stitches together from either side of the “gap”. You should now have (6;7; or 8 stitches left unpurled) Flip so right side is facing you.

Continue until all stitches have been knit off. 17 stitches should remain on the needle at the bottom of the heel.

Pick up stitches along the left side of the heel flap: If contrasting color used for heel, at this point switch back to main color.

Hold the sock so that you are looking into the sock, with the needles holding the instep stitches (the ones that will form the top of the foot), the farthest away from you. The bottom of the sock should be closest to you. Move half the stitches at the bottom of the heel to another needle. If you have 17 stitches left, put 8 stitches on the left hand needle (Needle 1) one needle and 9 on the other (Needle 4).

Pick up stitches along left side of heel flap and put them on Needle 1, knit straight across instep stitches (Needles 2 and 3) and pick up the same number of stitches along the right hand side of heel flap (Needle 4).

Joining the heel to the foot: Needle number 1 holds half the stitches left at the bottom of the heel and all the stitches picked up along the left side of the heel. Needle number 2 holds half the instep stitches. Needle number 3 holds the second half of the instep stitches. Needle number 4 has all the stitches picked up on the right hand side of the heel and the remaining half of the heel stitches.

Knit as follows:

Row 1:
Needle 1: Knit until 3 stitches are left. Slip one, knit one, and pass the slipped stitch over the knit stitch. Knit the last stitch.
Needle 2: Knit straight across.
Needle 3: Knit straight across.
Needle 4: Knit the first stitch, slip one, knit one, pass the slipped stitch over the knit stitch and knit remaining stitches on that needle.

Row 2. Knit all stitches on needles 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until remaining stitches equal the number of stitches cast on. If using the original Sanitary Commission’s cast on, this will be 65: 70 or 75.

Knitting the Foot: Knit foot until it is 2 ½ inches shorter than finished length of foot.

Toe: If making of contrasting color, switch colors now.

Row 1: Knit 6 stitches, slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over the knitted stitch. Repeat across row. If odd stitches remain at end of row, knit plain.

Row 2-7: Knit six rows plain.

Row 8: Knit 5 stitches, slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over the knitted stitch. Repeat this the entire row. If there are odd stitches left at the end, knit them plain..

Row 9-13: Knit five rows plain.

Row 14: Knit 4, slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over the knitted stitch. Repeat this the entire row. If there are stitches left at the end, knit them plain.

Row 15 – 18: Knit four rows plain.

Row 19: Knit 3, slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over the knitted stitch. Repeat this the entire row. If there are stitches left at the end, knit them plain.

Row 20 – 22: Knit three rows plain

Row 23: Knit 2, slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over the knitted stitch. Repeat this the entire row. If there are stitches left at the end, knit them plain.

Row 24 - 25: Knit two rows plain.

Row 26: Knit 1, slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over the knitted stitch. Repeat this the entire row. If there is one stitch left at the end, knit it plain.

Row 27: Knit this row plain.

Row 28: Knit two together. Repeat this the entire row.

Break off yarn, thread through darning needle and weave in ends. Weave in all ends when colors changed.

“To Run the Heels and Toes:” In the original pattern the last step is to “run heels and toes.” “Running a heel” is a 19th century term for a way of reinforcing the heels and toes. The knitter would take a darning needle, thread it with sock yarn, and then use a “running” stitch all over the inside surface of the bottom of the toe, and the bottom and sides of the heel. Don’t make a knot at the end of your “running yarn.” Don’t go all the way through the sock – just shallowly dip the needle down so that it slides under the surface of the inside of the sock. You can take fairly large “running stitches” and just go back and forth inside first the heel and then the toe. To make sure that you don’t accidentally sew the sock closed, it’s a good idea to insert a darning egg, a light bulb or a potato inside the sock to help hold it open.

Find a mistake? Was something confusing? Let us know and we will revise the pattern and publicly thank you for helping to make it better. Send a note with your comments or corrections to me at ktimour@aol.com.