Anatomically Correct Sock Toes

I have long big toes, and when I'm making socks I like to shape the toe area to fit my foot "like a glove" (well really "like a sock", but you know what I mean). Yes, this does mean that you have to pay a bit more attention when you put on your socks (to make sure they are on the right foot), but hey, if you can do it with shoes, you can do it with socks.

I developed these instructions through trial and error, but I now use them for all of the socks I make for myself. I hope my fellow large-big-toed knitters will find this helpful.

Anatomically Correct Sock Toes
(for Top-Down Socks)

NOTES:

These directions are for use with typical sock-weight yarn. You may have to reduce the number of rounds in each section for use with heavier yarn. [However, I just used these directions for my Log Cabin Socks, which were made with a bulky weight yarn on US6 needles and they worked out fine.]

For ease in writing these instructions, I will be assuming that you are using 3 DPNs, arranged like this:

I will also be assuming that you have:

• 1/4 of your stitches on needle 1,
• 1/2 of your stitches on needle 2, and
• 1/4 of your stitches on needle 3

*** I will be referring to the point between needle 1 and needle 3 as the end of the round. If you are using 2 circulars (as I usually do), just consider the end of the round to be at the middle of the bottom-of-the-foot needle.

As you are knitting the foot of your sock, keep trying it on (put stitches on a piece of scrap yarn, if necessary) and stop when your sock reaches the base of the toenail of your little toe (basically the point at which the width of your foot starts to decrease). WRITE DOWN how many rounds you have knit on the foot so far. This will be useful information for the 2nd sock. Skip this step, and regret it later (I know I usually do.)

TOE AREA OF LEFT SOCK

Start Little Toe Decreases:

[Basically, here you are decreasing every other row, but on the little-toe side only.]

Round 1:

Needle 1 - Knit.

Needle 2 - K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1.

Needle 3 - K1, SSK, K to end.

Round 2:

Knit.

Repeat these two rounds 7 times, and then repeat Round 1 once more (so 15 rows total). [The sock should now reach approximately to the tip of your middle toe. If not, adjust accordingly, but end with a decrease round.]

Start Big Toe Decreases:

[Basically, here you start decreasing on the big-toe side (at first every other row, then every row). Also, you switch to decreasing every row on the little-toe side.]

Round 1:

Needle 1 - K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1.

Needle 2 -- K1, SSK, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1.

Needle 3 - K1, SSK, K to end.

Round 2:

Needle 1 - Knit.

Needle 2 - K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1.

Needle 3 - K1, SSK, K to end.

Rounds 3, 4, & 5:

Repeat Round 1.

Round 6 (partial round):

Needle 1 - Knit.

Graft the toe stitches together. [I find it easier to graft the sock closed fairly loosely and then go back and tighten the stitches one by one, working the extra yarn toward the loose end.]

Pull the yarn tight at the end (to eliminate any bumpiness at the end of your grafting) and weave the end in.

TOE AREA OF RIGHT SOCK

Oh, bother. I'm tired. Can't I just take the easy way out and say, "reverse the shaping?"

Fine, here it is, reversed for your second sock pleasure.

Start Little Toe Decreases:

Round 1:

Needle 1 - K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1.

Needle 2 - K1, SSK, K to end.

Needle 3 - Knit.

Round 2:

Knit.

Repeat these two rounds 7 times, and then repeat Round 1 once more (so 15 rows total).

Start Big Toe Decreases:

Round 1:

Needle 1 - K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1.

Needle 2 -- K1, SSK, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1.

Needle 3 - K1, SSK, K to end.

Round 2:

Needle 1 - K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1.

Needle 2 - K1, SSK, K to end.

Needle 3 - Knit.

Rounds 3, 4, & 5:

Repeat Round 1.

Round 6 (partial round):

Needle 1 - Knit.

Graft toe stitches together and weave in end.

Leave me a comment if you have any questions. If you actually make these, let me know how they turn out.

Pattern & images © 2006 Tamara Stone-Snyder.
May be distributed freely for personal use only. Cannot be reprinted on the web or otherwise without permission.