Yarn Weights
Yarns are categorized according to thickness into eight main categories. Fingering weight is the most common weight marked as sock yarn. Other weights like sport, DK, worsted, and chunky can also make great, fast-knitting socks. Lace Weight Lace weight yarns vary greatly in terms of actual yarn thickness. Thicker lace weight yarns can make comfortable, thin socks if knit on an appropriate needle size US 0 (2mm) or smaller, with a gauge of 10 stitches per inch or more. Two strands of lace weight...
Troubleshooting Fixing Mistakes
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, something goes awry in your knitting. From dropped stitches to incorrect sizing, you can always do something to fix a mistake. Even if you don't encounter a mistake until a round or two later, you can still save all your hard work A crucial part of knitting is figuring out when you make a mistake. You need to know how a split stitch looks compared to an incomplete or twisted stitch. Compare your work to the photos in this chapter and soon you'll fix your...
Cast-on Short Row
A short-row toe is knit in exactly the same manner as a short-row heel, beginning with a provisional cast-on. 1 Provisionally cast on half the total number of stitches in the sock with waste yarn, following one of the provisional cast-on methods on pages 24-25. I recommend the crochet cast-on. For a 64-stitch sock, provisionally cast on 32 stitches. 2 A short-row toe is constructed in the exact same way as a short-row heel. Follow the short-row heel instructions on pages 120-123 to form the...
Make the Gusset
The gusset consists of two parts picking up stitches to connect the heel flap with the rest of the sock and working decreases to shape the sides of the foot. 1 Knit across all heel stitches (example sock 18), then pick up stitches with another double-pointed needle as follows Insert the tip of the right (empty) needle below both legs of the slipped-stitch column along the edge of the heel flap. Wrap the yarn around the needle as if you were knitting, then pull the new stitch through the work to...
Measure Foot Length
O Stand with your feet flat on the floor. Lay a measuring tape along the inside of your foot the big toe side . 2 Measure from the back of the heel to the tip of your big toe. This is your total foot length. For a snug-fitting sock, choose the foot measurement that is one size usually Vi inch smaller than your foot measurement. For a looser sock, select the size that corresponds with your measurement.
Pick Up Along Rows
O Arrange the work with the right side facing you. A set of stitches forms a chain of V shapes along the edge. 2 Starting on the right edge, insert a knitting needle tip under both legs of one V. 3 Wrap the working yarn around the needle counterclockwise as if to knit, leaving a tail several inches long. 4 Use the needle tip to draw the wrapped yarn through the work. This stitch will remain on the needle 1 stitch picked up. ck up stitches evenly, place a locking ring marker through the edge at...
Knit the Foot
Once you have reached the total number of stitches for the sock, it's time to knit the foot. For a simple stockinette sock, continue knitting even without increases in the round until the sock measures approximately 2 inches less than the desired foot length. See the Sizing Chart on p. 207 for a more precise chart of sizes. Once you complete the toe, you can add any patterning you like. See Chapter 2 for more information on how to choose stitch patterns to incorporate into your socks. If you...
Sock Trouble Shooting Instep
1 x 1 ribbing, 82, 100, 148, 157, 174 1 x 1 twisted ribbing, 141, 165 2 x 2 ribbing, 134, 145, 168-169 3 x 1 Garter Rib Socks project, 147-150 abbreviations, 206 Afterthought Heel, 72-73 Aran weight yarn, 5 baby booties, two-needle angora, 156-159 boot socks, worsted, 144-146 bulky weight yarn, 5 C4B left-leaning cable , 40 C4F right-leaning cable , 41 cable, 40-41, 115 Cable Cast-On, 22 cable needle, 40 cable set-up round, 170, 175 cabled knee socks, toe-up, 173-177 Cabled Cuff Socks project,...
Knit the Heel Flap
The heel flap is typically knit on half the total number of sock stitches and in a slipped-stitch pattern for thickness and durability. You knit it back and forth not in the round to produce a flap for the back of the heel. 1 Knit one needle 25 of the sock's stitches as follows Row 1 Sl 1 pwise wyib, k1 , rep from to across. 3 Work across two needles 50 of the sock's stitches as follows, working all the stitches onto one needle 4 Repeat rows 1 and 2 until the heel flap is square-work as many...
Measure the Ball of the Foot
The ball of the foot is the section just below the toes and is the widest section of the foot. 1 Wrap a soft measuring tape around the ball of your foot, holding the tape snugly. Read the measuring tape where it overlaps. 2 If you don't have a soft measuring tape, use a piece of non-stretchy yarn such as cotton and wrap that around your foot, marking where it meets. Lay this against a straight ruler or hard measuring tape to get your foot measurement.
Knit with Double Pointed Needles
1 Join the first and last cast-on stitches using one of the methods from pages 52-54. 2 To knit in the round, use the empty double-pointed needle to knit across the stitches of the needle to the left of where the yarn is joined. Once all the stitches have been worked on this needle, you will again have one empty needle. Note The tail from your cast on marks the beginning of the round. 3 Rotate the square of needles to the right and use the empty needle to knit the stitches from the next needle....
Flat Socks
Although socks knit in the round are practical and easy, you might want to knit a pair of socks flat, on two needles. Some knitters prefer to use straight needles rather than knit in the round, don't own circular or double-pointed needles, or just want to try something different. These basic flat socks have one seam that runs down the back of the leg and two more seams on the foot, one on either side. They are similar in construction to top-down socks knit in the round. Cast Knit the Cuff and...
