2022 Geek-A-Long: Sock Anatomy

Welcome to week one of our How to Knit Socks series! We’ll spend our Sundays (or probably sometimes Mondays instead, if we’re all honest with who Jac and I are as a people) between now and March going over everything you’ll need to know to cast on for the 2022 Geek-A-Long. The first GAL clue of the year drops on April 3rd, but we’ve got tons planned between now and then to get you in fighting Sock Knitting shape and ready to cast on. I even have a bonus pair of practice socks coming your way in early February so you can work on the skills we’ll cover ahead of the first GAL socks.

Today, let’s look at the basic components of socks. I’ll give the disclaimer here that not every single sock pattern in the world will conform to this anatomical structure, but most patterns out there (and all the GAL patterns this year) will. Socks are knit either from the toe up or from the cuff down. Since our Geek-A-Long patterns are going to be knit from the cuff down, we’ll focus on that construction for these tutorials.

1. Cuff

The cuff serves two main functions: First, it creates the foundation stitches of a top down sock. Socks are structural. They need to be hardy enough to manage the significant wear and tear of walking, river-dancing, running from dragons. You know, foot stuff. So you’ve got to have a strong foundation to build them from. The ribbing on the cuff helps them to hold their shape, and fit snuggly on your leg.

2. Leg

The leg of the sock is a simple tube. This is a place where your colorwork can really shine.

3. Heel Flap

The heel flap is worked flat over the back half (or nearly half, depending on the pattern) of the stitches. You’ll put the leg stitches that aren’t included in the flap on a holder, and then work the flap back and forth in rows rather than rounds. We prefer a slipped stitch heel flap. The slipped stitches add texture and durability to the flap. This is one of the parts of the sock that will be subject to a LOT of wear and tear, so it’s worth making sure it’s extra thick and sturdy.

4. Heel

There are approximately 1 million different ways to knit a heel, but my favorite is the decrease heel. That’s what we’ll be using in our GAL patterns. In addition to being nice and strong, it’s also super fast and easy. The turn of the heel may look complex, but it’s just short rows that each end with a decreased stitch. And if you’ve never worked a short row, don’t let the fancy name fool you. It is literally just a row that you stop working before you reach the end. You work to the prescribed stitch, stop and turn and work the next row. The main advantage to the decrease heel is that it is less prone to lead to unintended gaps/holes than methods like the wrap and turn heel.

5. Gusset

The gusset made by picking up stitches along the edges of the heel flap, then returning the leg stitches that were on a holder to your needles, and getting back to working in the round. I like working in the round better than working flat, so I always find this part very satisfying. Those picked up stitches are decreased as you work down the foot, until they have all been decreased away. This forms the shape of the foot allowing more room at the top of the foot where your feet are their widest, and tapering towards the arch.

6. Instep & Sole

The foot of the sock after the gusset is made up of the instep (top of the sock) and sole (bottom of the sock). Just like the leg, this part is a simple tube.

7. Toe

Often overlooked, the toe is as important to a well fitting sock as the cuff. This isn’t a place to get overly fancy. You’ll place a marker at each side of the sock and decrease at the markers until the toe reaches the desired length and width.

And that’s it! The construction itself is deceptively simple. The majority of the sock is just a simple tube. You’ll work basic decreases for the heel, the gussets and the toes, and like magic, a sock appears!

We’ll be back next weekend to talk about sock needles, and the pros and cons of working with double pointed needles or long circulars.

~Megan-Anne

Now I want to make a dissection of all my knits.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider making a donation to Child’s Play Charity. Here is a direct link to our official donation page benefiting the charity. Please help us raise $1,000 this year. No contribution is too small! Wanna make your donation go even further? Lattes & Llamas will donate $1 for every skein of Geek-A-Long Yarn purchased.