Sock Basics
One of the most common knitting projects is a pair of socks. The really cool thing about socks is that their construction is very formulaic. Each part has a specific number of stitches that can all be adjusted proportionally to make any size you want. As long as you have the numbers, you don't need anything more for a pattern.
Here are the different parts of the sock that have specific sock counts or measurements:
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Cuff - The section of the sock above the heel Heel - Covers from the base of the Achilles tendon to under the heel Bottom of Sock - The measurement from the back of the heel Toe - The portion where decreases are made to create a toe box |
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Stitches for Heel - The number of stitches used to create the heel Heel Decreases - Decreases made to "turn" the bottom of the heel Stitches Picked Up - The stitches picked up on the side of the heel to continue knitting the sock |
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The general process for knitting a sock is as follows:
- Cast on the number of stitches needed for the desired size of sock, and join in the round
- Knit the cuff to the desired length
- Divide out the stitches for the heel, and leave the remaining stitches to wait
- Knit the heel stitches back and forth until the number of rows equals the number of stitches
- Make decreases to turn the heel under the foot
- Pick up stitches from each side of the heel to continue knitting in the round
- Make decreases for the gusset until the stitch count matches the original cast-on number
- Knit in the round until the foot covers the pinky toe
- Use a toe style of your choice to finish the sock
That might not make sense if you're new to knitting and haven't made a sock yet, but once you've gone through the process a few times, it will make more sense. There are tons of basic sock patterns available to choose from, and maybe one day I'll even write my own, but that'll be another post. That can now be found here.
I've created a downloadable one-pager with charts showing all the relevant numbers for making a sock with Mainio and Lysti yarns. You can click on the image to download a copy.
