How to Knit Vanilla Latte Socks With an Easy Short Row Heel

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Virginia Rose-Jeanes’s Vanilla Latte socks is my go-to pattern for knitting with variegated sock yarn, like this beautiful red and pink Hawthorne Multi tonal yarn in the Arleta colorway.

Where can I download the pattern for Vanilla Latte Socks?

You used to be able to download a free written pattern for Vanilla Latte socks on Ravelry but it’s unavailable now. However, there is a series of YouTube videos that explains how to knit them if you want to give it a go! But, really, anyone familiar with sock construction could figure out how to knit these by looking at the picture – it’s just a K6-P2 broken rib. You’ll need to cast on stiches in a multiple of eight (such as 58, 64, or 72 stitches), do a little ribbing for the cuff (a do a 1×1), then start the broken rib pattern. (Broken rib is where you knit one round as all knit stitches, then on alternating rounds, you do the knit/purl pattern).

How do you knit the short-row heel? Is it easy?

The pattern had instructions for a heel flap, but, since I like to knit these with variegated yarn, I always swap in a short row heel so my colors don’t pool. I’ve done a FLK heel in the past, but on this pair I experimented with a super easy no-wrap short row heel technique that isn’t named in the tutorial I just linked to, but someone in the comments called it a Sherman heel. Both the FLK and the Sherman heel are no-wrap short row heel techniques so they are super easy!

A note about heel placement: the original Vanilla Latte pattern had you putting the heel at the beginning of the row, which I never liked, so I always knit 3 stitches into my round, then then I work the heel from there: so, if you CO 64 stitches for your sock, when you get to the point where you are ready to insert the heel, knit 3 at the beginning of your round, then work the heel over the next 32 stitches (or half of how many stitches you started with). This centers the ribbing pattern on the foot.  Here’s what my heel looks like on these socks:

What about the toe?

The pattern gave you the option to knit a wedge toe or a star toe, but I never pay attention to the toe instructions in patterns because I always knit my toes the same way, regardless of the pattern:

Round 1: Knit.
Round 2: K to last 3 sts on Needle 1, k2tog, k1; k1, ssk, k to end of Needle 2; k to last 3 sts on Needle 3, k2tog, k1; k1, ssk, k to end of Needle 4.

Knit rounds 1 & 2 until 40 stitches are left on the needles; then knit row 2 only until 20 stitches are left.

Finish with Kitchener.

In conclusion, I always made so many modifications to Vanilla Latte, that I guess it wasn’t a big problem for me that the pattern went missing. Really, if you’ve knitted cuff-down socks before, you don’t need the pattern to knit these. Just look at the picture and trust yourself!  (Speaking of trust, don’t go googling for this pattern and download it off one of those sketchy pattern sharing sites. They are full of malware and other assorted nastiness!)

If you still feel a little nervous about knitting these without a pattern, there are tons of sock patterns out there for what we knitters call “Vanilla Socks.” You can start with any one of those patterns so you have a set of instructions to start with, then just do the 6×2 broken rib in place of plain stockinette. I also love the Craftsy class Knit Original Cuff-Down Socks that would give you a great base of knowledge for knitting socks without a pattern. (There is a toe-up version of this class too). You’d be surprised how many socks you can easily knit based on looking at a photo once you understand the basic techniques outlined in those classes!

And now, here are my project notes:

yarn details

Knit Picks Hawthorne Fingering Multi in Arleta
Fingering Weight
80% Fine Superwash Highland Wool, 20% Polyamide (Nylon)
Machine Wash Gentle, Tumble Dry Low
$13.99 per 100 g/357 yd skein
Purchased in February 2021 (Pink Yarn Sale!)

project details

pattern: “Vanilla Latte” by Virginia Rose-Jeanes
size knit: CO 64
needles: US size 1 (2.25 mm) Clover bamboo dpns
gauge: 17 stitches and 23 rows over 2 inches in Stockinette (unblocked)
yarn used: 300 yards (84 grams)
finished size: Foot length: 9.5”; foot circumference: about 7”; Top of cuff to bottom of heel: 8.75”
duration: October 2022 – March 2023