Sock Class How to Knit Socks

socktips.pdf

also see: Socks with Sock Yarn -2.pdf

Knitting Abbrevations:

http://www.knittingfool.com/pages/abbrev.guest.cfm?StartRow=281&PageNum=8

http://www.knitting-socks.com

http://www.knitting-socks.com/free-sock-patterns.html

Kitchener Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7jIzwO5Nv4

TAIL Needle #1

Knitting Socks Using 5 Double Pointed Needles and Sock/Fingering Weight Yarn

Sock Tutorial for DK/Sport Weight Yarn
Sock Tutorial for Worsted Weight Yarn

· Cast-on

· Cuff

· Leg

· Heel

· Turning the Heel

· Gusset/Ankle

· Foot

· Toe

· Seamless Finish

The knitting stitches used:

· Knit

· Purl

· K2tog (knit two together)

· P2tog (purl two together)

· SSK knit through back of stitches (slip slip knit - a decrease similar to k2tog)

· Slip stitch

Tips, Techniques & Terms

If you need help or a refresher on any of these stitches, click here

See end of file to tips
SUPPLIES NEEDED For Knitting Socks

5 dpns - size US 2 (2.75mm)

Blunt tip Tapestry Needle

Measuring Tape

Crochet hook - recommend size 00/B/2.25 mm

Optional: Row Counter (highly recommended)

TIP To avoid SSS or Second Sock Syndrome, two socks can be knitted simultaneously. All you need is two balls of yarn and two sets of needles or 10 dpn's. Resulting in a completed pair of socks at the end of this tutorial. This is also a good idea to insure ribbing, leg & foot dimensions are equal on each sock. Take each step complete it on sock #1 and then repeat the step for sock #2. Voila....a perfect pair of socks!

CAST-ON

On one needle, cast on 56 (72) *68 see below stitches loosely.

Knit the stitches dividing the stitches as follows: 19,18,21 (23,24,25).

Join by taking the the needle with the working yarn and tail and inserting into the first stitch of the 1st needle knitwise and complete the join. Pull first stitch tight to prevent a space.

Tail on the right is Needle #1 (starts with k 1)

Tail and working yarn should be on the needle on your right. VERY IMPORTANT - make sure your stitches are all facing the same way and did not get twisted.

Tail on the right is Needle #1

CUFF

Now take the 4th needle, as your working needle & contine in a K2,P2 rib. Remember you have already K1, so on needle to the left of the working yarn you will k1,p2 (k2, p2)* *repeat to next to last stitch on third needle and k1 as the last stitch. Give your first stitch a little tug to minimize any gaps and prevent ladders

Once you have completed your first row, your tail from the cast-on, will serve as your row marker for needle #1.

Continue the K2,P2 Rib for 15 rows in this picture.

You have now completed the Cuff!

LEG

Tail on the right is Needle #1

Knit one round

We are now going to add our 5th needle. This prevents laddering.

At the begining of the next row, knit 16(18) stitches, then start a new working needle untill you have 16(18) stitches, Continue until you have 16(18) stitches on 4 needles.

Note that the needles are numbered and will refer to the needle to the left of the tail as needle #1, and the needle to the right of the tail as needle #4.

This will make more sense to you once we get to the heel.

Continue to knit the leg until your work equals 6” (50 rows) or 9"(8.5") from begining of cuff, ending on needle #3. If you would like to make a shorter sock, knit until desired length. If you would like a longer sock, additional yarn will be needed.

HEEL

Once you have the desired length of leg....We will begin the heel on needle #4 or the needle to the right of the tail.

On needle #4, Slip the first stitch, knit 1 stitch and repeat (Slip 1, K1) until the end.

Now continue in the same pattern of Slip 1, knit 1 from needle #1 onto the same needle. Resulting in 32(36) stitches on the needle, going from four needles to three needles.

TIP The slip 1, Knit 1 pattern is making a more durable heel to extend the life of your socks. Cool huh!

Needles #2 & #3 will still have 16(18) stitches on each needle. These needles will rest while we work on the heel.

