In case I’m not the very last person to fall for the careless convenience of sock buns, here is a cute project you can knit up this evening while watching a film. And if you watch something good, please leave me a recommendation in the comments! :)

The tutorials I’ve seen online all recommend cutting off the toe of a sock (hence the name) and rolling it up. I didn’t happen to have an odd sock in the right colour, but I did have some Sirdar Snuggly DK in an almost-edible chocolate brown which has been in my stash for nearly 10 years. So, since toe-less socks are armwarmers by another name, I knit a pair. They have ribbing at one end and eyelets at the other, so they can be worn either way up, and you can thread ribbon through the yarn-overs too. The bows are held on with safety pins and can be positioned anywhere you like.

If you put your hair up in a sock bun when it’s wet and sleep in it (not at all uncomfortable, since it’s nice and squishy), you’ll wake up to large, soft curls the next morning. Conversely, it’s also a great solution for bad hair days. I’m going to keep my pair rolled up in my handbag from now on, in case of cold, a wardrobe emergency (requiring safety pins), or an impromptu sleepover. ;)

What You Need

Approx. 100m of DK-weight yarn
Small amount of light fingering-weight yarn
3mm DPNs
2mm straight needles
Tapestry needle
2 safety pins
Bobby pins / hairpins

Armwarmer Instructions

With DK-weight yarn and 3mm DPNs, CO 36 sts and join to work in the round.
Work 1×1 rib for 2cm.
Work st st for 12cm.
Next round: (Yo, k2tog) around.
Work st st for 6 rounds.
Bind off. Weave in ends.

Make two.

Bow Instructions

With light fingering-weight yarn & 2mm needles, CO 4 sts.
Knit 30 rows in garter st.
Bind off tightly, cut yarn leaving a tail 15cm long.
Using either cast-on or bind-off tail, sew cast-on edge to bind-off edge. Tie a knot to secure.
Wind yarn tightly around the piece, covering the central seam evenly and hiding the loose end. When the centre looks neat, thread end through tapestry needle, sew the yarn under the centre, secure with a knot if necessary and snip off any excess.

Make two. Attach the bows to the armwarmers with safety pins, or to your bun by sliding them onto bobby pins.

How to Make a Sock Bun

There are numerous videos on Youtube on how to achieve a sock bun, but here’s a quick explanation:

• Roll up your armwarmers into a donut shape. I used both armwarmers, but you may just need one, depending on how long and thick your hair is.
• Brush your hair neatly into a ponytail, whereever you would like your bun to be, and secure with an elastic. You may want to spray some water or hairspray to smooth your hair, especially if you have layers.
• Wrap the end of your ponytail around the rolled-up armwarmers, and begin rolling it in on itself. Your hair should get caught up in the “donut”.
• Keep rolling, spreading your hair evenly around the rolled-up armwarmers, keeping the ponytail as taut as possible until you reach your scalp.
• Secure the bun with a bobby pin or hairpin.
• Slide a bow onto a bobby pin and poke it into the base of your bun.
• Ta-da!

A Few Recommendations

• Use a yarn colour that blends in with your hair colour.
• Knit to a tighter gauge than your yarn requires.
• If you’re planning on making a sock bun with damp hair, you may be better off using plant or synthetic fibres, that way your handwarmers won’t felt with use, and you won’t smell “sheepy”.
• Make lots of itty bitty bows in different colours to coordinate with different outfits.
• Attach your bows to all kinds of things using pins, string or clips.