Free Crochet Pattern for the Varsity Love Socks - An Etsy Pattern Revival!

***You can purchase the PDF version of this pattern in my shop by clicking here. Great for easy printing!!***

Last year, about this time I created my very first sock pattern in my Etsy shop, before I even started my blog. These cuties have done great in the shop, but I'm trying to transition all of my patterns over here to my blog (for free!) this year.

So I'm excited to share these Varsity Love socks with you over here on the blog! They have a special place in my heart, as they were one of my very first patterns I released. They're classic and cool.. and keep your toes all toasty n' stuff ;)

Since they're made with worsted weight (4) yarn, they could probably be categorized as slipper socks, as they're much thicker than ordinary socks due to the yarn weight. I think they'd be cute just plain jane also, without a heart or even the stripes!

The sock is designed to be customized in two different ways, to cater to multiple feet/leg sizes, which I thought was a cool feature for this pattern. I hope you get to make these lil' sockies!!

What you'll need:

-two different colored skeins of Red Heart Super Saver or other worsted weight yarn, I used Claret (A) and White (B)
-size US H Hook (5.0 MM) or size to obtain gauge
-large tapestry needle
-stitch markers

Gauge:

14 sc and 15 rows equals a 4 inch square

Abbreviations:

ch=chain, sl=slip stitch, sc=single crochet, st(s)= stitch(es), fpdc=front post double crochet, fsc=foundation single crochet, R=Round, sk=skip, sc2tog=single crochet two together (decrease)

Sizing:

To customize these socks, I wanted to make it possible to adjust only the top and bottom parts of the socks. So if you had a smaller foot, but larger calf or larger foot but smaller calf you can adjust one or the other. Below are the sizes, along with how they are formatted in the pattern.

Top of sock: XS (S, M, L)
Foot of sock: 5-6 (7-8, 9-10)

Notes:

***the “ch” at the beginning of the rounds do not count as a stitch
***the top of the sock to the bottom of the heel measures approximately 13”
***when switching colors, you will continue to use color specified until it says “change to” the other color
*** the sock is designed to have the heart on the outside of the leg, that is why there are instructions for left & right foot
***The reason I use FSC is due to the fact that it stretches more than a traditional start of just chains-- so it provides better fit
***when working the heart, I carried the yarn behind the work when changing colors
***the reason I start to crochet in continuous rounds in R28 is because I didn’t want an obvious seam throughout the rest of the sock. And for the heart to come out even it needs to be worked in joined rounds. If you would prefer the seam to continue for the rest of the sock (it will be on the inside of the sock, so it won’t make too much of a difference!) just work joined rows with a ch 1 at the beginning of each row instead of the continuous
****Lastly gauge is important for a good fit on your socks, be sure to check it

How to work FSC:
Step 1: Make a slip knot, chain 2.
Step 2: Work hook into the V of the first stitch.
Step 3: Yarn over and pull through stitch.
Step 4: Yarn over and pull through one loop.
Step 5: Yarn over and pull through next two loops.
Repeat steps 2 – 5 until desired number of of stitches is reached

Pattern:

TOP PART OF SOCK (for both left and right socks, make two):

using A-work 33 (37, 41, 45) FSC (when first starting with your slip knot, leave a 6” tail)

join the two ends with sl st to 1st FSC, the bottom part of the FSC aren’t joined, so you will sew that together with your 6” tail and a needle

R1) ch 1, *sc into same st that you joined with a sl st, fpdc, repeat from * around 15 (17, 19, 21) times, sc into last st, sl st into ch1 to join {total 33 (37, 41, 45) sts}

R2-8) ch 1, sc, fpdc around 15 (17, 19, 21) times, sc into last st, sl st into ch 1 to join {total 33 (37, 41, 45) sts}

R9) ch 1, sc around, sl st into ch 1 to join

R10-11) change to B- repeat round 9

R12-13) change to A- repeat round 9

R14-15) change to B- repeat round 9

R16-17) change to A- sc across round

R18) ch 1, sc into first 12 (14, 16, 18) sts, change to B- sc into next 3 sts, change to A- sc into next 3 sts, change to B- sc into next 3 sts, change to A-sc into last 12(14, 16, 18) sts, sl st to ch 1 to join

R19) ch 1, sc into first 11 (13, 15, 17) sts, change to B- sc into next 5 sts, change to A- sc into next st, change to B-sc into next 5 sts, change to A-sc into last 11 (13, 15, 17) sts, sl st to ch 1 to join

R20-22) ch 1, sc into first 11 (13, 15, 17) sts, change to B-sc into next 11 sts, change to A- sc into last 11 (13, 15, 17) sts, sl st to ch 1 to join

R23) ch 1, sc into into first 12 (14, 16, 18) sts, change to B- sc into the next 9 sts, change to A- sc into last 12 (14, 16, 18) sts, sl st to ch 1 to join

R24) ch 1, sc into first 13 (15, 17, 19) sts, change to B- sc into the next 7 sts, change to A- sc into last 13 (15, 17, 19) sts, sl st to ch 1 to join

R25) ch 1, sc into first 14 (16, 18, 20) sts, change to B- sc into the next 5 sts, change to A- sc into last 14 (16, 18, 20) sts, sl st to ch 1 to join

R26) ch 1, sc into first 15 (17, 19, 21) sts, change to B- sc into the next 3 sts, change to A- sc into last 15 (17, 19, 21) sts, sl st to ch 1 to join

R27) ch 1, sc into the first 16 (18, 20, 22) sts, change to B- sc into the next st, change to A- sc into last 16 (18, 20, 22) sts, sl st to ch 1 to join

