Materials

you will need….
100grams of sock-weight yarn, (4 ply is the norm but does come in 6 ply too)
2.75mm dpns
yarn needle
Size – Men or Women’s, any shoe size

Abbreviations
k – knit
sl – slip a stitch
ssk – slip two stitches knitwise, then knit them together k2tog – knit two stitches together
st(s) – stitch(es)

I hope you all have your needles ready to go as it’s time to learn how to knit socks!
I promise step by step as slowly as you all need.
Let’s start! I suggest you take each step one at a time…don’t look ahead, don’t worry and just go with the flow.

Step 1
First is casting on! You need to cast on 64 sts on to one of the four dpns using stretchy cast on. I’ve added this process as amother page so, pop there first and do that…then come back to this one x
Step 2
Now we have a choice for the first row/round.
If you’re comfortable joining to work in the round then do the following…
**Place the first 16 sts onto one needle, leave 32 on the cast on needle and place 16 onto the 3rd needle. Join to work in the round making sure the sts ate not twisted…working a 2×2 rib.
That is…knit 2 sts,Purl 2 sts.
Repeat the round for around 1.5inches.

Make note of how many rounds you work so you can work the same for the second sock. On average I usually need about 10 rounds

If you’re not so comfortable it’s fine. First work one row using two dpns as straights working 2×2 rib as described above. Then continue from ** as above.
Please note. I’ve knit many pairs of socks now and I still work the first row this way! Just make sure that when you join the sts you don’t twist them

If anyone is having a problem with joining up their knitting try this quick tip.

When you get to the end of the first round, place a stitch marker on the needle and continue to do another 4 sts ON THE SAME NEEDLE.
Now using the spare 4th needle carry on with the next round.
Once you feel confident that the work is joined correctly, slip the sts back to the right needle and remove the marker

Step 3
Right….Once you’ve knit the cuff to the length you want it’s the easy bit!
Start knitting in rounds..no purling…For 40 rounds

Step 4
If you’re ready, start on the next section. ..the heel.
There are many ways to do the heel..This is just one.
Next row. (Slip 1, k1) repeat another 15 times (32 sts in total).

Step 5
We’re now going to work on these 32 sts only. You should have 16 sts on each of the other needles. Just ignore them.

Turn your work so the wrong side is facing you
Row 1. Slip 1, p to the end
Row 2. (Slip 1, k1) rep to the end
Repeat rows 1 & 2 another 15 times
Step 6
Now…turning the heel! It sounds hard and you do need to concentrate.

Extra abbreviation – k2togtbl – knit 2 together through the back of the loops

So…firstly…repeat row 1 from the heel flap….(slip 1, p to the end)
Now, with the right side facing again…
Row 1. Slip 1, k16, k2togtbl, k1, TURN
Row 2. Slip 1, p7, p2tog, p1, TURN
Row 3. Slip 1, knit to one stitch before the gap (you’ll see where the gap is quite easily), k2togtbl, k1, TURN
Row 4. Slip 1, purl to one stitch before the gap, p2tog, p1, TURN

Repeat rows 3 and 4 until all the stitches on the row have been used up

NOTE! DO NOT slip the first stitch on the final purl row

EDIT there’s been a problem with numbers, not sure why as the first row where you knit 16 should work. However, if you find you’re having a problem, I suggest you change the first row to the following
Row 1. Slip 1, k18, k2togtbl, k1, TURN.
Hopefully this should solve any problems x

Step 7
So…have you survived up to now?? I think you’re all doing an amazing job..!
The next bit involved picking up stitches. But first…

Place the 2 sets of 16 sts on one needle. This will leave you with 2 spare needles with nothing on them.
Next..you should have 20 sts left on the heel needle. Using one of the spare needles, knit across half the stitches. With the other spare needle knit across the other half.

You should now have three needles..one with 32 and two with 10 each. If you didn’t end up with 20 on the heel…don’t worry!.just put half on each.

Now you need to pick up and knit stitches down the side of the flap we’ve just made. You should find this quite simple as you use the slipped stitches.
Starting where you just finished on the heel, knit through both legs of the stitch along the edge until you get to the needle holding 32 sts. Pick up one more stitch where these needles join. Make a note of how many stitches you have picked up.

Next….knit across the 32 sts
Now..you need to pick up and knit the stitches up the other side of the flap…try and pick up the same number of stitches remembering the one at the join…just after you’ve knit the 32 sts. When you’ve done that, knit across the last 10 stitches

You should now have, yet again, 3 needles. These will, from now, be referred to as needle 1, 2 and 3 (N1, N2, N3)
Needle 1 has half the heel stitches and one side of the heel flap.
Needle 2 has 32 straight sts
Needle 3 has the stitches from the other side of the heel flap and the remaining half of the heel stitches.

Needles 1&3 should have the same number…what that number is doesn’t matter…you might all have a different number…it doesn’t matter…you could compare with everyone in the group but I wouldn’t bother…it doesn’t matter!!
As long as they are the same, that’s all that matters!
Now, knit around once.

Step 8
Let’s get this foot finished shall we?
Now we have to reduce those side stitches….so..here are the next steps.
Remember what I said about the needles. .??

One side of the heel…needle 1(N1)
The instep…(32 sts) …needle 2 (N2)
The other side of the heel….needle 3(N3)
Right…let’s go!

Row 1.
N1-k to 3 sts from the end, k2tog, k1
N2-knit
N3-k1, ssk, k to end of needle

Row 2. Knit

Got it? Any questions??…right…
Now, repeat rows 1&2 until the stitch count is
Needle 1-16
Needle 2-32
Needle 3-16
Once you have got back to 64 sts as stated above…then you’ll just want to knit around and around…remember that your round will always begin and end in the middle of the heel.
This is where the sock becomes personal! This is when YOU decide how long you need it. I suggest trying it on occasionally rather than trying to measure your foot.

NOTE. Please be careful when trying on the sock..you don’t want the sts to drop off. I suggest you either put needle ends on each needle or place the sts on spare yarn, not forgetting to place markers to indicate the correct stitch numbers for each needle. If you don’t have needle ends then corks or blutack works too…anything that stops the sts falling off.
Make a note of the number of rounds you do so the second will match.

Continue knitting rounds until the foot is approximately 2 inches SHORTER than you need it….ending after needle 3 has been worked

Step 9
And finally!….Now to shape the toe!

Row 1.
N1. K to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1
N2. K1, ssk, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1
N3. K1, ssk, k to end of row

Row 2.
Knit around all 64 sts

Repeat rows 1 & 2 until you have 32 sts..
N1 – 8, N2 – 16, N3 – 8

Now repeat row 1 only until you have 16 sts
N1 – 4, N2 – 8, N3 – 4

Next…knit across the first 4 sts so that there are 8 sts on two needles.
Holding them together with right side on the outside, Kitchener the stitches together.
You’ll find a file explaining how to Kitchener these sts.

You can also find instructions here
http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer04/FEATtheresasum04.html

knitty.com

 

Love Cate x