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 US Shoe Size:	The sock foot length is illustrated with the blue line; it is measured from the cast on to the back of the short row heel turn. The sock foot circumference is illustrated with the green curve, which goes all the way around the sock. Note: If you customize, bear in mind that many people like their sock circumference 10% tighter than their foot. Some like their socks 5-10% shorter than their foot.
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. Sock circumference:

(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.)

Toe:

• Use a provisional cast on and cast on stitches. 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 stiches; 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.
• Distribute the stitches on two needles; call these needles 2 and 3. (The tail of the yarn is at the edge of needle 3.

• Pick up stitches on provisional cast on on one needle. Call this needle 1.
• There are a total of stitches distributed over the needles.
• Toe complete.

• Option 1: (Stockinette foot) All rounds: Knit stitches on needle 1, knit stitches on needle 2, knit stitches on needle 3. Repeat round 1
• Option 2: (Ribbed sock, illustrated) All rounds: Needle 1: knit, *p2, k2 repeat from *, end p2, knit; knit all stitches on needle 2, knit all stitches on needle 3. Repeat! (Notice, stitches on needle 1 form 2 x 2 ribbing.)
• Work even until foot measures inches measured from tip of toe. (The heel turn adds inches.)
• Note: The stitches on needle 1 will be the instep or "top" of sock; the stitches on needles 2 and 3 are the sole.

Heel:

• Knit to the end of needle 1 then place the stitches on needle 1 on a double pointed needle or string to use as a stitch holder. (I use a circular needle as a stitch holder.) Transfer the stitches on needle 2 to needle 3. You will now now work back and forth in short rows over the stitches on needle 3.

• Knit side is facing you. Knit stitches. Wrap and turn. (There are 0 stitches remaining on the left hand needle when you turn.)
• Purl side still facing: Purl stitches. Wrap and turn. (There are 0 stitches on left needle when you turn.)
• Knit stitches. Wrap and turn. (There is 1 stitch on the left hand needle when you turn.)
• Purl stitches. Wrap and turn. (1 stitches on left needle when you turn.)
• Work in pattern established-- always working 1 stitch less each row -- until stitches remain when you complete a purl row (You will purl stitches on this row. Don't forget to wrap and turn when you work the final purl row.)
• Note: this is where your heel will be when you wear the sock. You can measure and verify the length of the sock if you like.

• You work this the same way you worked increasing short rows for the toe!
• Knit stitches. Knit the next stitch together with its wrap. Wrap and turn next stitch; it is now wrapped twice. (Note: If you count the stitch you wrapped and turned, stitches to the left are not knit. Also, remember that wrapping and turning includes slipping the stitch after turning.)
• Purl stitches. Purl next stitch with wrap. Wrap and turn next stitch. ( stitches not worked.)
• Knit stitches, then knit next stitch with both wraps. Wrap and turn next stitch. ( stitches not worked.)
• Purl stitches; purl next stitch with both wraps. Wrap and turn next stitch. ( stitches not worked.)
• Continue in pattern established -- always working 1 additional stitch each row until you get ready to knit the final edge stitch together with its wraps. Knit this stitch with its wraps. Next, slip a stitch from the stitch holder to the needle you just emptied. Wrap and turn this stitch. (Do remember you slip after turning.)
• Purl up to the edge stitch; purl it together with its wraps. Slip a stitch from the holder to the left needle; warp and turn the slipped stitch.
• You will now begin working in rounds!
• Knit half the stitches on the needle; call this new needle "needle 1".
• Pick up a second DPN call it needle 2. Knit until you reach the wrapped stitch; knit it together with its wrap.
• If necessary, transfer instep stitches from holder to a needle.
• Pick up another sock needle; call it needle 3. Work in pattern across instep stitches. (That is, knit 2 x 2 ribbing or stockinette depending on what you did before starting the heel turn.)
• Needle 1: The first stitch is wrapped. Knit it with its wrap as follows: Use right needle tip to lift wrap over the knit stitch. Slip the knit stitch knitwise, slip back to left needle. Knit stitch with its wrap doing it the way you would work an ssk.
• Knit across heel stitches on needles 1 & 2; work stitches on needle 3 in pattern.

Leg:

• The foot and heel are shaped. Most socks are just tubes above this point. You can continue any fancy stitch pattern you began on the foot, introduce a new one, or extend the whole stitch pattern go all the way around the sock. To imitate my sock exactly, work the stitches on needle 3 in pattern, then continue 2 x 2 ribbing all the way around.
• Work rounds until sock is as long as you like to the point below the ribbing. If you want to make a knee sock, and have chunky calves, work symmetric increases on either side of the center back of the sock. (You could also work them on the sides, but I think the center back looks nicest.)
• Ribbing: Knit 1 x 1 ribbing or 2 x 2 ribbing for whatever length you prefer.
• Bind off using some elastic method.