The Knitting Fiend

Design your sock

Select from the pull down menu, then enter your shoe size in the box. The boxes to the right will fill with your sock foot length and circumference. Man Woman Child Custom Select US Shoe Size:

The sock foot length is illustrated with the green line; it is measured from the cast on to the back of the  heel turn. The sock foot circumference is illustrated with the blue curve, which goes all the way around the sock. Note: If you customize, bear in mind that most people like their sock circumference 10% tighter than their foot.  A few like their socks 5-10% shorter than their foot, but most like it the length of their foot.  So, measure your foot, then adjust the values before entering into the box to the left.

If you selected 'custom' from the pull down menu, measure your foot and enter values for your sock below-- subtracting 10% from the circumference if you like snug socks. Foot length:inches. Foot circumference:

Materials:

Needles: A fairly long circular needle in a diameter suitable for your yarn and 1 double pointed needle (DPN) of similar diameter. (I like to knit socks firmly, so you may want to use one needle size smaller than recommended for your yarn.) A tapestry needle and some waste yarn.

Yarn: Any sock yarn you like. The amount required depends on your foot size and gauge. Each of my socks in women's size 6 required just under 100 meters for a pair knit at 6 st/inch. So, I'd need 200 meters for both. You'll need more yardage if you knit at a tighter gauge and less if you knit at a looser gauge.

(Click hyperlinks for tutorials.)

Abbreviations & Terms: The numbers refer to the superscripts in the directions.

0.When slipping stitches, always slip as to purl unless specifically told otherwise. (That's the normal knitting convention.)

1. Wrap and Turn when working a knit row: When you reach the stitch to be wrapped, bring yarn forward as to purl, slip the stitch purlwise, bring yarn back as to knit, turn so knit side faces, slip first stitch on on the left needle tip. This stitch is now wrapped. Notice you have already turned to begin working purl row.

2. Wrap and Turn when working a purl row: When you reach the stitch to be wrapped, slip it, bring the yarn forward as to knit, turn work, slip the first stitch on the left tip. Bring yarn to back as to knit. It's now wrapped and you've already slipped the wrapped stitch. Don't turn again! (Alternate method: When you rach the stitch to be wrapped, bring yarn back as to knit, slip stitch, bring yarn forward as to purl, turn so knit side faces, slip first stitch on left needle tip. The stitch is now wrapped and you have turned to knit the next row.)

3. Knit stitch together with wraps. Slip wrapped stitch purlwise. Use left needle tip to lift wrap or wraps over the slipped stitch. Slip stitch and wraps back to left needle tip. Insert right needle tip into stitch knitwise, and continue through to wraps. Knit all together. (The purpose is to hide the wraps.)

4. Purl stitch together with wraps. Slip wrapped stitch knitwise. Use left needle tip to lift wrap or wraps over slipped stitch. Slip stitches back to left needle tip. Purl all together through back loop of stitch. (The purpose is to hide the wraps.)

5. L1A and L1B: Lifted increases "after" working a stitche or "before" working a stitch, described in this article.

• Use a provisional cast on and cast on stitches on to your circular needle. If you use the crochet chain provisional cast on, knit up the stitches through the crochet chains; that will be the official first row. If you use a cheater's provisional cast on, knit 1 row after attaching sock yarn. (Your goal is to have 1 knit row worked in sock yarn.)

• Begin purl side facing. Purl stitches. Wrap and Turn²
• Knit stitches. Wrap and Turn¹.
• Purl stitches. Wrap and turn. (You will be wrapping the second to the last stitch.)
• Knit stitches. Wrap and turn. (You will be wrapping the second to the last stitch.)
• Continue in pattern established, working 1 less stitch each row so that you find yourself wrapping the first unwrapped stitch.
• Stop working decreasing short rows when you work the row where you knit stiches before wrapping and turning an unwrapped stitch. (Don't forget to finish this row with a wrap and turn. You want that final stitch wrapped. When you finish, there will be stitches wrapped on each side of the work.)

