Creating Your Own Patterns
My CYC Lesson Plan and Pattern are CYC Instructor Available using Martha Stewart Crafts Extra Soft Wool Blend Yarn.

The key measurement for sock sizing is the ankle circumference. For women, this is usually about 8 inches, for men about 10 inches. Measure the ankle of the foot in question for the best fit. From this key measurement, subtract 1 inch when knitting for adults and half an inch when knitting for kids. This assumes that you are knitting with typical sock yarn. If you are knitting with a much thicker yarn, do not subtract as much from the ankle measurement.

Get the gauge of the yarn you want to use. This is, of course, best measured from an actual gauge swatch -- even better if done in the round rather than flat since that’s how the sock will be knit. When using a yarn not originally meant for socks, use needles a size or two smaller than the ball band calls for. Socks are knitted at a tighter gauge than other garments, to maximize wear. You’ll find that they feel better on your feet that way, too.

The number of stitches to cast on is the magic number, X. Once you’ve got that, you can create an entire pattern. X is the stitch gauge (per inch) multiplied by the ankle circumference, minus 1 inch or half an inch, as the case may be.

For example: If your yarn provides a gauge of 30 sts over 4 inches, divide by 4 to get the number of stitches to the inch (7.5 sts). Then multiply this number by the ankle circumference less 1 inch. So for someone with an 8” ankle: 7.5 x 7=52 sts.

The number of stitches you cast on will also be determined somewhat by the ribbing you want to do. K1 p1 rib requires an even number of stitches; k2 p2 rib requires that the number of stitches be divisible by 4. If not, the ribs won’t match up at the beginning of the round.

The Generic Sock-Building Template

Once you’ve built a sock using the Training pattern above, you’re ready to move on to creating socks that can actually be worn.

This section takes you through the steps of defining the pattern. It’s based entirely on the number of stitches to cast on, X, as calculated above.

1. Start

Cast on X stitches; divide evenly across 3 double-pointed needles. A long tailed cast-on is recommended; it’s nice and stretchy.

Put a stitch marker at the beginning of the round. Knit a few rows of ribbing -- check to make sure it’s not twisted. Typically, the ribbing is done with needles a couple of sizes smaller than what you’ll use for the rest of the sock.

1. The Cuff + Leg

Keep ribbing some more. Change to your larger needles about an inch or two into your knitting. If you want to have a ribbed cuff and a plain leg, switch to stockinette stitch when you feel you’ve knit a deep enough cuff. Stockinette stitch provides a nice basis for colour or pattern work, but a fully ribbed leg provides a better fit.

Stop when the cuff and leg are as long as you want them to be.

1. Divide for the heel & knit the heel rows

Starting at the beginning of the round, put half the stitches on one needle. You can lose the marker at this point. Put the rest of the stitches on a stitch holder or a spare needle. The heel will be knitted back and forth on a single needle.

Work in stockinette stitch (knit right side, purl wrong side) for 2/3 to 3/4 as many rows as there are heel stitches, slipping the first stitch of every row but the first. For a sock less than 50 stitches around in total, 2/3 is good; with more stitches, use 3/4 as the ratio. For example, on a 48-stitch sock with 24 heel stitches, you will work 16 rows; on an 80-stitch sock with 40 heel stitches, use 30 rows. If it’s an odd number or fraction, always round up to the nearest even number.

1. Turn the heel

Still working on the heel stitches, you’re now going to reduce and turn the heel.

A bit more math is required here. Divide the number of heel stitches by 3. For a 48-stitch sock, you have 24 heel stitches. This divides evenly as 8-8-8. For a 32-stitch sock with 16 heel stitches, you get 5-6-5.

Foundation row RS: k the first two-thirds of the stitches, SKP (sl 1, k1, psso), turn
WS: sl 1, p the centre third, p2tog, turn
RS: sl 1, k the centre third, SKP, turn
Repeat these last two rows until all the stitches have been worked. The right side will be facing. Knit 1 row on all stitches. For the mathematically inclined, the number of stitches you have now is x/6+2, rounded up to an even number. On your 48-stitch sock, that’s 10. On the 32-stitch sock, that’s 8.

1. Shape the Gusset

If you put half of your stitches on a holder in step 3, return them to a needle. You’ve now got the instep stitches on one needle, and the remaining heel stitches on a second, with two selvedge edges between them. You’re going to pick up stitches along those edges to form the gusset. On each
side, you’ll be picking half the number of heel stitches you began with -- that is one quarter of the cast-on stitches.

Knit the stitches that remain on the heel.

Using a new needle, pick up the required number of stitches along the first side, using the loops created by the slipping in step 2. This will be referred to as Needle 1.

Using another new needle, knit across the instep (non-heel) stitches. This will be referred to as Needle 2.

Using one more new needle, pick up the required number of stitches across the other side, using the loops created by the slipping in step 2. With this same needle, knit half of the remaining heel stitches onto this same needle. This will be referred to as Needle 3.

You will now have a small number of stitches left on your needle, ready to be worked. Slide these onto Needle 1.
6. Decrease the Gusset

On the very next round, work a decrease round:

Decrease Round
Needle 1: Knit to last three stitches, k2tog, k1
Needle 2: Knit even
Needle 3: K1, SKP, knit to end of needle

Alternate decrease rounds and even rounds until you’re back to X, the number of stitches you cast on originally.
7. Foot

Once you’re back to the original number of stitches, X, knit until the foot of the sock measures 2 inches less than the length of the actual foot that will be wearing the sock.

1. Decrease for the toe

Recall that the center of the round is the center of the heel. Make sure your stitches are distributed as follows: 1/4 of the stitches on Needle 1 starting at the center of the round, 1/2 of the stitches on Needle 2 (these are the stitches for the top of the foot), and the remaining 1/4 on Needle 3.

Work a Decrease round:
Needle 1: knit to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1.
Needle 2: k1, ssk, knit to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1.
Needle 3: k1, ssk, knit to end of needle.
Work an even round.
Alternate decrease rounds and even rounds until 8 stitches remain.

1. Finish

There as many ways to finish a sock as there are to make one. Which method you choose is a matter of taste, skill and patience.

You can reduce the toe down to 8 stitches and do a two-needle bind-off.

Or reduce down to 4 stitches, cut the yarn leaving a long tail, thread this tail on a yarn needle and pull the thread through the 4 stitches, pulling them tight.

Or cast off both sides and sew them together.

The neat and tidy prefer grafting, also known as Kitchener stitch, for a seamless toe.
See Teresa’s excellent article in the Summer 2004 issue of Knitty.

CRAFT YARN COUNCIL
Foot Size Chart

The following measurements are for crew-style or dress socks, which usually come several inches above the ankle and below the calf.

11a. Foot Circumference: To determine the foot circumference, measure around the widest part of your foot.

11b. Sock Height: To determine the height of the sock, measure from where you start to turn for the heel shaping to the top of the sock.

11c. Total Foot Length: To measure the total length of your foot, place a ruler or tape measure on the floor. Position the back of your heel at the beginning of the tape and the measure to your longest toe.

NOTE ABOUT SOCK SIZING: In our charts we only refer to U.S. sizes and in the U.S. sock size ranges overlap. In addition, sock sizes do not correlate to shoe size.

US Woman’s Sizes:
Shoe/Sock/Foot Crcm/Sock Height/Foot length
3-6 / 7-9 / 7 / 6.5 / 9 (Small)
6-9 / 9-11/ 8/ 7 / 10 (Medium)
8-12/10-12/9/7.5/11 (Large)

Total Student Count: 2