Knitting Spiral Socks - Instructions and Size Chart

• Material and size chart
• Knitting instructions - Spiral socks
  • 1. cuffs
  • 2nd spiral pattern
  • 3. Band lace

Socks are probably among the most typical garments that are knitted by themselves. This is because they are quite small and therefore mean a manageable amount of work. In addition, especially in winter, nothing about a nice pair of self-made socks made of thick new wool. Even the feet of babies and toddlers stay comfortably warm in them.

Unfortunately, there are two things that even eager knitters hold back from the project "Socks": On the one hand, with the needlestick, it is sometimes a pesky fumble to work the heel neatly. Boomerang heel and heel with gusset take nothing. On the other hand, such socks must be worked very accurately according to instructions in terms of dimensions. With socks you can take the sizes a bit looser, because they are worked without a heel. In addition, the pattern ensures that a spiral sock fits several adjacent shoe sizes. In addition to our instructions, we have summarized how many stitches to sew exactly for which size in the sizing chart below for spiral socks.

Spiral socks are great if you are not very experienced in knitting with needle-punching. In addition, they are ideal to finish under time pressure, as they can be knit without heel much faster than socks according to conventional instructions. Last but not least, spiral socks are a very popular variant for infants and children. The little ones are growing so fast that you should generally knit one size larger than you currently need. Otherwise you run the risk that the socks are already too small after completion. This is different with spiral socks. Because they are made without a heel, feet of different lengths will fit in the same socks as you can see in the size chart below. Some parents say, spiral socks would grow along. Certainly there are limits here as well. Nevertheless, socks offer significantly more flexibility than comparable heels.

Material and size chart

Material:

• Sock wool: 100 g for 4-ply / 150 g for 6-ply wool
• Needle play: 2.5-3 for 4-ply / 3-4 for 6-ply wool
• wool needle

For sock wool it is common to speak of 4- or 6-ply wool. This refers to how many monofilaments the wool was twisted. Therefore, a 4-ply sock yarn is thinner than a 6-ply wool. With 4-ply wool, normal socks are knitted, which can be worn all year round. 6-ply wool provides noticeably more warmth and is therefore more suitable for autumn and winter socks. There is also 8-thread sock wool. This is even warmer and is rarely used accordingly. With it you keep your frozen feet warm in freezing cold.

In the following size chart, you will find the information you need to knit 4-thread or 6-thread wool socks. In addition to the size in the first column, the number of stitches to be added is in the 2nd column of the size chart. This is the most important information in this manual to start with the socks without a heel. What's going on with the other information in the size chart, ie the length and the decreases, will be explained in the appropriate places in the course of the instructions.

Size Chart - Spiral socks with 6-ply wool

size	casting on	Length to Decreases (cm)	Decreases for band lace every ...
			3rd round	2nd round	round
14-18	32	18	/	3x	3x
19-25	40	22	/	4x	4x
26-31	40	26	/	4x	4x
32-35	48	30	1x	4x	5x
36-39	48	34	2x	3x	5x
40-43	56	38	2x	5x	5x
44-45	56	42	3x	4x	5x
46-47	64	44	3x	5x	6x

Size Chart - Spiral socks with 4-ply wool

size	casting on	Length to Decreases (cm)	Decreases for band lace every ...
			3rd round	2nd round	round
14-18	40	18	/	3x	5x
19-25	48	22	2x	3x	5x
26-31	56	26	2x	3x	6x
32-35	64	30	2x	5x	6x
36-39	64	34	2x	5x	6x
40-43	72	38	2x	6x	8x
44-45	72	42	3x	6x	7x
46-47	80	44	3x	7x	8x

Prior knowledge:

• right stitches
• left stitches
• Circular knitting with double-needle play
• remove right stitches

Knitting instructions - Spiral socks

1. cuffs

First of all, hit the required number of stitches on 2 needles of your needled needle. Check the size chart to find out how many stitches you need for your desired sock size in the yarn size you are using. Close the damaged stitches to a circle. It goes in crease pattern 2 left, 2 right. In the first round, spread all the stitches evenly on your 4 knitting needles.

