Question for you sockknitters - anyone knit "diabetic" socks?

Anything that won't be uncomfortable in the shoe. Anything goes ont he legs, keep the heels and feet plain with a grafted no-seam toe.

Shaped legs. Anklets.

Unless she's having problems (swelling, neuropathy, reduced circulation due to vascular damage) there's no reason she can't wear pretty much any non-binding sock. IMO "diabetic" socks are a racket.

BTW, cotton socks can be tie-dyed. It isn't a perfect solution but it's fun especially if there are sub-teen kids around to help :D

Jo I have lymphoedema of both legs and therefore knit my own socks. I am not sure how different my requirements are to those of a diabetic but I knit a shaped toe (left and right foot, not just rounded, 32rows in total), then a stockinet sole with a K3P1 rib foot top, a very deep short row heel (usually about 48 of 80 sts, this helps stop wrinkles), then about 1/2" K3P1 rib followed by K1P1 rib. If the socks are long I will go up a needlesize after about

3" to stop the tops becoming tight. My cast off is a bit weird and I am not sure I can accurately describe it, but it is a bit like working three stitches of cast off for every two stiches of rib. Having the foot fit smooth and snug (not tight) seem to help keep the socks from slipping down, but I don't usually knit them above mid calf high.

I have a pattern for myself the works but I don't think I have ever written it down. This is for standard sock yarn on 2.5mm circulars.

You say that K1P1 rib is not suitable - any special reason? I am just interested.

First off, a disclaimer: I have never knitted for anyone with any medical condition. However, I don't like anything binding around the ankles myself, and my experience knitting socks for myself is that if I use sock-weight wool, pretty much everything stays up by itself, whether it's all 2x2 rib on the leg part, or stockinette with a band of 1x1 rib. My wool socks never leave marks on my legs the way cotton sport socks do. THey don't fall down either. IMHO, the 1x1 rib (at least if it's knit with the same needles) serves only to keep the top from rolling over--at least the way I knit, it's not very elastic. THere are some pictures towards the bottom of my finished objects page:

this helps, Georgia

I am wearing a k2,p2 pattern sock right now and it stays up perfectly and is not in the least bit tight or binding

Chex,

I made leg warmers for my wife who has terrible problem with her legs and I used k2,p2 for her ankles and just below here knees and they are not snug enough to be called tight at all, she could not stand them. You just have to knit it a little more loose.

Hugs & God bless, Dennis & Gail

CHEX wrote:

I can`t have things to `holding ` my self ,, when buying cotton socks i pull out the elastic that is knitted with the cotton,,,ON my legwarmer i knitted 2 purled 2 , and added at the `back` with accordance to leg becoming a bit wider , than decreeased a bit it SIts on it`s place Neatly .

mirjam

What about a diagonal rib? Heelless socks are usually knitted with this - it helps then conform to the foots shape (without the need for proper shaping). You could still knit a shaped sock but the diagonal rib (loosely knit) may give an extra hand to the "even gentle hug" factor of the finished product.

This should be alright methinks.

VP

My DH has problems with swelling ankles - had veins taken from legs to do heart bypasses - and also can't wear socks that constrict in one place. I make him socks using a K2P2 rib that continues over the instep and he seems to think they are fine. They are pretty evenly stretchy and seem to fit nicely and stay up ok. I don't know if they would do for your mom - but they don't look dorky.

I second the shaped legs. Measure carefully and knit the socks to fit smoothly. Since most people's legs are a little smaller between the calf and the knee, even two stitches smaller here will make a difference. They shouldn't constrict, but the very slight curve inward will help hold them up.

=Tamar

From what I've heard, it's not just the constriction in the legs that is a problem for diabetics. I had several aunts who were diabetic and I seem to remember that the socks have to be white, because the dye can cause problems, and have to be cotton, because that is the fibre least likely to irritate the skin. They also have to be seamless and of a very fine guage.

To be honest, I would be afraid to knit socks for a diabetic, because a mistake could be life threatening. At least ask someone in her clinic what the exact requirements are. Maybe you could make your mom a removable cuff to wear over the white socks.

If I were diabetic, I would wear the White Diabetic Socks, and then knit myself some WILD leg warmers out of Alpaca yarn in a soft, double-moss stitch and wear the leg warmers over the WDS. The leg warmers would be loose! Then I could throw my WDS in to the washing machine and my leg warmers could be washed less often.

Then, I would knit myself some slippers with soles of (15 % nylon) sock yarn and uppers that matched my leg warmers, and I would wear my WILD slippers over my WDS. (We do not wear shoes in the house here.)

The folks that make the WDS have engineering and quality control that hand knitters can not match. Let them do what they do well, and let us do what we do well.

Aaron

She does actually have swelling and neuropathy - and end-stage renal failure, she's just starting dialysis which is why I'm trying to come up with stuff to perk her up.

Luckily she hasn't had any leg/foot injuries yet. I feel a bit the same about the special "diabetic" socks racket, as they actually don't seem to be particularly well made - they're thin and wear out even though she barely walks -but they're just smooth and loose.

J

Hmm, I think I did largely similar to this with one pair I made for myself, except for the shaped L/R toes.

My concern with the K1P1 ribbed top is that my ribbed tops always seem tighter than the rest of the sock. I suppose they wouldn't be if I moved up a needle size. Or maybe I could just do K3P1 all the way up.

Thanks for the hints - will continue to ponder.

Johanna