How to knit a sock toe, one method
My favorite way to knit the toe of a sock is what’s called a gathered or round toe. I find it to be easier than the traditional grafted toe, and I like how it fits. In the video below I will use this method to show you how to knit a sock toe!
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If you would like the free sock pattern featured in this video, it is called Catoosa Socks, and you can find it by clicking here, photo show below. In that pattern you will find the written instructions for how to knit this sock toe.
Series of tutorial videos for beginning sock knitters
This video is part of a series of sock knitting tutorials! Find the others at the links here:
Learn to cast on double pointed needles
Learn to knit a heel flap, click here!
How to knit the heel turn of a sock, click here!
Learn to knit the gusset of a sock, click here!
So how is this sock toe method done?
In this round or gathered toe you begin the toe decreases when you are about 2 inches short of the desired foot length. You begin with alternating decrease and even rounds. Then, about halfway through you switch to decreasing every round.
When you begin the toe, your beginning of round (BOR) marker should be at the center of the sole of the foot. You knit each stitch until you are three stitches from the start of the instep. You knit two stitches together (k2tog), knit the next two stitches, then slip slip knit (ssk). If you aren’t familiar with those decrease stitches, the video below demonstrates them.
Next, you knit in pattern across the instep until you have three stitches left of the instep. Then you k2tog again, knit the next two stitches, then ssk, and then knit each stitch to the end of the round.
Knitting a round even just means that you knit in pattern all the way around.
After you’ve worked all the decrease rounds, you will have a very small number of stitches left on your needles around six to ten, depending on your sock size and stitch pattern.
At that point you will leave at least a six to eight inch tail and cut your yarn. I usually leave mine even longer, just to be sure I have plenty. Using a tapestry needle, you run the tail through each of the stitches left in order, taking the knitting needles out as you do so. Pull the tail to close the hole. I usually run the yarn around through these last few stitches a few more times before taking the tail to the inside of the sock and weaving it in.
If you’d like to see that in video, watch below.
Knitting a gathered or round toe for a sock, video tutorial
Here we go! Let’s see how to knit this toe in video.
Happy knitting,
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