How to Knit Basic Socks

Socks were intimidating to me for a long time. They seemed so complicated and small; the sorts of things that would invite mistakes and un-picking hours of stitch-work.

The truth is, however, they are extremely easy once you get the hang of them. Here are some general tips and guidelines for knitting socks.

Materials

1. Fingering or lace weight yarn

   
   

2. US 2 circular needles. They should be sufficiently long for the magic loop method. Mine are 40 inches (100 cm) which is a bit excessive, but they still work. 20 inches (50 cm) would likely do the trick.

   
   

3. Place marker

   
   

Cast on

I prefer a two-tail cast on, since it can be thicker and stretchier than some other methods. Be sure not to cast on too tightly, since the cast on will eventually be picked up and worked into the round. Thirty stitches has proven extremely versatile. By adjusting the length of the sock before the heel, I have been able to use 30 cast on stitches to make socks for smaller women’s socks and larger men’s socks. Crazy.

Toe (And Heel!) Wrap and Turn

To make a round tip for the toes and heels, you will be knitting back and forth (knit and purl rows).

Decreasing

For the first row, knit until there is only one stitch left in the row. Then bring the yarn to the front (as if you were going to purl the next stitch). Slip the last stitch onto the needle with the working end. Return the yarn to the back, and slip the stitch back onto the previous needle. This will create a “wrap” around the last stitch (although it may be somewhat difficult to see on this first stitch).

Turn the piece and purl the second row until there is only one stitch left in the row. Your first purl stitch will be after your wrap stitch, so this second row is one stitch less than the first row. When there is only one stitch left, bring the yarn to the back (as if you were going to knit the following stitch). Slip the last stitch onto the needle with all the other stitches. Then return the yarn to the front and slip the final stitch back onto the previous needle. This is another wrap, but on the purl side.

You have wrapped and turned two stitches, and if you started with a 30-stitch cast on, your effective row length is now 28.

Knit row 3, stopping one stitch before the wrap and turn stitch. Now wrap and turn the next stitch. You should have two wrapped and turned stitches on the knit side.

Do the same for the purl row, wrapping and turning the stitch right before the previously wrapped and turned stitch.

Continue this back and forth which reduces your effective row length by one stitch each knit or purl row until there are 10 wrap and turns on the purl side and 10 wrap and turns on the knit side. This means there are only 10 stitches in the center of the piece that are in your effective row length.

Increasing

** This is conceptually the most difficult part of the project. I would recommend you watch the video since a visual is much easier to grasp, and use the written version as a supplemental guide.

Once you have completed your final wrap and turn (which I believe should be a purl wrap and turn, so the following row should be a knit row), knit until the first wrap and turn on the knit side.

Slip the first wrap and turn onto the right needle where the rest of the effective row is. Use the left needle (which is holding all the remaining 9 wrap stitches) to pick up the wrap on the slipped first needle. Slip the stitch back onto the left needle. Now knit both the stitch and wrap together. Wrap and turn the following stitch (so there are now two wraps around the 9th knit row wrap and turn). Proceed to purl the following row.

The purl row now has 11 stitches before reaching the first wrap and turn. Like before (except now with the yarn in front and purling-style), slip the first wrap stitch, pick up the wrap, slip the stitch back onto the left needle, and purl the two together. Wrap and turn. The effective row length is now 12 stitches.

On the following rows, do precisely the same as before, except now pick up BOTH wraps. This means you will knit (or purl) three stitches together, wrap the next stitch, and carry on.

When you have finished reincorporating all the wrapped stitches, you have completed the toe.

** This may seem complicated at first, but once you get the hang of it, it is extremely mindless.

Join in Round

** Again, it is probably best to watch the video to see what this means.

Now you need to pick up stitches from the cast on row. Try to make this as even as possible, only picking up from the cast on row, and reaching 26-30 new stitches. This may take some practice to see what part of the cast on stitches are best to pick up for aesthetic purposes. Practically, however, it’s all the same. A stitch is a stitch, and if it’s terribly ugly, you can undo and try again, or simply make it the bottom of the sock where no one can see it.

Place a beginning of row marker, and proceed.

Knit in Round

Now simply knit in the round. Periodically try the sock on for measurement checks. I use my finger as a rough estimate for when to start the heel; the toe is usually complete by the length of one knuckle on my index finger. When the sock before the ankle reaches one knuckle from the back of my heel, then it is time to start knitting the heel.

The Heel

The heel is identical to the toe in wraps and turns decreasing and increasing. The only tricky part of the heel is in making sure it aligns with the seam of the toe. This is where the beginning of row marker is useful. Determine which side of the sock you want to be the bottom, and from the beginning of row marker isolate 30 stitches. Use the toe pattern on these 30 stitches, then join back into the round. Knit for a short bit before beginning the rib.

The Rib

A classic rib is knit 2 purl 2. The only snag is that you need to make sure your stitch count is divisible by 4. If you are a super expert and picked up exactly 30 or 26 stitches in the beginning after completing the toe, then you can carry on directly. Otherwise, knit some stitches together in the row before starting the rib. I recommend you always decrease to accommodate the rib rather than increase since it looks smoother, and the ankle is typically smaller than the heel and rest of the foot. Decreasing helps keep the sock tight and not baggy.

Stretchy Cast Off

Fancy cast offs seemed snooty to me for a long time, but for clothing like socks it is important that the cast off be stretchy. Think about it; the top of the ankle has to fit over the widest part of the foot, and a typical “knit two pull one stitch overtop of the last” just won’t stretch enough unless it is done so loosely that it looks bad.

My current favorite stretchy cast off is a knit (or purl) two together method.

In the rib, if the stitch below was a knit stitch, then knit. If the stitch below was a purl stitch, then purl.

For the sake of example, I will assume my row starts with 2 knit stitches.

Knit 2. Insert left needle into the two stitches you just knitted. Left needle will be in front of the right needle. Knit the two together.

Purl the next stitch. Insert left needle into two stitches (one is the knit two together, the other is the purl). Left needle will be behind the right needle. Purl the two together.

Purl the next stitch. Purl the two together.

Knit the next stitch. Knit the two together.

And on it continues until you reach the end of the row and have one stitch remaining.

Pull the tail through the final loop and weave in the end. Weave DOWN the inside of the sock, rather than across so as not to reduce the lateral stretchiness of the sock.

Your sock is complete!

Final Comments

The first and perhaps second socks you ever knit may be difficult, but they are a lovely, short, and impressive project. Unlike sweaters which can take months to complete, socks can be finished within a few days. Unlike scarves which are fashion accessories worn in winter months, socks are essential and worn year-round. This basic sock can be the starting point for all kinds of lace and color work, too!

Good luck, and happy knitting!