Warm Boot Socks for Any Foot

This one goes especially for you ladies who - like me - have constantly cold feed. Not metaphorically speaking, I mean actual cold feed that make your usual socks feel like ice. With these superwarm supersocks the problem will be no more and moreover, I'll show you how to create a pattern for any foot size.

These boot socks are ideal for winter, especially in the mountains, at a fireplace, with a cup of hot cocoa...simply said it's a great accessory to create a perfect hygge;)

If you have an old sweater or a fleece blanket that you could use for this, it can become a nice upcycling project. You could use for example the sweater as the outside fabric and the blanket as lining.

I won't be working with many specific measurements in this tutorial since I want to show you how to adjust the project to your own feet. You will see how I proceeded and I will give you approximate amounts of material. In a few steps I will show you minor alterations that you can go for.

I wanted to photograph for you more of the steps of pattern construction, to see how to use the foot but since I'm 8 months pregnant and have a really huge belly I can't almost bend over and I had to use more PC painting and I hope the description makes some sense.

One more thing before we start - don't let it discourage you if your pattern doesn't turn out perfect the first time you trace its parts. It takes several adjustments and it's possible you´ll have to re-measure and cut again. Don't worry, take your time and read the instructions several times if you need to. You'll see that in the end making the pattern actually isn't difficult.

- outside fabric (can be warm or not - sweater, fleece blanket, double-layer knit - that's what I used) - at least 1 x 1 m

- lining fabric (warm - fleece, minky, faux fur, plush - that's what I used) - at least 1 x 1 m

- pompom fabric (I recommend to use the lining fabric) - approx. 25 x 25 cm

- pompom filling (gaze, fabric trimmings, pillow filling...)

- 16 grommets + washers (more if you want to use more)

- laces - approx. 1,5 m

- matching threads

- sewing machine, event. also serger

- scissors

- pins

- needle for hand-sewing

- paper, pencil, event. also transparent tape

- tailor's meter, event. also ruler

- tools you use to install the grommets - I use manual punch for the holes and then to install the grommets I use a hammer and the base tool and flaring tool

To create the pattern you'll need a paper, a pen, a tailor's meter and eventually also a ruler and some adhesive tape. I will show you how to construct a pattern for one sock. You can either make a universal pattern for both feet or make two and adjust each to one foot.

Take a look at the first 2 pictures above before you start. You'll get an idea about the pieces of the pattern. The first picture shows the boot sock from the side, the second picture shows it from the front. The dots are the grommets but more about them later. What you'll need for one sock:
- 2 front pieces

- 1 back piece

- 1 top piece

- 1 sole piece (not in the pictures)

Sole

Start with the sole. Step on the paper and trace your foot, adding 2 cm on each side. So in total the sole piece should be 4 cm longer and wider than your foot. Adjust the tracing to be either universal or left/right. Then cut it out. (picture 3)

Top

Continue with the top piece. Create a piece with the form of an arch like shown in the photo 4.

Picture 5 shows where the edges of the arch should touch the sole.

Front and back

Let's continue with the front piece and back piece (picture 7). To trace the front piece measure the length from the top of the small curve to where you want the sock to reach - I wanted the sock to end just below my knee. If you want to create the rolled edge, add some 4 cm. And as for the width, that should be the distance between the top of the small curve and the edge of the top piece (blue arrows in picture 4).

As you can see in one of the pictures, the bottom edge of the front piece is a curve. Also, you need two front pieces for one sock but it's actually enough to cut just one.

And now for the back piece. Measuring the height it simple, use the height of the front piece (its longer side) and add the length of the edges of the top piece (purple line in picture 8). And the width of the back piece should be the distance between the edge of the top piece (orange arrow in picture 8 or the edge that you marked earlier on our sole piece - picture 9) and the center of the heel on the sole piece. This way you'll make half of the back piece which is enough because you'll then cut the fabric on fold and thus make the width of the piece double.

Outside fabric

Cut for one sock:
- 1 sole piece according to the pattern

- 1 top piece according to the pattern + add 1 cm to the edges (purple lines) and in the curve

- 2 front pieces mirroring each other according to the pattern + add 1 cm on both sides (width) and at the bottom end (curve)

- 1 back piece cut on fold according to patter + add 1 cm on both long sides

For one sock cut the same pieces like from the outside fabric.

The seam allowance is 1 cm and you can either serge and then run through it with a straight stitch or use a normal zigzag and then the straight stitch.

Before I got down to sewing I decorated the fabric with the Amish stumpwork. The instructable is here. (picture 1)

Place both front pieces right side together, pin and stitch them about 5 cm on the bottom edge (where the curve is).

Picture 2 shows what it will look like when you open it.

Leave the front piece right side up and place the top piece on it wrong side up. Pin and stitch. (picture 3)

Place the back piece on it wrong side up and stitch on both long sides. (picture 4)

Stitch is the sole piece. (picture 5 and 6)

Pin and re-pin the sole as many times as you need, make sure it aligns nicely. (pictures 7 and 8)

Stitch and turn right side out. (pictures 9)

The seam allowance is 1,5 cm and you can either serge and then run through it with a straight stitch or use a normal zigzag and then the straight stitch. Use long pins to pin the fabric.

Follow the same steps like you did with the outside fabric.

Use a zigzag stitch and secure it with a straight stitch.

Place both fabrics right sides together, pin and stitch only the upper edge of the sock. Picture 1 shows the result.

Place the lining inside the outside fabric. If you did everything correctly, you have now both fabric the wrong sides together. (picture 2)

Align both fabrics in the foot top and heel and pin the together so they don't move. (picture 3)

Now you'll be stitching together the long sides of the front piece. You can choose one of the following three ways to do it:
1. The outside fabric is longer, so you can just fold it over the lining (and fold the edges in a little) and stitch through. I recommend to do this only if you don't want to roll the edges of your socks later. (photo 4)

2. Fold the edges of both fabrics inside and stitch with the hidden stitch. The tutorial is here. (photo 5)

3. Fold the edges of both fabrics inside and stitch with the straight stitch. (photo 5)

I used the third option. (picture 6) So now you've stitched together everything that needed stitching.

Take out the pins from the foot top and heel and stitch through both fabrics in the seam and in hand. It's enough to stitch through a few centimeters. This stitching will prevent the lining from moving as you wear the socks. (picture 7)

If you want the edge of the sock rolled, just roll it as much as you want (in my case about 6 cm) and fold the edge in a bit. (picture 8)

Stitch through the edge with a miniature stitch so that the thread disappears. I stitched only few times every 6 cm, cut the thread and continued 6 cm further (I also stitched the edges). So my socks are not stitched along the whole rolled down edge. (picture 9)

Mark where you want the grommets to be. (picture 1)

Punch holes and install the grommets. (picture 2)

Your sock is basically done, you just need to insert the lace and create the pompoms if you want. (picture 3)

Insert the lace in the grommets. (picture 1)

I put the pompoms on the ends of both laces, that gives 4 pompoms in total. If you want to do the same: cut one circle for each pompom, the diameter is 10 cm.

Stitch 0,5 cm from the edge using a running stitch. (picture 2)

Pull on the thread and when the pompom starts to close, fill it. I used trimmings of the same fabric.

Close the pompom some more and stitch a few times across the edges to secure the closing. (pictures 3 and 4)

Before you close the pompom completely, insert the end of the lace. Then continue stitching across and through the edges but this time always pass the needle also through the lace. When the pompom is closed completely, know and cut the thread. (pictures 5 and 6)

And you're done. It wasn't an easy project (especially the pattern construction I think) but the result was totally worth it, wasn't it?