• Purl stitches; you will reach the first wrapped stitch. Purl it together with its wrap.⁴ Wrap and turn the next stitch. (It is now wrapped twice. Remember that wrapping and turning includes slipping the stitch after turning.)
• Knit stitches; you will reached the first wrapped stitch. Knit it together with its wrap.³ Wrap and turn the next stitch.
• Repeat the previous two rows, by working to the first double wrapped stitch and then working both wraps with their stitch. (You will work 1 more stitch each row.)
• Continue until you are working a knit row and reach the last double wrapped stitch on the left needle. Knit it together with its wraps.

• You are about to start the "magic loop" method of knitting.
• Using a DPN, pick up the live stitches you cast on provisionally. (There are a total of stitches distributed over the needles.)
• Begin using Magic Loop Method. (See illustrated instructions of Magic Loop Method.)
• Once you finish your first magic loop round, the toe is complete. In case you need to rip back, I advise hanging a safety pin to mark the beginning of a round.

• Work in rounds until foot measures inches measured from tip of toe. (The gusset and heel turn together add inches to the foot length.)
• Note: This is a good time to double check your row gauge. If the row gauge you entered is off by more than 10%, go back and re-run the sockulator. Notice the length when you begin the gusset will have changed slightly, and the estimated length of the gusset and heel turn will have changed.) Edit your pattern, and use the new length.

• Starting at the beginning of a round:
• Round 1: Knit all stitches; Magic Turn. k2, L1A, work until 1 stitch remains, L1B, k2; Magic Turn.
• Round 2: Knit all stitches.
• Alternated rounds 1 and 2 until there are a total of stitches There will be stitches on the "sole/bottom" of the sock and on the top/instep, ending with a round 2 round.)

Round Heel: Worked back and forth over the center stitches of the sole.

• Round 0 (set up):

• Before you begin, put the last stitches you knit on a string. (These are gusset stitches.)
• First half: Work across stitches of Top/Instep; place instep stitches just worked on a a thick strand of yarn.
• Note: Strictly speaking, placing all these stitches on the the strands of yarn is optional, but my directions are worded as though you did this.
• Knit stitches. These are gusset stitches; place them on a string.

• Second half: K1, L1B, knit , wrap and turn. (You should be wrapping and turning the edge stitch.)

• Row 1: P1, L1B, Purl ; one stitch remains on left needle tip. (Optional: pick up wraps as you purl across; I don't.) Slip stitch last stitch to right tip. You will see gusset stitches on a string to the left; transfer these to the left needle, orienting them so you can knit them. Slip the stitch on the right tip back to the left tip, then purl two stitches together. Turn so knit side faces. (You have seamed the edge flap stitch to the gusset; the flap stitch should cover the gusset stitch.)
• Row 2: Slip 1; knit ; 1 stitch remains on left needle tip. (Optional: pick up wraps as you purl across.) Slip last stitch knitwise. Transfer gusset stitches from string to left needle tip. Slip first stitch, knit together with previously slipped stitch. Turn so purl side faces. (You just worked an "ssk".)
• Row 3: Slip 1, purl , p2tog; turn.
• Row 4: Slip 1, Knit , ssk; turn.
• Work in pattern establised by rows 3 and 4. Each time you turn, there will be one fewer stitch on the left tip. Continue until there are no stitches on the left tip when you turn to complete a knit row.
• Pick up the instep stitches; begin knitting using Magic Loop method.

Leg: Worked circular.

• The foot and heel are shaped. Most socks are just tubes above this point. To imitate my sock exactly, work stockinette until sock measures 3 1/2" from the end of the heel turn, then work 1 1/2" of 2 x 2 ribbing.
• Bind off using some elastic method. Make sure the bind off is loose enough before breaking yarn!

Finishing: Tidy up, make second sock, wear.