How to Knit Tutorial

If you are familiar with knitting and have some extra yarn laying around, why not turn it into a pair of warm socks for yourself or someone you love? Follow these steps to learn how to knit socks. This tutorial assumes that you know the following knitting techniques: how to knit, purl, cast on, and cast off. If you are not familiar with these terms, you will need to learn what they are and how to do them before attempting to knit your own socks.

Step One: Choosing Your Thread

Choose the thread you want to use to make your sock. Using a thick yarn will make a better slipper than a sock, so you want to be careful with your choice.

Step Two: Choosing Your Needles

You will need double pointed needles to work with this particular sock pattern. You will need five because the symmetrical nature of this pattern calls for four needles to hold the work as you build the sock and one needle to work with to build the sock.

Step Three: Cast On to Avoid Having to Sew the Toe of the Sock

Using two needles, wrap the thread around them in a figure eight shape. All of the loops you create here will turn into stitches of the sock later. If you are making a small sock, use eight loops, but for larger socks, use 10 loops.

Step Four: Adding a Third Needle

You will need to use a third needle to knit all of the loops on the first one. After you have knitted all the loops on the first needle, take it and knit all of the loops on the second needle. The end result of this step should show all of your stitches on the first and third needles. Don't worry about the stitches being loose because they will be tightened later in the process.

Step Five: Building More of the Sock

With the third, or floating needle, follow the knit one, make one pattern until you have reached the halfway point over the needle. Now, you will want to add a marker to indicate the back center point of the sock.

Step Six: Adding a Fourth Needle

Add another needle into the mix and continue the knit one, make one pattern until there is one left, knitting the last stitch.

Step Seven: Continuing the Pattern to Build the Sock

Repeat these steps with a second casting on needle. If you are knitting a large sock, count on having six stitches on each one. If you are knitting a small sock, count on having five stitches on each one. Continue this knitting pattern until you have built the entire length of your sock. You should continue knitting until the sock is about two inches away from the back of the heel. Make sure to have foot measurements if you are making the sock for someone else.

Step Eight: Build the Heel of the Sock

Knit short rows, using only two needles. Using the knit and purl techniques, knit back and forth tightly to keep from building large holes in the sock.

Step Nine: Returning the Needles Back to Normal to Finish the Sock

Go back to your five needle stance to finish building the remainder of the sock, the area that goes around the ankle and up the leg.

Step Ten: Cast Off

When you have finished building the sock and done your ribbing of knit two, purl two, you will want to cast off loosely to ensure the sock is easy to put on and take off. If not, it can result in an uncomfortable sock.