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Hey There! Today I am super excited to teach you how to knit toe up socks! Toe up socks are awesome because you can truly try them on as you go to ensure perfect fit, and you can customize the sock height based on how much yarn you have left 😉
There are 3 main techniques used to knit toe up socks which I show you in the video below – Judy’s Magic Cast On, Increasing for the Toe, and a Short Row Heel.
Judy’s Magic Cast On – This cast on method truly is magic! This cast on will create a seamless toe, and the stitches are ready to knit like normal as soon as you cast on! (video: 2:36)
Increase for the Toe – I show you my favorite way to increase for the toe, by knitting into the front and back of the first and last stitch on each side of the sock. A total of 4 increases are made for each increase round, which will occur every other round until the total number of stitches for the foot are reached. (video: 5:10)
After increasing for the Toe, you will just be knitting in the round until you are ready to start the heel. You generally want to start the heel when the sock measures 1.5-1.75″ less than your total foot length.
Short Row Heel – I love this heel method because it creates a really clean, simple heel. Short rows are used to turn the heel so that you can start knitting the leg of the sock. If you are scared of knitting short rows, have no fear – I walk you through every step of the heel in the video! (video: 10:54)
After working the short row heel, you are ready to knit in the round again until you reach your desired height of sock! Woohoo!
Are you ready to knit up some super awesome socks?! The 3 techniques I show you in the video are the exact techniques I used for all of the socks in my brand new sock collection “Look at Those Legs!” You can find the entire collection of 5 patterns on Ravelry here or click the images below for more info about each pattern. 🙂
I hope this tutorial was helpful for you and that you’re excited about knitting socks! 🙂
♥Lauren
It is an amazing tutorial about making toe up socks. You have well explained through this video. I have seen this video three times and will definitely try to make this type of socks for my daughter.
Awesome! Happy it helped 🙂
I love your patterns and the seamless toe. I’ve bought all your sock patterns and they are always so easy to understand. I am having trouble with the fox eyes. I figured out the placement but the changing of the colours is causing me some difficulty. I can only find videos on patterns where you only have a gap of two stitches between the change in colour so you only have a small loop in the back. I did not have problems with the ice-cream beanie because I twisted both colours to keep them at the same point and made sure there was enough slack so it would still stretch. I tried this on the sock but the black pokes through on the back of the sock. Can you point me in the direction of something that might help to complete the eyes in the socks?
Thank you 😊
Hi Adam! Are you doing duplicate stitch? When I did the eyes, I did the white part first, and as you said you just skip over the the parts that aren’t white like the eyes and eyelashes, and leave a little slack there is it’s not tight. After the white was finished, I did the black parts of the eyes (the eye and lashes). I did not try to do both colors at the same time. Does that help? Thanks! Lauren
Very nice video for me as a beginner …… Thanks mam.
How do I do a stretchy cast off in over the knee socks without it flaring please
Hi Julie, if you use a needle significantly larger than the one you’re using to bind off, it will be looser, but shouldn’t flare.
Hi Lauren, What a wonderful video!!!! Very clear, succinct and easily understandable. I’ve been wanting to make knee socks for my daughter and have been afraid they wouldn’t fit, not stay up…..etc, the ease with which you have presented the techniques have allayed my fears. Thank you so much. Great job!
You’re welcome! Thanks for the nice comment! 🙂
On the heel section, is the number for the middle of the heel different based on the coins on the needle or is it always 5? I’m still new to knitting and this is my first toe up socks attempt.
Hi Candace! The number will be based on the size you are making. It is usually about 30% of the total heel stitches.
Hello, awesome video, but I just wondering that after the second round increased, the split I to 2 needless should be 3 and 4 each?
Yes that’s correct! 🙂
Thanks! I’ve started knitting again after first learning about 2004. That was disrupted by a serious nerve injury that paralyzed me to the extent that I couldn’t write or pick op a frying pan. I recovered and I’m left handed (which is a reason why I prefer continental knitting) and now I’m repairing some wool mittens I recently bought, but singed on a wood burning stove. I like that you instruct with DPN, rather than circular needles, because DPN are more common, here in the midwest. Toe up works because for this project, I’d rather not make entire mittens. I’ll knit Judy’s, add on and knit a tube until I can stitch it to my faulty mittens which I love (before winter again, or they unravel) THX
I loved this tutorial. Do you have a hard copy of this tutorial I can print out for my Sr Citizens Knitting Group? They want to learn JMCO and the toe up sock on DPNs. This is a great teaching tutorial.