Do not use 4- or 6-thread sock yarn, or if you want to be sure about the size of the socks, make a stitch test before beginning the cuff. These should not knit smooth right but in crease pattern 2 left, 2 right. It is best to place the stitch sample directly against the foot to be knitted to estimate the required stitch count.

The cuff may be between 2 and 5 cm long, depending on your preference. It also depends on the total length of the spiral socks. For a size below 20, knit the cuff noticeably shorter than for a size over 40.

2nd spiral pattern

After the cuff, the actual spiral pattern follows. This works the magic, which is why the socks do without heel. At the beginning of the first needle, knit 4 stitches to the right, then 4 stitches to the left. Here's how it goes on: On 4 right stitches follow 4 left stitches, whereupon you knit again 4 right stitches. This goes over 4 rounds. Because of the 8 mesh pattern units, it is important that the total mesh count be divisible by 8. Pay attention to this if you determine the number of stitches with your own stitch sample.

Tip: Mark the beginning of the 4 rounds with a stitch marker or a colored thread.

The 5th round starts with a left stitch. These are followed by the usual 4 right and 4 left stitches. At the end of the 4th needle you will have 3 left stitches. With the 1st left stitch from the first needle, 4 left stitches are also produced in one piece. Continue the pattern by one offset.

After another 4 rounds, move the pattern again by one. This means that you knit 2 left stitches at the beginning of the first needle, followed by the 4 pattern again.
This is how you work the whole sock: for 4 turns, stay in the same 4-way row of right and left stitches, then move the pattern by one and knit the next 4 rounds.

For the length of the spiral sock, refer to the "Length to Decreases" section in the appropriate size chart. It indicates how many inches your sock should be before you start taking off the lace. Of course, the ideal length of your spiral sock can also be measured on the foot itself, insofar as it is available. During the knitting process, occasionally remove the sock and decide for yourself whether it should be longer. You'll be surprised how well the sock fits the foot even though it's knitted without a heel.

Note: The spiral pattern can also be worked in other mesh sizes than specified in this manual. It is conceivable, for example, a change of 3 and 3 or 5 and 5 stitches. Then, however, the total mesh number must be divisible accordingly, in these two cases by 6 or 10.

3. Band lace

When the desired length is reached, switch from the spiral pattern to simple right-hand stitches. Now work the band lace. For this, you should again make sure which needle is your first needle in the round, and which one is the last one.

For the declines to the top of the socks you need the size chart one last time. Now it's about the column "Decreases for band lace each ..." It is true that the tip is knit at the beginning of alternately from Abnahmerunden and normal rounds with right stitches. Is now in the column "3. Round "" 2x ", that means:

• 1 acceptance lesson
• 2 rounds with right stitches
• 1 acceptance lesson
• 2 rounds with right stitches

Likewise, knit the takeaway rounds for each "2. Round ", for example, if there is" 3x "noted:

• 1 acceptance lesson
• 1 round with right stitches
• 1 acceptance lesson
• 1 round with right stitches
• 1 acceptance lesson
• 1 round with right stitches

The withdrawal rounds listed below each "round" take place directly after one another, without intermediate rounds of right-hand stitches.

They knit the declines as they appear in the size chart from left to right. So first come the declines every 3rd round (if specified), then every 2nd round and finally every round until only 8 stitches are left.

You will knit a lesson as follows:

Knitt the first needle to the third last stitch. Knit the third last and the penultimate stitch together to the right. The last stitch you just knit right again. On the 2nd needle knit the first stitch just to the right. The second stitch lift off to the right. Now knit the third stitch on the right and lift the lifted stitch over this third stitch.

The procedure is the same for the needles 3 and 4. The 3rd needle knit the same way as the 1st needle and the 4th as the 2nd needle. So you have a total of 4 stitches less after each round.

At the end of the withdrawal periods, 2 stitches remain on each needle. Cut off the working thread generously and thread it into the wool needle. Pass the double thread of the round through every single stitch. Remove the needlestick and tighten the thread. Bring the remaining thread through the small hole in the middle on the inside of the sock. There you sew the thread.

The first of your two socks without a heel is now finished!