Little Boxes Socks Pattern Review

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I knitted this pair of Little Boxes Socks, a new shortie-sock pattern by Summer Lee. Summer posted lots of pictures of colorful sample socks on instagram in the month leading up to the pattern release, so the pattern had some big hype to live up to for me and it didn’t disappoint… too much…  Overall, I’d give it an 8 out of 10, meaning: I’d knit them again, but not without modifications.

First, a picture:

What I Loved About Knitting Little Boxes Socks

The most exciting thing about this pattern is that it gives you an opportunity to play with color.  I have a closet full of leftover sock yarn in every color of the rainbow, so these socks gave me the chance to try out different color combos while doing some stashbusting (the pair above only used about 80 yards of the grey yarn, 75 yards of the white, and 60 yards of the red).

Yes, I realize that grey, white, and red isn’t exactly an interesting color combo… it’s a long story… The next pair will be more interesting, I promise.

Here’s What I Didn’t Love…

I’m not a huge fan of the way these fit: they just don’t feel tall enough in the back and they slip off easily.  The little patterned bit above the heel is only about 3/4 of an inch on these socks – I’ll probably go up to 1.25-1.5 inches next time.  I might make the ribbed cuff a few rows taller too.  A knitter on Facebook suggested that she always knits the foot of shortie socks a little longer than her other socks and that makes them stay on her feet better, so I’ll test out that theory too.

In the meantime, another knitter on facebook suggested I might try adding a little pompom to the back to keep from slipping into my shoes, so I may try that.  If nothing else – the pom pom would look adorable!

Hot Tip!

I have knit many socks in my day and I very rarely knit a gauge swatch and it usually doesn’t get me into trouble. I can usually knit a pair of socks on any size 1, 1.5, or 2 needles without incident – the socks may be a bit tight or loose, but they still fit because of the stretchiness of the stitches and the negative ease built into most patterns.  But the stranded colorwork on these socks means they have almost no stretch so there isn’t lot of wiggle room with the fit.  It’s important to get gauge and make sure you select the correct size.  I ended up knitting these on size 2 needles in the medium size to get a good fit.

That said, my first attempt at this pattern on size 1 needles in the smallest size produced a pretty cute practice sock:

yarn details

Knit Picks Stroll in Strawberry and White
Fingering Weight
75% merino, 25% nylon
machine wash, lay flat to dry

Berroco Comfort Sock in Dusk
Fingering Weight
100% Acrylic

project details

pattern: “Little Boxes Socks” by Summer Lee (buy on Etsy or Ravelry)
size knit: M
needles: US size 2 (2.75 mm), nickel-plated circular needles (magic loop)
gauge: 17.5 stitches and 21 rows = 2 inches in box pattern (blocked)
yarn used: 80 yards (18 grams) of the Grey Comfort Sock, 60 yards (13 g) of the red Stroll, 74 yards (16 g) of the white Stroll
finished size: about 9” from tip of toe to back of heel; diameter of foot: 3.75”; bottom of heel to top of cuff: 2.75”
duration: June 13 – July 24, 2021
note:  I’m pretty sure the designer made a typo when stating the row gauge on this pattern. It says 36 stitches and 28 rows over 4” but I’ve never heard of a situation where the row count is less than the stitch count in a gauge swatch… have you? I emailed her to ask but never got a response.  I guess it doesn’t matter too much, but I’m just making note of it in case anyone else is confused.