Love knitting socks but not always happy with the fit? Let sock expert Clare Devine take you through how to create socks that really fit your feet.

Teacher: Clare Devine

Workshop Duration: Full Day

Description: This class is the perfect introduction to some of the more technical aspects of sock knitting, allowing you to knit “off piste” a little and adjust sock patterns to suit your foot shape, rather than knitting something you love the look of and hoping that it fits. This is a sock knitting technique class focusing on understanding the relationship between foot shape and various sock construction methods.

The class contains a lovely mix of technical information sessions, practical hands on measuring and plenty of time for knitting, making sure you can put the technical information into practice on the day and in the future. The session will end with a practical hands on exercise where you can adjust some of your favourite patterns to suit you by inserting different heel and toe options that suit your foot shape.

During the class you will have the time and support needed to examine your foot, resulting in a set of measurements and a framework of heel and toe styles that would suit you. You will also be provided with a comprehensive handout that contains many heel and toe options that you can use to adjust patterns to suit your foot shape. There will be time to knit a sample heel and / or toe, depending on knitting speed, experimenting with various techniques to better understand the mechanics behind each construction.

Finally we will discuss adjustments to patterns of your choosing that would make the sock design more suitable for your foot. Participants will need to provide patterns of their choosing for this part of the session.  

Materials:

Participants need to bring;

- About 50g of DK wool to knit samples. Clare would recommend selecting something that has a high wool content, is light in colour, tightly spun and smooth. This makes it easiest to read your knitting and see what is happening. This is a great opportunity to use some scraps so feel free to bring along bits from the bottom of your stash box. As long as the yarn knits to roughly the same gauge your samples will be fine. It is more about the process than the finished product.
- 3.5mm needles suitable for knitting in the round. Clare is happy for students to use DPNs or a long circular needle for magic loop. I would advise against the small 9in circular needles for this class.
- Stitch markers. I would recommend lockable stitch markers in a few different colours.
- Darning needle / tapestry needle for Kitchener Stitch.
- Tape Measure

Optional: A few of your favourite sock patterns.
These can be paid for or free, downloaded from Ravelry or taken from sock knitting books. You can bring paper copies or digital versions are fine – just remember you will need to be able to annotate the pattern with your adjustments.

Takeaway: You will takeaway the ability to knit socks that truly fit!

Level: Beginner / Advanced Beginner / Intermediate.

To get the most from this class you should be able to knit in the round (either DPNS or magic loop) and have a basic understanding of sock knitting. If you have knitted at least one pair of socks (toe up or top down) you should be fine – this class is about learning and experimenting!