Any yarn and any machine may be used
to make socks. The key to any good sock
is the fit. No matter how beautiful or
how expertly made, it won't be a good sock if it doesn’t fit. This is my guide to getting a good fitting
sock for me. It may require a bit of
tweaking for individual feet but this usually comes pretty close to any I’ve
made by it. Swatch your yarn to obtain gauge
and follow these calculations.
Measure Foot:
*Around ankle (just above the ankle
bones) -AND- around the arch. If there is a lot of difference in the two measurements, use the smallest one in the formula to calculate number of cast on sts.
**Length of foot from end of toe to
end of heel (standing on a ruler on the floor).
*A good rule of thumb to determine
number of cast on stitches is by using the ankle measurement in inches times
the number of stitches in your gauge per inch.
Subtract 10% if you prefer a tighter fitting sock. Make sure it is an even number by rounding up
or down. You will be happy with your
socks if they fit snugly but are not tight as most socks will stretch with wear.
**A shortrowed toe and heel for an adult sock will
each be approximately 2” long, depending on the yarn and size. Therefore, subtract 4” from foot measurement
to determine how many rows to knit between the heel and toe. I have found that reducing the length by 5 to 10%
will give a satisfactory fit; i.e., my foot is 10” long, minus 4” to allow
for the toe and heel, minus 1” (10%), times the number of rows per inch in my
gauge = number of rows to knit for the foot section. Multiply the number of rows by 2 for circular
knitting.