Turn work,on wrong side, slip first stitch and purl the remaining of the stitches. While we are working on the heel it is IMPORTANT to always slip the first stitch of each row.....this will help us to form the gusset/ankle.

Turn work, on right side, Slip, knit repeat to end.

always slip the first stitch of each row

o Row 1: *Slip 1, knit 1. Repeat from * across.

o Row 2: Slip 1, purl remaining stitches.

Continue for a total of 31(33) rows. (count front knit stitches as two to allow for knit rows.

TURNING THE HEEL

Row 1: Wrong side row: Purl (no need to slip the first stitch) to two stitches beyond the center

Average size 16 + 2 = 18 stitches

Large size 18 + 2 = 20 stitches

then p2tog (purl 2 stitches together as one)

You should have 11 12 (13) stitches remaining. We are not going to do anything with these yet. Now TURN work to start next row

TIP We are doing short rows to create the bottom of the heel. You will start to see it transform in a few more rows.

Row 2: Slip 1, K5, k2tog, k1 TURN

Row 3: Slip 1, P6, p2tog, p1 TURN

TIP When k2tog or p2tog you will begin to see an obvious gap that you are pulling together

Row 4: Slip 1, K7, k2tog, k1 TURN

Row 5: Slip 1, p8, p2tog, p1 TURN

ROW 6: slip 1, k9, k2tog, k1 TURN

Row 7: slip 1, p10, p2tog, k1 TURN

Row 8: slip 1, k11, k2tog, k1 TURN

Row 9: slip 1, p12, p2tog, p1 TURN

ROW 10: slip 1, k13, k2tog, k1 TURN

Row 11: slip 1, p14, p2tog, p1 TURN

Row 12: slip 1, k15, k2tog, k1 TURN - STOP if you are making the average size.

Continue if you are making the the larger size.

Row 13: slip 1, p16, p2tog, p1 TURN

Row 14: slip 1, k17, k2tog, k1

You did it! You just completed a Short-Row Heel. You should have the 18(20) stitches remaining on your needle.

GUSSET/ANKLE

In this step, we will pick up stitches utilizing the slipped stitches on the heel to form the gusset/ankle.

Look at the backside of the heel flap to see the slipped stitches....it has a tendancy to roll inward.

Pick up 16(18) stitches evenly along heel. Put your needle under both sides of the slipped stitch

TIP I like make my last picked up stitch in the stitch between the leg and the heel to prevent a hole from forming.

Knit across needle #2 and #3

Now pick up 16(18) stitches evenly along heel. I like to start this side in stitch between the leg and the heel to prevent a hole from forming and using the slipped stitches for the remainder of the picked up stitches.

Now you have stitches on 4 needles again. But we need to position them slightly.

From your short row heel, knit 9(10) stitches onto the same needle that you just picked up the 16(18) stitches or a total of 25(28) stitches on your needle.

Guess what....we are now back to our 4 needle positions

Needle #1 is once again lined up to the left of the tail and the bottom of the heel, Needle #4 is to the right of the heel and the bottom of the heel. Needles #2 & #3 are the top of the foot.

TIP Give the first stitch on needle #1 an extra tug to insure no gaps form along the bottom of the foot.

Starting with needle #1 knit across all 4 needles one row.

Now we will begin the decreases to form the gusset/ankle. We will decrease every other row, so you may want to use your counter to keep track. Decrease on odd number rows and work even on even number rows.

Row 1 :

On needle #1, knit until last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1,

knit across needles #2 & #3,

on needle #4 k1, ssk, knit till end. (ssk = knit through back loops)

Row 2: work

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until needles #1 & #4 have 16(18) stitches remaining.

· St st stockinette stitch (k on RS, p on WS)

You will begin to see the gusset/ankle take shape...Cool huh?

FOOT even pick up here janeme

Knit even until foot measures 7"(8") from heel.

TOE pick up here janeme

Now we will begin to decrease the sides between the top and the bottom of the foot forming the toe. Like the gusset, this is a good time to pull out your trusty counter. We will make our decreases on the odd numbered rows and work in an even knit stitch on the even numbered rows.

