|
I have knitted several pairs of socks, but until recently, I mostly worked from existing patterns or modified existing patterns. I didn't understand much of the math behind sock construction. Now that I have it figured out, I will post some basic tips so you can design your own socks. I will post more over time, but this should get you started. First, understand the obvious parts of a sock. The cuff, at the top of the sock, is typically knit in ribbing since it's stretchy and will stay in place. Some people sew a bit of elastic into the cuff. Below the cuff is the leg of the sock, which is where you find the main patterns of socks with patterns. Below the leg is the heel flap, the bit that covers the back of your heel. The heel flap then becomes the heel itself, the bit that you stand on. The heel flap and heel are knitted as extra fabric to help fit the shaping of your foot; the sock would not fit very well over the wide part of your ankle otherwise. Then the extra stitches decrease, forming the gussets--the triangular things on the sides of the sock--down to the same number of stitches as the leg. The foot of the sock consists of the sole (the bottom of the sock, which you stand on) and the instep (the part that covers the top of your foot). Then the sock decreases at the toe until it is only a couple of inches around. The remaining stitches are grafted together, meaning sewn invisibly, so that there is no visible (or worse, tangible) seam at the toe. The cuff of the sock should be snug, but not so much so that it won't fit over the ankle. To remedy that, cast on extra loosely or with a larger needle size, or knit extra stitches into the cuff and then decrease down to the number of stitches called for when beginning the leg. Try to design a pattern with an even number of stitches--preferably divisible by four--since socks need an even number of stitches for the heel, gussets, and toe. If you design a pattern that must have an odd number of stitches, you will most likely need to increase or decrease to an even number of stitches for the heel, gussets, and toe. The heel flap (the bit that covers the back of your heel) is half the total number of stitches. The heel flap is then in turn divided in half to form the heel itself (the bit that you stand on). This is why the total number of stitches should be divisible by four; it ensures that the heel will be centered. I've seen patterns that do call for an odd number of stitches for the heel flap, but personally, I want my heels to be perfectly centered. Speaking of centering the heel over the heel flap, turning the heel is tricky but fun. I absolutely love turning heels and working gussets; they're the best part about sock knitting. If it weren't for the awesome softness of hand knitted socks, I swear the fun of turning heels would be the only reason I would knit socks. Anyway, to start the heel turn, you slip one stich and then work halfway across the heel flap plus one. For instance, if your heel flap has 20 stitches, to start the heel turn, you would slip one, knit eleven stitches, and then do your decrease. Then you turn the fabric and work back across a few stitches, about an inch--or as narrow as you want the narrowest part of the heel to be. You work back and forth, gradually moving the decreases outward, which gives the heel a kind of V shape. If you're designing your own heel, you will most likely need to sketch this carefully on graph paper. When finishing the sock or changing yarns, try to weave in loose ends on the instep rather than the sole; you don't want to stand on them since even a tiny knot can feel quite annoying after a while. |