Awww thanks Betty! I do have a new book that has photo tutorials of all these techniques here: https://amzn.to/2FaTlLO Hope that helps! Thanks! -Lauren
I wish I had paid more attention to the pattern description before I purchased it as I avoid toe up socks. I just can’t do them. Once I purchased it, I tried reading and re-reading the heel section. I watched the video. I found other sites with videos and “walkthrus” and still, I can not do the toe up heel. Maybe I’m just too old to see well but I can NOT see the wrapped stitches. I tried using markers and that helped but when I finally got a heel completed, it was like a piece of swiss cheese!
I planned to make the fox socks for my grand daughter but sadly, it was not meant to be.
I’m going to see if I can use a basic cuff down sock and just use your graph (upside down of course) and hope it comes out as nice.
I can whip out a cuff down sock with ease.
Oh no I’m sorry Lynn! You can definitely use a different heel technique, people have done that! I hope the fox socks worked out for you!
best tutorial Ive found on short row heels. Thank You!
Thank you for teaching how do socks. I will try to make one. It’s amazing.
Great explanations and videos! However, I have a question regarding some details. I purchased the PDF pattern for these socks and in there when you split the needles in the toes section, it says to “divide the first half of sts evenly over 2 needles (for bottom of sock/heel), with the last half on a third needle (for top of sock/instep)” and in the video it says the division is for the instep…does it make any difference? I’m not sure what to do about the heel now…
Hi Magdalena! It doesn’t matter how you divide them, I suggest it differently depending on the sock design. Hopefully you can still find this video helpful! Apologize for the delayed response, if you still need help please e-mail me at girlyknits@gmail.com for a quicker response! -Lauren
What size needles should I use?
Hi Lisa! I was using size 4’s and sport weight yarn in this tutorial but it just depends which sock pattern you are making – the pattern will give you specific yarn and needle size info. Thanks! -Lauren
I am lost at the first increase round. You don’t say how many stitches you cast on (or ever how many you have on your needles) but I stopped the video so many times and tried to catch it when your thumb wasn’t over the stitches and it looked like five. Then you increased at the beginning and end of the rows, (so, seven) but when you split the inseam stitches you have three on each needle. What type of black magic is this?! I know there are more than four stitches to begin- I know it. I watched you cast on at least five. I don’t understand why videos are so popular with people when written instructions with illustrations are so much clearer. Please clarify?
Hi Nancy! This video was intended to go along with my collection of sock patterns (which are all different but use the same techniques), and I agree it would be challenging to follow this video on your own without a pattern. My patterns clearly lay out all of the steps and how many stitches to cast on for all of the sizes. The sock I made was just to demonstrate. I also have a book which has photos and illustrations of all of these techniques if you prefer that to video: https://amzn.to/2FaTlLO
You are correct that I did make a mistake in the video and accidentally missed one of the increases – I have clarified that in the YouTube comments but realize you may not see that here. So sorry about that and the confusion it may have caused! I wish I could edit the existing video but I don’t think YouTube allows me to do that.
Hope you have a great day. Sincerely, Lauren
Fabulous tutorial, thanks!
Happy you enjoyed it!
Hi Lauren,, Thank you for this tutorial on toe up socks/short rowing–soooo easy! At least it looks easy! I am going to give it a try, but question, how do you know how many stitches to cast on to begin? Is there a formula?
Hi Luanne! It just depends on the yarn/needles/gauge/size, etc. The pattern will tell you how many stitches to cast on though!
I’m a new knitter and making these socks for my granddaughter. I’m confused, do you knit the faces on as you go or is it added on after you have completed the socks? It doesn’t really call it out to start doing the faces. Thank you for your help
Hi! The faces are added on after using duplicate stitch. Thanks! Lauren
Thank you for the video. I kept finding toe up socks that required a gusset and thought it must be doable without one since I don’t do that on my top down socks. I will be trying it on my next pair!
Video really helped. Guess what you’re getting for Christmas!
Haha love it!