Row 1 Needle

#1: knit to last three stitches, k2tog, k1 Needle

#2: knit 1, ssk, knit remaining stitches Needle

#3: knit to last three stitches, k2tog, k1 Needle

#4: knit 1, ssk, knit remaining stitches

Row 2 Knit even across all 4 needles.

You should start to see the toe beginning to form after just a few rows.....pretty cool and almost done!

Continue until all needles have 6(7) stitches on each of them.

Combine stitches on needle #4 and #1 by knitting across needle #1 leaving a total of 12(14) stitches on one needle.

Slip purlwise the stitches from needle #2 to needle #3 leaving a total of 12(14) stitches on one needle.

Now all stitches should be evenly on two needles

Kitchener

Cut your yarn leaving about 18" for you to work with. Thread your tapestry needle with the end of the yarn.

Position your sock so the working yarn is in the back and slide the stitches to the end of the right side of the needle.

Foundation Row: Insert the needle purlwise into the first stitch on the front needle and pull the yarn thru

Insert the needle knitwise into the first stitch on the back needle and pull the yarn thru

knitwise into the first stitch on the front needle

slip the stitch off the needle

Purlwise into the first stitch on the front needle

pull the yarn thru

------

Purlwise into the first stitch on the back needle -

slip the stitch off the needle

Knitwise into the first stitch on the back needle

pull the yarn thru

Repeat the last 4 lines until all stitches have slipped off the needle. The stitch to make the seamless toe is commonly known as the Kitchener stitch.

SEAMLESS TOE start Kitchner

· dec decrease

· dpn double pointed needles

· foll follow, following

· LYS local yarn store

· inc increase, increasing

· k knit

· k1fb knit into the front and back of the same stitch, creating an increase

· k2tog knit 2 sts together as one (a decrease)

· kwise knitwise, as if to knit

· M1 make one (increase)

· p purl

· p1fb purl into front and back of same stitch, creating an increase

· patt(s)pattern, patterns

· psso pass slipped stitch over

· pwise purlwise, as if to purl

· rem remain, remaining

· rep repeat(s)

· rev ST st reverse stockinette stitch (p on RS, k on WS)

· rnd(s) round(s)

· RS right side

· sl slip

· sl st slip st (slip 1 st pwise unless othewise indicated

· ssk slip 2 sts kwise, one at a time, from the left needle to right needle, insert left needle tip through both front loops and knit together from this position (a decrease)

· St st stockinette stitch (k on RS, p on WS)

· tbl through back loop

· tog together

· WS wrong side

· wyb with yarn in back

· wyf with yarn in front

· yd yard(s)

· yo yarn over

CAST-ONS

· If you tend to cast-on tightly, cast-on using two needles held parallel, removing one of them after you have finished the cast-on. This will produce an elastic edge, which is extremely important for a sock cuff.

· When knitting socks top down: Use the tail from your cast-on as a marker indicating the beginning of the round.

· A Flexible Cast-on is extremely important to ensure socks stay up and do not bind or fall down on the leg. The long-tail, double knit or old Norwegian cast-on's give the most flexibility

Refresher on Cast-ons

DPN (double pointed needles)

Knit in the Round using Double Pointed Needles

· Cast-On all stitches on a single needle before dividing it to three. Then divide evenly between three(3) needles. This will reduce the possibility of twisting stitches.

· To close the circle, knit the first stitch with the working yarn from the last stitch. Keep your last and first needle as close together as possible. Make sure your first knitted stitch (you should mark this)is close to the last needle so that you do not end up with a gap in the knitting. Once the three needles are joined, add the 4th or working needle.

· The first row is always the hardest, those needles seem to take on a life all of there own. Just bite your lip and work thru it.....row 2, 3 & 4 will pass quickly. I promise!

· Continue to work rounds in this way, using your empty needles to knit off and keeping the stitches evenly divided. Hold the two working needles as usual, and drop the others to the back of the work when not in use.