#knitting guide

psst, ill be including a picture with a color coded section to help explain exactly where on the sock this is :)

part one: the cuff

the most obvious part of a cuff-down sock is - well - the cuff!

this is typically done with ribbing (though I've seen patterns without ribbing like this one), and I've found that for women's medium sized socks it's around 15-20 rows depending on the pattern and the knitters liking. this is one of the sections that's completely up to personal preference, as some like long cuffs, some like short cuffs, and some prefer no cuff at all :)

part two: transition row/s (optional)

some patterns utilize a transition row, especially if coming from some kind of ribbing to some kind of lace. this can help distinguish the cuff from the body of the foot, but isn't used in too many patterns that I've come across.

part three: leg section

stockinette, lace, cables, you name it! unless your sock is coming from your mid or high calf, you're not likely to have to increase/decrease this section at all. for the sock shown below, I stuck with all 66 stitches the entire way through :) (though be aware that some patterns do call for increases/decreases depending on length!)

part four: heel section

4a: heel flap

a heel flap is typically done across half, a third, or a quarter of the stitches used in the circumference of the sock, I prefer a reinforced heel flap (RS slip one purlwise, knit, continue to end of row ; WS purl until one stitch remaining, slip purlwise ; repeat until desired length), but there are many options out there for whatever you'd like!

most of the time you'll be making a heel flap kind of a square shape, working back and fourth until the end of the suggested rows or continuing until whatever length you'd like (though be aware that the longer it is, the more stitches you'll have around your heel circumference!!!)

4b: heel turn

a heel turn is really simple -- you knit until you're a bit past the middle of the heel flap (RS), ssk, k1, turn, slip 1, p however many stitches required (you can make a pointer or a more flat heel turn depending on the amount of stitches you use to begin with), p2tog, p1, turn, slip 1, knit until 1 before the "gap" that is formed, ssk, k1, repeat until you've finished picking up all stitches (you'll end up with less than your original stitch count, don't be afraid!)

by the way, there is this lovely video by heather storta on YouTube that explains all the different types of heels for cuff down, toe up, and after thought socks :)

part five: gussets & decrease section

5a: gussets (light blue)

the gusset stitches are all the stitches picked up from the sides of the heel flap -- when you slip the first stitch on each row, you create a selvage edge that you later knit from and then decrease from at the edge before the top of the foot until you reach your original stitch count! (the gusset stitches here would be at the edge of the green for the heel flap, the light blue is just showing the decrease section from the gussets as well :) )

5b: untouched foot section(??) (blue)

just as the title says, you don't mess with the stitch count of these areas. the top of the foot is left completely untouched, and besides the gusset stitch decreases on the sides of the back of the foot, it's otherwise untouched as well.

part six: the foot

as much as you may think that all of this is the foot, this is what I personally call The Foot Section - the length of one's foot is extremely varied, so this part is very much not something that can be easily standardized. I've found that measuring from the very back of my heel to the end of my big toe (and subtracting the length already knitting + the length of the toe + an extra 2ish cm) helps me get the perfect fit.

knowing your gauge and knowing your measurements is tantamount to having your own personalized pattern, so being if you want to make something that fits, you've gotta measure!

side note : it's normally suggested in patterns to subtract 2-2.5cm from your actual foot length, but always consult the pattern before deciding on anything in particular!

part seven: the toe

finally, we've reached the end! this is, in my opinion, the absolute easiest part of the sock. you're decreasing every other row (typically), which means every row gets shorter and shorter! personally, I get super motivated when I reach the toe section :)

there are MANY ways to create the toe section of your sock -- I prefer wedge ("square") toes, as I find them to be simple and effective. there are also more pointy and more round toes, along with the anatomical toe variation, so play around with what you like!

as shown in the picture below, there is a decrease on both sides of the sock (4 decreases per row, 2 on each side). this is done every other row to create a nice slope that doesn't make the toe too small, but also doesn't leave it as a Huge section of the sock.

anyways, that's about all of my knowledge on cuff-down sock construction! my tumblr is lagging as I'm typing this, too many pictures I suppose?

hope y'all learned something or at least found this interesting, and have a lovely evening everyone!