I’ve been a knitter for several years now. But it wasn’t until recently that I dipped my toes into the world of sock knitting. Outside of the knitting world, I’ve been a sock hoarder for years. Plains socks, knee highs, anklets, crazy patterns– you name it, I’ve got it. It was only a matter of time before I started to contemplate making my very own socks.
It can be quite overwhelming to find a just the right pattern. Look for something simple and plain. It’s tempting pick a crazy pattern because it looks cool, but trust me, you’ll want to start easy so you can wrap your head around the construction of a sock.
Sock Anatomy
Cuff: This is the very top of the sock. It’s the part that’s actually going to keep your socks up.
Leg: If you’re going for cute, crazy, or beautiful socks, the leg is the part where you get to show off your work.
Heel and Gusset: As a new sock knitter, this area took a little more time and patience to knit. You’ll be working the area that will cover the back and bottom of your heel.
Sole: Once you’ve made the tricky turn around the heel, you get to knit in circles again. While forming the sole of your sock, you’ll be creating the instep as well.
Toe: There’s no turning back now. The toe is the end of the sock. There are different ways of finishing off the toe. One popular way is to bind off using the Kitchener stitch.
Keep in mind there’s more than one way to knit a sock. Some people knit top-down, whereas others prefer knitting toe-up. You can knit them on double-pointed needles or circular needles. There’s no right or wrong way to go about it.
Sock Patterns
- My Perfect Sock by Julie Rouscoulp: This is a very, very easy sock pattern that is knit top-down. My personal favorite, since I used it to knit my first pair of socks.
- Silly Striped Socks: Easy peasy! This sock has a bit of texture to the pattern, but it really is a basic sock pattern.
- Toastie Socks: Knit these socks with some worsted weight yarn for extra warmth. This could be a good starter sock since it’s knit on larger needles to accommodate the yarn.
- Summer Socks: The traditional two-toned sock is classic–perfect!
You can find more patterns of all shapes and sizes in the Feet and Legs category on AllFreeKnitting. Get into sock knitting and you’ll discover there’s a whole micro-community out there of folks who love making socks!
Have you discovered the world of sock knitting yet? Share your story with us!
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