Socks–Toe Up or Cuff Down?

I love knitting socks!  You would think that I would have lots of socks in that case, but actually, I tend to give away most of the good socks.  I’ve got a couple of pair that I don’t wear because of all the mistakes I made.  And I’ve got a couple of pair that have become separated in the wash – I thought that only happened with store-bought socks, but apparently not.

When knitting socks, you can either start from the top and work down to the toe or start at the toe and work up to the leg.  I’ve done both and they have their advantages and disadvantages.

Cuff down socks

Advantages

• I think these are great for a new sock knitter.  You start by knitting a tube and then make that tube turn 90 degrees when making the heel.  I think they are good to help you learn sock construction.
• You can do these one at a time on double points or using Magic Loop or you can do two at a time using Magic Loop.
• There are lots of cuff-down patterns available.

Disadvantages

• Most of the time, you do a grafted toe at the end.  This isn’t a problem if you already know Kitchener stitch, but if you are new to sock knitting, you’ll find there’s a pretty steep learning curve.  (That being said, I love doing grafting now that I’ve done a bunch of pair of socks this way.)
• You can’t try the socks on as you go (or, at least it’s more of a challenge).

Toe Up Socks

Advantages

• Judy’s Magic Cast-On.  This is one of the major advantages  of knitting from the toe.  The other cast-ons that I’ve tried for toe-up socks were so fiddly that they weren’t worth the trouble.  I always use Judy’s Magic Cast-On now.
• You can knit these with double points or using Magic Loop.  I prefer two at a time with Magic Loop.
• You can try on the socks as you go.  If it is a little too  snug across the foot, you can add some increases.  You will have the correct foot length since you can put your foot into the sock  (OK, so this isn’t a great argument if you’re making socks for someone else!)
• If you think you are short on yarn, knitting two socks at the same time from the toe up allows you to knit the leg to whatever length you want.  You may have enough yarn only for ankle socks, but maybe it will turn out that you can make the sock leg longer than expected.  Since the leg is the one part of the sock that can vary, it makes sense to do it last.

Disadvantages

• I didn’t start by doing toe-up socks, but I think that doing cuff-down socks is a better way to understand the basics of sock construction.  But, maybe that’s just me.

Whether you choose to make socks Cuff Down or Toe Up is completely your choice.  As you get more comfortable with different techniques you can start to mix and match to make the socks uniquely yours!

What is your favorite way to make socks?  Any other ideas?  Bring your socks into the shop and we’ll put the on the “Wall of Fame”.  Sometime soon, I’ll spend some time writing about the different kinds of toes and heels – so stay tuned!