How to Knit Children's Socks

Little children's feet will not get cold if you put warm sockson their tiny feet. Usually, babies are first knitted booties. When a child starts walking, booties become inconvenient. They are rather roomy, so they make it harder for the toddler to learn to walk freely. Knitted socks, on the other hand, fit the feet snugly and do not slip down.

Socks must be the right size

Getting the size right is the key to socks that fit. Measurements are taken of the child's foot and the circumference of the leg.

A sample is knitted from the chosen yarn on needles whose thickness should equal the thread doubled. The sample is needed to calculate the required stitches and rows correctly. Having calculated the required number of stitches, you start work.

Choosing suitable needles

There are many ways of knitting depending on the tools (double-pointed needles, circular needles or a crochet hook), the size and shape of the item, the knitting method and the type of yarn. Socks can be knitted on circular needles, on two needles or on five.

Beginner knitters find it easier to manage with two needles. The item then turns out "looser". Dense socks are obtained when using five needles.

Knitting needles differ not only in diameter and length but also in material. Wooden, plastic and metal needles are on sale.

Tip: it is better not to use aluminium needles. This metal reacts with the moisture of the hands and oxidises. As a result, an unpleasant dark grey coating forms on the fingers and yarn.

Stainless steel knitting tools leave no marks either on the fabric or on the needlewoman's fingers. Steel is somewhat heavy, but unlike wood and plastic it is much stronger and more durable.

Suitable yarn

Children's socks should be knitted from soft, warm, but not too thick yarn. Whole series of yarn have been specially developed for children. The labels of such yarns usually carry the prefix "Baby" or "Kid". Many mothers and grandmothers knit for their little ones from "Alize Superwash" yarn, which is 75% wool and 25% polyamide for durability. Yarn containing goat downdoes not cause allergies and does not prickle. It keeps the feet perfectly warm while letting them "breathe" freely.

Knitting children's socks: where to start

When the measurements are taken, the needles and yarn chosen, the samples knitted and the sizes calculated, you can get to work.

Socks start with the ribbing. The ribbing can be simple – alternating knit and purl stitches – or more interesting and complex but less dense.

If you use the first method, the best option is 2x2 ribbing. It looks textured and extremely neat. To knit such ribbing, the number of stitches must be a multiple of four.

Note! The sock will fit snugly around the ankle if, after knitting the ribbing, you knit a few more rows so that the ribbing continues on two of the four needles and stocking stitch on the next two. The partial ribbing should be on the front of the foot and the stocking stitch on the heel side.

The heel will last longer before wearing through if you add another thread – a thin nylon one – to the main threads. The part of the item intended for the heel is formed on two needles. First a rectangular piece is knitted. The number of rows depends on the number of stitches. Later they will be divided into three equal (or approximately equal) parts for short-row knitting.

An example of calculating heel stitches and the rules for knitting it

Suppose the total number of stitches on 4 needles is 36. Then the heel is knitted on 36/2 = 18 stitches. To determine the number of rows, divide the stitches by 3. 18/3 = 6 stitches. Therefore, you need to knit a flat piece of 6x2 = 12 rows. When the heel stitches cannot be divided by three without a remainder, they are distributed so that the outer parts are equal and the middle part differs from them. The number of heel rows should always be twice the number of stitches on the outer needles. This ratio ensures a return to the original number of stitches after the heel is finished.

The short-row knitting and rounding of the heel are done on the middle part of the notionally divided stitches on the "heel" needle. In each row, besides the middle ones, one stitch from the outer parts is knitted. This continues until only the middle part remains. Then the missing stitches up to the original number are picked up from the edge stitches of the flat piece, and knitting continues on 4 needles.

How to knit the toe

Knitting ends with the toe over the toes. For a large sock size, stitches are decreased at the beginning of the first and third needles and at the end of the second and fourth. To do this, two stitches are knitted together next to the outer stitches. When one stitch remains on each needle, they are drawn together and secured with a knot.

Hand-knitted socks are always nicer and warmer than shop-bought ones, which suits both caring mums and fussy toddlers.