Crochet guide
How crochet socks are made
Yes, socks can be crocheted. A crochet sock is a tube worked in the round, from the toe up or from the cuff down, with a heel shaped in one of three ways. It is made a little smaller than the foot, so that it stretches to fit. This guide explains how each part is built. It is not a pattern.
On this page 9 parts
Can you crochet socks?
Yes. Crochet heels are adapted from the heels of knitted socks, and the rest of the sock is a tube. Three things make a crochet sock fit.
- A stitch that stretches. Crochet fabric does not stretch sideways, across its stitches, as knitting does. It gives more the other way, from one round to the next, which on a sock is along its length. So a sock needs a stitch pattern that can stretch around the foot and spring back.
- A yarn with some stretch. Sock yarn is usually wool blended with nylon.
- A size smaller than the foot. The sock is made a little smaller than the foot and leg, and it stretches to fit when it is put on.
Everyday socks are made in fine sock yarn with a small hook. Thick yarn makes slipper socks for wearing at home.
The parts of a sock
| Part | What it is |
|---|---|
| Toe | The closed end, shaped with increases or decreases |
| Foot | A plain tube worked in the round |
| Heel | A cup that turns the tube from the foot up the leg |
| Gusset | Extra stitches where the heel meets the foot. They give the foot room to go in. Not every sock has one |
| Leg | A plain tube above the heel |
| Cuff | The edge at the top, usually ribbed |
Toe up or cuff down
A sock is worked in one of two directions.
- Toe up. The sock starts at the toe. The foot, the heel and the leg follow, and the cuff is made last.
- Cuff down. The sock starts at the cuff. The leg, the heel and the foot follow, and the toe is closed last.
Either way, the sock can be tried on as it grows. Try it on often, above all just before and just after the heel.
The heel you choose goes with the direction. The three heels are explained further down. A heel flap is given there for a cuff-down sock, and it has toe-up forms too. A short-row heel and an afterthought heel are used in both directions.
The toe
On a toe-up sock, the toe often starts with a short chain. The first round is worked along one side of the chain and back along the other. Increases at the two ends widen the toe, round by round, until it is as big around as the foot.
On a cuff-down sock, the toe is made last. Decreases at each side of the foot narrow the tube, and the last few stitches are seamed or sewn shut.
The heel
Heels are often worked in single crochet (double crochet in the United Kingdom), whatever stitch the rest of the sock uses. Three heels are common.
An afterthought heel
The sock is worked as a plain tube, with a gap left where the heel will be. When the tube is finished, the heel is worked into the gap in the round. Decreases at the two sides shape it into a cup, and the last stitches are closed with a seam.
A short-row heel
The rounds stop, and the heel is worked back and forth in rows over about half the stitches of the round.
- Each row is a little shorter than the one before, until the rows are narrow.
- Then each row is a little longer. The end of each longer row is joined to the end of a shorter row below it.
- When the rows are as wide as the first one, the rounds start again.
The heel cups as the longer rows pick up the shorter ones. Short rows explains the idea.
A heel flap and turn
These are the steps on a cuff-down sock.
- The flap. A flat piece is worked in rows on about half the stitches, down the back of the heel.
- The turn. A few short rows at the bottom of the flap fold it under the heel.
- Back to rounds. Stitches are worked along the row ends on each side of the flap, and across the top of the foot, to make one round again.
- The gusset. If the round now has more stitches than the foot needs, decreases take them out over the next rounds.
The leg and the cuff
The leg is a plain tube. It is worked for as many rounds as the sock is to be tall.
The cuff is usually ribbing in single crochet worked in the back loop only. It is made as a narrow strip in rows, and its first row is joined to its last to make a ring. Ribbing teaches the stitch.
Size and fit
A sock is made smaller than the foot. How much smaller differs from one teacher to the next: 5 percent smaller, about 10 percent shorter, or about half an inch (1.3 cm) shorter than the foot. Because crochet gives more along the length of the sock than around it, more of the difference is taken from the length of the foot than from the distance around it.
The length is set by the number of rounds in the foot. Add rounds for a longer foot and leave rounds out for a shorter one.
Measure the foot before you start. The slipper size chart lists foot lengths by shoe size.
Yarn for socks
- A wool and nylon blend is the usual choice for everyday socks.
- Soft fibers such as alpaca, cashmere and pure merino wear through sooner. They suit socks for the house.
- Yarn for clothes has more on fibers.
Where to go next
- Short rows for the rows a heel is shaped with.
- Ribbing for the cuff.
- Working in the round for the tube of the foot and leg.
- How a crochet sweater is put together for another piece built from tubes.