sock question

How do you determine how long to make the foot of your sock? Do you do a percentage of the person's foot length? Or do you subtract some number of inches?

TIA!

LauraJ

Reply to
Laura J
Loading thread data ...

Well, that's a good question. Most sources will tell you to knit the sock foot 2" shorter than the actual foot length, then make the toe; the same sources will instruct you to make the toe using "decrease round, plain round" decreases to shape the toe. IMO this produces a too-long sock, especially if the heel was made adequately deep.

How long YOU make YOUR socks depends on how you want them to fit. After you've knitted a few socks of varying foot and toe lengths you'll settle on something that works for you.

When I'm knitting socks for other people I ask for two different foot measurements - back of heel to base of small toe, and back of heel to tip of longest toe. I knit the foot to the first measurement, then make the toe. The total length of the sock is then about 1/2" shorter than the total foot length using my standard toe shaping.

Pick up a copy of Nancy Bush's book "Folk Socks and Stockings". Its a great resource for the tyro sock knitter.

On Wed, 25 May 2005 14:56:58 GMT, "Laura J" spewed forth :

+++++++++++++

Reply to the list as I do not publish an email address to USENET. This practice has cut my spam by more than 95%. Of course, I did have to abandon a perfectly good email account...

Reply to
Wooly

Laura, I try them on with the knitting needles in them. works for me.

Els

Reply to
Els van Dam

Thanks for the advice! I will file it away for future reference. I am using the "decrease round, plain round" method for the toe. How do you do the decreases for your toes?

LauraJ

Reply to
Laura J

Me too, Els! Unfortunately, this sock isn't for me and I think it would spoil the surprise if I tried it on the recipient :)

LauraJ

Reply to
Laura J

Do you know what size feet they have in relation to yours? I made Blue's brothers socks for Xmas, and used Blue as a reference guide. One brother was a size bigger, the other two sizes smaller (yes, Blue also got a pair).

Tara

Reply to
Tara D

I decrease on either side of the toe, top and bottom, every other round until I've made half the needed decreases; then I decrease EVERY round as per above until I have 4 sts left on each needle. Graft. Done.

On Wed, 25 May 2005 20:37:13 GMT, "Laura J" spewed forth :

+++++++++++++

Reply to the list as I do not publish an email address to USENET. This practice has cut my spam by more than 95%. Of course, I did have to abandon a perfectly good email account...

Reply to
Wooly

They all have larger feet than I have. I have so far made 4 pairs of socks (2 for me, 2 for DH) and they all have come out short so that is why I was trying to see if there was a standard that other people used to make theirs. Strangely, my whole family (2 sisters, mother, father) all have about the same ankle circumference, give or take 1/2" but my feet are the smallest by at least 2 sizes.

LauraJ

Reply to
Laura J

Thanks, Wooly. I will try that out when I get to the toe of this sock.

LauraJ

Reply to
Laura J

Makes sense. I do find that hand knit socks don't have as much 'give' in them, so you do have to pretty close in size. My first pair were so small (circumference wise) that I ended up dropping a few inches of the toes and giving to MIL. Fit her perfectly. Then next time I made some for me, I added stitches.

I'm sure there is a formula out there (and I'm sure I found it some time) that involved size of thread, number of cast on stitches, where the decreases were and how many for different sizes). More like a chart that a pattern. I can see if I can dig that up again.

Tara

Reply to
Tara D

No luck yet, but this might help. Foot sizings.

formatting link

Reply to
Tara D

Thank you, Tara. That will help a lot! And if you manage to find the other chart you were talking about, I'd love to see that too. I need all the help I can get ;)

Thank you, I really appreciate it!

LauraJ

Reply to
Laura J

InspirePoint website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.