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Short-Row Sock Toe
by Lara Neel
Your sock toe can also be your gauge swatch. Just
make one toe, measure carefully, then either go
from there or try again.
Gauge – Ease = Fit
With most garments, some ease is added to the
body measurement, to allow for a nice fit. In
socks, the measurement is usually reduced by
10%. Your personal preference will be the most
important factor, but that’s a good starting point.
Gauge:
Needles:
Technically, you could work the short-row toe on
any needles you like, but you will need doublepoints or another method for working in the round
later.
Circumference of Foot (C) =
You will also need: removable stitch markers,
waste yarn, reinforcing thread (optional).
For your first toe, I’m going to give you numbers
that work for me with sock yarn and #1 needles.
Your mileage may vary. If nothing else, this will
give you some practice with short-rows.
In general, if G = Gauge, in stitches/inch;
Width of Sock Foot, in number of stitches =
W = [G x (C x .9)] / 2 =
This assumes that you want 10% negative ease
for your sock. If you want your sock to measure
the same as your foot, cross out the .9.
First, A Decision
How pointy do you want your sock toes?
Less Wide: S = W x .5
“Average”: S = W x .44
Wider: S = W x .33
Round S up to a whole number and make sure it
is even. S is the number of stitch markers you will
hang from the back of your work before you begin
working longer short rows. For this example, I use
12 because I have wider feet and 36 x .33 =
11.88. Average would be 16 and Less Wide would
be 18.
Set-up for first short row: Place a marker after
the 35th stitch on the needle.
It all starts with a provisional cast-on. There are a
few methods for this. The easiest is to just cast
on and knit a few rows with waste yarn, which
you remove later. If you do this, knit one full row
with your working yarn before you continue onto
the set-up for the first short row.
Sneaky Extra Step – Attach S pins to the working
yarn before you begin. Simply slide them into
place as you need them.
Using your favorite provisional cast-on, cast on 36
stitches. If you want to reinforce your toe, start
carrying the thread along with your working yarn.
Shorter Short Row 1: Purl to the next marker on
the needle. Turn work, removing marker.
Set-up for the second short row: Place a marker
on the needle one stitch from the far left edge of
the work (32 stitches from where you are
working).
Shorter Short Row 2: Knit to the next marker on
the needle. Turn work, removing marker. Slip the
next stitch as if to purl. Place a marker around the
working yarn (it should slip along the yarn, not
bite through it), slide it into place just behind the
right-hand needle. Purl 1 stitch. Replace marker
on the needle.
Slip the next stitch as if to purl. Place a marker
around the working yarn (it should slip along the
yarn, not bite through it), slide it into place just
behind the right-hand needle. Knit 1 stitch.
Replace marker on the needle.
Repeat these two rows, working fewer and fewer
stitches, until you have 12 stitch markers hanging
from the back of the work (6 on each side), or
whatever total you decided to use for S. Remove
the two markers that are on the needles.
Longer Short Row 1: Purl until you find a marker
below your right needle.
Slip the next stitch as if to purl. Lift the thread
with the marker and place it on your left-hand
needle.
Remove the marker. Return the slipped stitch to
the left-hand needle. Purl the stitch and the lifted
thread together. Purl 1 stitch. Turn work. Slip the
first stitch as if to purl.
Longer Short Row 2: Knit until you find a marker
below your right needle (you will have to peek
over the back of your work). The photo is the
work as seen from the back.
Lift the thread holding the marker and place it on
your left-hand needle. Remove the marker. Knit
the next stitch and the thread together.
Knit 1 stitch. Turn work. Slip the first stitch as if
to purl.
Continue working these two rows until you have
worked all of your stitches again. Your work will
look like a little elf’s hat, or a toe, depending on
how whimsical you happen to feel. Cut off your
reinforcing thread, if you are using it.
Cut a stitch of the waste yarn, then unravel that
row to free your stitches.
If you worked your temporary cast-on by using
waste yarn, slide a needle into your first row of
“real” sock yarn.
Otherwise, just pick up 36 stitches from your
cast-on edge and prepare to knit in the round.
C is in inches, and is the actual measurement of
the foot.
The width of the sock toe, in inches, should be
(C x .9) / 2. Check that directly, if you like.
Next, you knit the foot, the heel and the top of
the leg. Maybe in that order, maybe not. I like
afterthought heels. For more information, have a
look at my Three Sets of Sock Heels worksheet.
Now, Check the Size
You could just slip the live stitches onto a piece of
waste yarn and try on the toe. This isn’t always
perfect, though, because enthusiasm or
pessimism could have slipped into your mind.
Also, a sock isn’t always for you, and direct
measurement may not work. So, slip the live
stitches onto waste yarn, lay the toe flat and
measure the width. Also, measure your gauge.
If:
W = [G x (C x .9)] / 2
Then:
C = [(2 x W)/ G] / .9
Of course, this short-row toe can also be a shortrow heel. Just knit until the piece is as long as
needed from the tip of the toe to the front of the
leg of the recipient. Then, place half of the
stitches on hold, work these instructions over the
other half, then zoom on for the top of the sock.
Want More?
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