How to knit socks: step by step instruction for beginners

Do you think it's very difficult to tie socks and can only be done by experienced needlewomen? In fact, this work consists of the simplest elements, which everyone can master.

The most common knitting technique is the top-down method. That is, you start from the top (cuff) and continue downward, forming a heel, then a foot, and finish with a sock. This is just one of many ways. Once you master it, you will discover a huge world of designs, techniques and structures.

Yarn selection and calculation of loops

Before knitting socks, you must choose a yarn. Its number depends on the type and size of the product that you want to receive. For women's socks of standard size without complex patterns and interlacing, you will need 300-400 grams of thread. In the presented photos you see products associated with thicker yarn. So it's easier to clearly define the stages of work.

Most importantly - the number of loops that will affect all the rest of the knitting, is based on the circumference of the calves. Think about which part of the foot you would like to reach the sock, and measure it. If you want the new thing to fit snugly, reduce this number by 25%. For example: if the circumference of the calf is 10 inches (25 cm), subtract 25%. We get 7.5 inches (19cm).

To translate this measurement into a meaningful number of loops, multiply it by the thickness of the yarn. For convenience, the resulting value can be reduced or increased so that it becomes a multiple of four. This is easy to understand by a simple example. Female socks in the photo were connected from yarn, in which 7 loops fall one inch, and the leg circumference was 7.5 inches (19cm). Multiply 7.5 by 7, and we get 52.5. This number is rounded to 52. That's how many loops you need to type on knitting needles.

How to knit a socks for beginners: knitting a cuff

In the process of tying the first row, we evenly distribute the loops along four circular spokes: 13 each. Continue to knit with an ordinary rubber band (one facial, one purl) down the leg, periodically trying on the cuffs until you decide that the length is sufficient.

Knitting the heel

The heel of the sock is a square flap that will cover the corresponding leg area. To link it, you need to take half of the total number of loops (that is, with two spokes) and move it in the process of working on one spoke. For example, our sock contains 52 loops, so we need to separate 26.

Now we will knit this part of the article not round, but in straight rows - "there and back", separately from everything else. Do not worry, later we will attach the heel to the rest of the sock.

Knit will be an ornament that will give this part of the sock extra strength and almost ribbed texture. This is done as follows:

Obverse: remove 1 loop, without tying, 1 facial. Repeat until the end of the row.

Wrong side: tie all loops back.

Some people prefer to take the first loop without tying. It depends on you.

The rectangular flap of the heel, as a rule, is 5-6 cm in length. An easier way of calculating is simply to tie as many rows as you have loops on the spoke. Remember this number, because it will be useful to us in the future.

Now you need to form a heel bend. In the lower part of it we begin to reduce the length of the series. It's not difficult, and in time you'll find that you can "read" the loops and turn the heel without hesitation. And now just knit by the scheme.

Obverse: Remove the first loop, then continue facing up to the middle of the row. Two hinges after the middle, tie together, and then draw the contraction of the series as follows: remove 1 loop, tie 1 facial and so on. After this, before reaching the end of the series, turn the work so that the inside is now facing you.

Wrong side: remove the first loop, then tie 5 purl and 2 together. Then tie one more, and then again turn the work face to itself. You will notice that the number of loops decreased, and the heel slightly rounded. That's what we did: on the front side, we just take off the loop, without tying, and the next we sew the front. On the opposite side - we sew two together purl. It is important to do this in each row in sequence, so that there are no bevels and slopes. In the last two rows, after decreasing, you will not have any loops left.

Joining the heel with the toe

Now it is necessary that the heel connect with the knitting of the rest of the sock. It is easy to do this by typing and looping along each edge of the rectangle. To determine their number, simply count the number of rows in the flap and divide it in half. If you remember the number of loops on the spoke when forming the heel, then it will be even easier for you. For example: in our case, the flap of the heel consisted of 26 loops. Now we just type 13 loops on each side.

Keep the job face to face. We type and sew loops along the left edge of the flap. We work on raising the sock, keeping the original position on the spoke. Then, similarly, we type and loop the loops along the right edge of the heel.

By this time, you must again use all four spokes.

Now that you have picked up all the loops and evenly distributed them, everything is ready to start knitting in a circle again. Always start a circular row from the center of the heel, then tie up the climb and finish the job on the other side.

Sometimes the number of loops is reduced on both sides of the heel, tying the two together. Due to this, the toe will fit the foot more tightly. But you can leave the previous number of loops.

Knitting foot and toe

Perhaps this is the easiest part. We'll just knit in a circle until until the tip of the thumb is about 5 cm. But all good things ever come to an end, even socks. Now it's time to decrease, so that the finger was comfortable, and the new thing had a more natural shape. This time we will reduce the number of loops at the beginning of the row on each spoke. You can alternate circles with decrements and without them, so that the rounding is smoother. All this is individual and depends on your preferences.

It only remains to close the hole formed. This can be done with the help of knitting needles or a simple darning needle. Now that you already have some experience, it will not be difficult.

By the same instruction, you can tie socks of any size. So any wife will be able to please her husband with new clothes. And the young mother will no longer have a question about how to tie children's socks.