Easy Toe CastOn
Using four double-point needles, The Easy Toe Cast-On incorporates a provisional cast-on see pages 24-25 and several plain rows of knitting before increases begin to shape the toe. The Easy Toe can also be worked on 1 With waste yarn, provisionally cast on the number of stitches specified in the table on the opposite page for your yarn type. See Provisional Cast-On on pages 24-25 for two different methods. 2 Work 4 rows even in stockinette stitch knit 1 row, purl 1 row twice. 3 Rotate the work...
Recover Stitches
Once the toe is complete, you should recover the stitches for the heel. 1 Remove the waste yarn, placing the live stitches onto two double-pointed needles. The heel opening will have the same number of stitches as the sock body. 2 Re-arrange the stitches onto four needles, placing markers at each side edge of the heel opening to mark the decrease points. 3 Decrease for the heel exactly as for the Basic Round Toe see pages 75-76 , ending the decreases when approximately 2 inches' worth of...
Knit the Cuff and
The cuff of a sock refers to an edging at the top of the sock of about 1-3 inches see Anatomy of a Sock, p. 60 . The leg of the sock refers to the section below the cuff and above the heel. Of course, you don't have to have a cuff at all. Simply begin your leg pattern right away, but note that some stockinette-based patterns may roll down at the top without an edging. Continue working straight, in the round, in the stitch pattern of your choice for the cuff and leg. Ribbing is a classic choice...
Knit the Leg and Cuff
When knitting socks from the toe up, you can customize the length of the leg and cuff based on preference, fit, or yarn supply. Continue working in the round in stockinette stitch until the leg is approximately 1 inch less than the desired length. Work 1 inch of ribbing or other cuff treatment of choice. You can add many different types of stitch patterns to the leg of your sock - textured stitches, lace, and cable patterns are all fun to work and add interest. The number of stitches in the...
Crochet Hook
Although not strictly a notion, a crochet hook is invaluable in sock knitting. You'll need it for a crochet provisional cast-on if you're knitting a toe-up sock. A crochet hook is also very useful for fixing dropped or incorrect stitches as well as for picking up stitches along the edges of heel flaps. Choose a crochet hook of a comparable size to your needles a US B or C 2.25mm, 2.75mm hook for 2.0 - 2.75mm needles and so on. Smaller steel crochet hooks, such as sizes 3 and 4, can also come in...
Basic Top Down Sock Pattern
This basic pattern is for a top-down sock in fingering weight yarn and employs the gusset heel and basic toe. Child M Child Lrg W Sm, W Med, W Lrg M Sm, M Med, M Lrg MATERIALS 200 250, 300, 350, 400, 450 yards of fingering weight yarn US 1 2.25mm double-pointed, two circulars, or one long circular needle, or size to obtain gauge 8 sts and 10 rounds 4 inches square in St st Round 1 K1, p1 , rep from to around. Rep round 1 for patt. Directions for Basic Top-Down Sock Make 2 1 Cast on 52 56, 60,...
Two Needle Angora Baby Booties
These adorable booties knit up quickly in worsted weight yarn on two needles. You can adjust size by changing needle size or yarn thickness. Finished Measurements 3.5 inches from heel to toe MATERIALS 2 skeins Lorna's Laces Angel 70 Angora, 30 lambswool, 50 yd. 0.5 oz. in Glenwood US 6 4mm needles or size needed to obtain gauge Tapestry needle 5 sts and 7 rows 1 inch square in St st Row 1 K1, p1 , rep from to to end of row. Rep row 1 for patt. Directions for Two-Needle Angora Baby Booties Make...
Weave in Ends
1 Bring the tails of the yarn to the inside of the sock and thread the end of the tail onto a tapestry needle. 2 Weave in the end with duplicate stitch see Duplicate Stitch, pages 201-202 , using the tapestry needle to guide the yarn tail along a path made by an existing stitch. 3 When working a more complex stitch pattern, weaving in ends with the duplicate stitch method is sometimes difficult. Take your cue from how the wrong side of the fabric looks in order to decide how to weave in your...
Provisional CastOn
A provisional cast-on is a temporary way to start your knitting later, you take it out to expose live stitches and is used in many toe-up socks. You'll need some smooth waste yarn in a similar weight to the working yarn. One easy method of provisional cast-on is to simply cast on normally with waste yarn, then continue knitting with the working yarn. To expose the live stitches, snip or pull out the waste yarn. A crochet provisional cast-on, shown here, is easier to undo to expose the live...
Eastern CastOn
The Eastern Cast-On is an easy method that does not require a provisional cast on or waste yarn. It can be worked on double pointed needles as shown here , one or two circular needles. 1 Hold two double-pointed needles parallel in your left hand. The upper needle is labeled A, the bottom needle is labeled B. Catch the tail of your yarn between the needles, leaving several inches free behind the needles. 2 Wrap the yarn under needle B and over needle A. 3 Wrap the yarn around both needles in...
Knit the Instep
The instep is knit on half of the total number of stitches, from the side edge of the heel down to the toe in the center of the leg piece. 1 Work across the leg piece until 25 16 sts of a 64-st sock of the stitches remain unworked. Place the remaining 25 of the stitches 16 sts on a holder to work later for the heel. 2 Turn the work and continue back on a total of 50 of the stitches 32 sts of a 64-st sock . Place the remaining 25 of the stitches on a holder to work later for the heel. 3 Work...
