A first pair of hand-knit socks is a classic knitting goal, and a satisfying one. You need very little yarn, the project fits in a small bag, and you wear the result every day. The heel is the part most beginners dread. Once you know the order of the steps, it is much less mysterious than it looks.
Are you ready to knit your first sock?
- You can knit and purl without having to think about every stitch.
- You have decreased before, for example on a hat.
- You have a set of double-pointed needles (DPNs), or a long circular needle for magic loop.
- You have a fine yarn that suits socks.
Missing one of these? Practice that technique on its own first. Our guide on how to knit for beginners covers casting on, knit, purl and binding off, and knitting a hat in the round is a good warm-up before a whole pair of socks.
Cuff-down or toe-up: two routes to the same sock
| Method | You start at | Advantage | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cuff-down | The top of the sock | Most patterns and tutorials use it | Beginner |
| Toe-up | The tip of the toe | You can try it on as you go and use up every bit of yarn | Confident beginner |
For a first pair, cuff-down is usually easier. Most patterns and videos assume it, and you learn the logic of a sock in order: cuff, leg, heel, foot, toe.
Double-pointed needles or magic loop?
A sock is too narrow for a regular circular needle, so you need another way to knit in the round. With DPNs you spread the stitches over three or four short needles and knit with one more. With magic loop you use one long circular needle (80 cm / 32 in or longer) and pull a loop of cable out between two halves of the stitches. Both work fine. Many beginners find DPNs a little more intuitive at first because you can see how the stitches are divided.
Typical needle sizes for sock yarn are 2.25 to 2.75 mm (US 1 to 2). Knit socks a bit firmer than you would a sweater: a dense fabric wears much better.
The cuff: ribbing that stays up
Cast on loosely, join in the round without twisting, and work the cuff in ribbing: knit 1, purl 1 or knit 2, purl 2. Ribbing pulls in, so the cuff hugs your ankle instead of sliding down. About 2.5 to 5 cm (1 to 2 in) is a common cuff length.
Ribbing is not the same as garter stitch, by the way. If the names are still a blur, our overview of knitting stitches for beginners puts them side by side.
The leg
After the cuff, most socks continue in stockinette stitch. In the round that simply means knitting every stitch. You can also keep going in ribbing for a snugger fit. Measure the leg against your own ankle or calf and stop where the heel should begin.
Knitting the heel
The heel is the one part of a sock that works differently from the rest. Instead of going round, you knit back and forth over half of the stitches to build a cup for your heel. The most beginner-friendly version is the heel flap and turned heel, in three steps:
- Heel flap: work back and forth over half the stitches. A slipped-stitch pattern (slip 1, knit 1 on the right side; slip 1, purl the rest on the wrong side) makes the flap thicker and harder-wearing. Most patterns knit the flap until it is roughly square.
- Turning the heel: short rows with decreases that shape the bottom of the heel into a cup.
- Gusset: pick up stitches along both edges of the heel flap, then knit in the round again and decrease at both sides every other round until you are back to your original stitch count.
Follow a pattern with exact row counts the first time. Once you have felt how the pieces fit together, you can start adjusting.
The foot and the toe
Knit the foot in the round until it reaches the base of your little toe, or about 4 to 5 cm (1.5 to 2 in) short of the full foot length. For the toe you decrease at both sides of the foot, first every other round and then every round, until a small number of stitches remain. Close the toe with Kitchener stitch (grafting) for a flat, invisible seam, or thread the yarn through the last stitches and pull tight for a rounder toe. Try the sock on along the way, especially on your first pair.
Which yarn works for socks?
Classic sock yarn is usually wool with some nylon, often 75% wool and 25% nylon. The nylon makes it much more durable at the heel and the ball of the foot. We do not stock that type of yarn at the moment. A fine 100% cotton such as Durable Coral (50 g / 125 m, 2.5 to 3.5 mm) works for light summer socks or slippers. Keep in mind that cotton has very little stretch, so the socks will be less elastic and wear out faster than wool-nylon socks. For thick, soft house socks, a heavier yarn knit on 4 to 4.5 mm needles also works, as long as you accept that they will not last as long as real sock yarn.
Washing hand-knit socks is a topic of its own. Our guide on how to wash wool explains what you can and cannot put in the machine.
Frequently asked questions about knitting socks
How much yarn do I need for a pair of socks?
For an average adult pair in fingering-weight sock yarn, plan on about 350 to 400 m, which is roughly one 100 g skein. Larger feet and longer legs take more. Weigh your first sock when it is done so you know there is enough left for the second.
Can I knit socks if I have never knit in the round?
You can, but it helps to practice on something smaller first, like a wristwarmer or a hat. That way you are not learning to knit in the round and turn a heel on the same project.
Why does sock yarn contain nylon?
Nylon makes the yarn more resistant to abrasion at the heel and toe, where your shoes rub. Pure wool or cotton wears through faster in those spots.
Do I have to start at the cuff?
No. Toe-up socks are just as common and let you try the foot on as you go. For a first pair, cuff-down is usually easier to follow because most patterns and tutorials use that order.
How do I avoid holes at the corners of the heel?
Small holes often appear where the heel flap meets the instep, at the start of the gusset. Pick up one extra stitch in that gap and knit it together with its neighbor on the next round. Picking up stitches through the back loop also tightens them.
Keep going
Your first pair does not have to be perfect to be worn every day. Most knitters say the second sock goes much faster than the first, mainly because the heel stops being a mystery. Wondering whether knitting or crochet suits you better for small projects like this? Read knitting vs crochet.
