How to Knit a Sock from the Top Down — Complete Beginner Guide

Knitting your first sock feels intimidating — there's a heel flap, a gusset, a toe that closes with Kitchener stitch — but once you've made one, you'll want to knit them forever. This guide walks you through every section of a top-down sock in the order you'll actually knit it, with stitch counts and measurements for an average adult foot.

What You Need

For a standard adult sock (women's medium to men's medium, shoe sizes 6–10), gather the following before you cast on:

• Yarn: Fingering weight (also called sock weight), 400–500m per pair. Look for a yarn with at least 20% nylon for durability at the heel and toe. 100% wool socks wear out quickly.
• Needles: 2–2.5mm. Use whichever method you prefer — DPNs, two circulars, or magic loop on a 80–100cm cable.
• Tools: Stitch markers, a tapestry needle for finishing, waste yarn or a stitch holder for the thumb (you won't need this for socks, but you will need a ruler).

The standard cast-on for an average adult foot is 60–64 stitches. For a narrow foot, use 56. For a wide foot, use 72. Everything below uses 64 stitches, but the structure scales to any multiple of four.

The Anatomy of a Top-Down Sock

A top-down sock has six distinct sections. Understanding each one before you start means you'll never feel lost in the middle of a project.

1. Cuff — the ribbed opening that grips your leg above the ankle
2. Leg — the tube from cuff to heel, any stitch pattern you like
3. Heel flap — a small rectangle knitted flat, creating the cup that sits under your heel
4. Heel turn — short-row shaping that forms the actual curve of the heel
5. Gusset — picking up stitches along the heel flap and decreasing back to your original count
6. Foot — a plain tube to the toe
7. Toe — decreases to close the sock, finished with Kitchener stitch

Step 1 — Cast On and Cuff

Cast on 64 stitches using a long-tail cast on. Distribute evenly across your needles (16 per DPN if using four needles, or 32/32 for magic loop). Join for working in the round, being careful not to twist.

Work the cuff in 2×2 ribbing (k2, p2 repeated) for 15–20 rounds — about 4cm. This is the minimum to hold the sock up. If you prefer knee-high socks, work a longer cuff before moving on.

Step 2 — The Leg

Switch to stockinette (knit every round) or your chosen stitch pattern. Work until the leg measures 15–18cm from the cast-on edge, or your preferred leg length. Many knitters do 15cm for ankle socks and 20cm for crew socks.

Stop when your yarn is at the beginning of the round — this will become the centre back of your sock and is where the heel sits.

Step 3 — The Heel Flap

You'll now work flat (back and forth) on half your stitches — the first or last 32 stitches, depending on how your round is arranged. These 32 stitches become the heel flap.

Classic heel flap pattern (worked flat over 32 sts):

• Row 1 (RS): Slip 1 purlwise wyb, k1; repeat from to end.
• Row 2 (WS): Slip 1 purlwise wyf, purl to end.

Repeat these two rows until the heel flap is 32 rows long (you'll have 16 chain selvedge stitches along each edge — these are what you pick up later for the gusset). The flap should measure about 6–7cm.

Step 4 — The Heel Turn

This is where the magic happens. You'll use short rows to create the curved cup of the heel. Don't panic — just follow each row exactly.

With 32 heel flap stitches on your needle:

1. Row 1 (RS): Slip 1, k17, ssk, k1, turn. (Leave remaining stitches unworked.)
2. Row 2 (WS): Slip 1, p5, p2tog, p1, turn.
3. Row 3 (RS): Slip 1, knit to 1 stitch before the gap, ssk, k1, turn.
4. Row 4 (WS): Slip 1, purl to 1 stitch before the gap, p2tog, p1, turn.
5. Repeat rows 3 and 4 until all stitches have been worked. You'll end with 18 heel stitches on your needle.

Step 5 — The Gusset

Now you return to knitting in the round and pick up the selvedge stitches along both sides of the heel flap. This gives the foot room to move inside the sock.

1. Knit across the 18 heel stitches.
2. Pick up and knit 16 stitches along the right edge of the heel flap (one per chain selvedge stitch).
3. Knit across the 32 held instep stitches.
4. Pick up and knit 16 stitches along the left edge of the heel flap.
5. Knit to the centre of the heel. You now have approximately 82 stitches total.

Now work the gusset decreases to get back to 64 stitches:

• Decrease round: Knit to 3 stitches before the instep, k2tog, k1, knit across 32 instep stitches, k1, ssk, knit to end.
• Plain round: Knit.

Alternate these two rounds until you're back to 64 stitches (about 9 decrease rounds).

Step 6 — The Foot

Knit every round in stockinette until the foot measures 4–5cm shorter than your total foot length. For a size 9 foot (26.5cm), stop at about 21–22cm from the back of the heel. You're leaving room for the toe.

Measure by holding the sock against your foot or by trying it on — the toe decrease takes up more room than most beginners expect.

Step 7 — The Toe

Arrange your stitches so you have 32 on the instep needle and 32 on the sole needle. Work the classic wedge toe:

• Decrease round: Needle 1: k1, ssk, knit to last 3, k2tog, k1. Needle 2: k1, ssk, knit to last 3, k2tog, k1.
• Plain round: Knit.

Alternate these until you have 16 stitches total (8 per needle). Cut yarn leaving a 30cm tail.

Step 8 — Kitchener Stitch to Close

Thread the tail onto a tapestry needle. Hold both needles parallel. The Kitchener stitch grafts the live stitches together invisibly:

1. Front needle: insert tapestry needle purlwise, leave stitch on needle.
2. Back needle: insert knitwise, leave stitch on needle.
3. Front needle: insert knitwise, slip stitch off.
4. Front needle: insert purlwise on next stitch, leave on needle.
5. Back needle: insert purlwise, slip stitch off.
6. Back needle: insert knitwise on next stitch, leave on needle.
7. Repeat steps 3–6 until all stitches are grafted.

Weave in both ends, wet block your sock (wash gently, squeeze out water, stretch to shape and pin flat or on a sock blocker), and wear it with considerable pride.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Twisted cast-on: Before joining in the round, lay the stitches flat and confirm none are twisted around the needle. A twist here cannot be fixed later.
• Loose gusset pick-ups: Pick up one stitch per chain selvedge stitch. If you pick up fewer, you'll get holes at the gusset corners. Knit through the back loop of picked-up stitches to tighten them.
• Knitting the foot too long: Always stop the foot earlier than you think. If you're unsure, try the sock on before starting the toe.

Still getting holes at the gusset or struggling with your heel turn? Get help from Emma in minutes →