My favorite local yarn store sells patterns that they've made themselves. THey have them for hats, socks, sweaters, etc. but the way they're designed is that they give you the math formulas, you put in the measurements you want (they explain in detail how to get those measurements), and there you have your pattern (meaning you can do socks for all your kids from one pattern). They're VERY easy, I'm a newbie knitter and they make perfect sense to someone like me who has a hard time following some of hte patterns out there. If I were you, I'd check your local upscale yarn store for such a pattern. The other thing is that if you have trouble, they can help.