R28) *you are now working in continuous round- use stitch markers!* sc across round

R29) sc2tog, sc across round {total 32 (36, 40, 44) sts}

R30) repeat round 28

R31) repeat round 29 {total 31 (35, 39, 43) sts}

R32) repeat round 28

R33) repeat round 29 {total 30 (34, 38, 42) sts}

R34) repeat round 28

R35) repeat round 29 {total 29 (33, 37, 41) sts}

36) repeat round 28

37) repeat round 29 {total 28 (32, 36, 40) sts}

38) repeat round 28

HEEL (RIGHT FOOT... heel is NOT worked in the round, ch does not count as st!):

1) sc into first 14 (16, 18, 20 ) sts, ch 1, turn {total 14 (16, 18, 20) sts} (*the last st of this row lines up with the bottom of the heart*)

2) sc across row

3) sc2tog, sc into next 10 (12, 14, 16) sts, sc2tog, ch 1, turn {total 12 (14, 16, 18) sts}

4) repeat row 2

5) sc2tog, sc into next 8 (10, 12, 14) sts, sc2tog, ch 1, turn {total 10 (12, 14, 16) sts}

6) repeat row 2

7) sc2tog, sc into next 6 (8, 10, 12) sts, sc2tog, ch1 turn {total 8 (10, 12, 14) sts}

8) 2 sc into first st, sc into next 6 (8, 10, 12) sts, 2 sc into last st, ch1, turn {total 10 (12, 14, 16) sts}

9) repeat row 2

10) 2 sc into first st, sc into next 8 (10, 12, 14) sts, 2 sc into last st, ch1, turn {total 12 (14, 16, 18) sts}

11) repeat row 2

12) 2 sc into first st, sc into next 10 (12, 14, 16), 2 sc into last sts, ch1, turn {total 14 (16, 18, 20) sts}

13) repeat row 2 *don’t fasten off! you will transition straight into foot from the heel*

HEEL (LEFT FOOT... heel is NOT worked in the round, ch does not count as st!) :

1) sk 14 (16, 18, 20) sts, sc into next 14 (16, 18, 20) sts, ch 1, turn {total 14 (16, 18, 20) sts} (*the first st of this row lines up with the bottom of the heart*)

2-13) repeat the rows from right foot *don’t fasten off! you will transition straight into foot from the heel*

FOOT: (worked in the continuous round again)

R1) sc into st after the last st of the 1st row of heel (see 1st pic below), then sc into next 13 (15, 17, 19) sts along your top, then working in the last row of the heel (see 2nd pic below), sc into next 14 (16, 18, 20) sts {there will be a total of 28 (32, 36, 40) sts in the round}

**OPTIONAL-- you can stitch the heels closed from the inside (as shown in pic above) (with needle and piece of yarn) now or you can wait until the end when sock is complete

FOR SIZE 5-6:

R2-16) sc across round

R17) sc into first 4(4, 6, 8,) sts, sc2tog, sc2tog, sc into next 12(16, 16, 16) sts, sc2tog, sc2tog, sc into last 4 (4, 6, 8) sts (you will have 24(28, 32) sts}

R18) sc into first 3(3, 5, 7) sts, sc2tog, sc2tog, sc into the next 10(14, 14, 14) sts, sc2tog, sc2tog, sc into last 3 (3, 5, 7) sts (you will have 20 (24, 28, 32) sts}

R19) sc into first 2 (2, 4, 6) sts, sc2tog, sc2tog, sc into next 8(12, 12, 12) sts, sc2tog, sc2tog, sc into last 2 sts {you will have 16(20, 24, 28) sts

R20) sc across round

TO FINISH: sl st into next st to finish off, cut 10 inch tail, and sew the toe shut from the inside

FOR SIZE 7-8:

R2-18) sc across round

R19) sc into first 4(4, 6, 8,) sts, sc2tog, sc2tog, sc into next 12(16, 16, 16) sts, sc2tog, sc2tog, sc into last 4 (4, 6, 8) sts (you will have 24(28, 32) sts}

R20) sc into first 3(3, 5, 7) sts, sc2tog, sc2tog, sc into the next 10(14, 14, 14) sts, sc2tog, sc2tog, sc into last 3 (3, 5, 7) sts (you will have 20 (24, 28, 32) sts}

R21) sc into first 2 (2, 4, 6) sts, sc2tog, sc2tog, sc into next 8(12, 12, 12) sts, sc2tog, sc2tog, sc into last 2 sts {you will have 16(20, 24, 28) sts

R22) sc across round

TO FINISH: sl st into next st to finish off, cut 10 inch tail, and sew the toe shut from the inside

FOR SIZE 9-10:

R2-20) sc across round

R21) sc into first 4(4, 6, 8,) sts, sc2tog, sc2tog, sc into next 12(16, 16, 16) sts, sc2tog, sc2tog, sc into last 4 (4, 6, 8) sts (you will have 24(28, 32) sts}

R22) sc into first 3(3, 5, 7) sts, sc2tog, sc2tog, sc into the next 10(14, 14, 14) sts, sc2tog, sc2tog, sc into last 3 (3, 5, 7) sts (you will have 20 (24, 28, 32) sts}

R23) sc into first 2 (2, 4, 6) sts, sc2tog, sc2tog, sc into next 8(12, 12, 12) sts, sc2tog, sc2tog, sc into last 2 sts {you will have 16(20, 24, 28) sts

R24) sc across round

TO FINISH: sl st into next st to finish off, cut 10 inch tail, and sew the toe shut from the inside