Hello! I remember when I first started crocheting socks, I used to get in a right tangle about what all the different parts of the sock were called. Also, toe-up, cuff-down, after-thought heel? What were they all about? I'm here today to help demystify some of these terms for you and also to encourage you to give crochteted socks a go if you haven't already!
The diagram above has arrows pointing to all the different parts of a sock. Most of them you'll be familiar with, the less well known ones are the heel flap & turn, gusset and instep.
The heel flap is worked in rows of crochet and can be on the sole of the sock in some cases.
The heel turn is where the crochet fabric is manipulated to go around the heel - often decreases are used to join the heel flap to the body of the sock (this part is where my degree in Scuplture comes in super handy, I can visualise and design exactly the shape I want!).
The gusset is a series of increases (in a toe-up sock) or decreases (in a cuff-down sock) to allow more room in the heel section.
The instep is the bit which covers the arched upper part of the foot. It's often referred to in a pattern because these stitches are unworked while the heel flap is under construction.
An after-thought heel is used when a sock is crocheted as a tube, without any gusset or heel shaping and a slit is created for the heel. Once the sock is completed the stitches are worked into and then decreased to create the heel.
A toe-up sock begins at the toe section and works up to the cuff.
A cuff-down sock begins at the cuff section and works up to the toe.
Well, I hope this has helped to demystify crocheted socks for you! They really are a dream to crochet - especially because they work up so fast.
My Lazy Days Sock CAL starts in September with the exclusive kits open for pre-order this Friday! I hope you'll consider joining the fun! All the info you need was in my last blog post. Sign up to my mailing list to be notified of the release and to have tips like this delivered to your inbox.
Until next time, happy crocheting,
Marta xx
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