News/Miscellaneous / Techniques (How-to)

Socks Loom-a-Long: Swatch

Hi everyone,

I hope I have given you enough time to knit up that swatch and get things rolling a little more. At this point, you should have completed the swatch and measured it. So far we have the following numbers:

11 sts x 16 rows = 2 inches

9.5 sts x 21 rows = 2 inches

Anyone else?

Next step: please measure around the ball of the foot of the person who you are going to be knitting the sock. Check out this link on how to measure your feet, you want to do #4 on the list.

Once we have the gauge and the measurement around the ball of the foot, we can more accurately calculate how many stitches to cast on.

For example: my foot measures 8.5 inches around and I got a gauge of 9.5 sts=2 inches. You can do the math two ways: Divide 8.5 inches (measurement around the ball of the foot) by 2=4.25 x 9.5 (multiply that by the stitches per in, 9.5)=40.375

Or

Divide the stitches in the 2 inches by 1. 9.5/2=4.75  then multiply that number by the measurement around the ball of the foot. 4.75 x 8.5=40.375

Socks are knitted at a negative ease so they fit snugly around the foot, the negative ease that we typically use for socks is around 10%. From the number we arrived at, 40.375 for my foot, we are going to decrease 10%. I round up or down so I am left with a multiple of 4 of the necessary multiple for the sock pattern.  In this case, I am rounding down to 36 pegs.

Okay my dears, now it is your turn. You have your gauge, now measure your foot and see if you can calculate the number of pegs needed for your socks. If you can’t, no worries, post in the comments the following: Gauge, measurement of the ball of the foot at widest point and then say HELP ;).

I will come by tomorrow, Thursday to get us going in the right direction with the number of pegs to use for our sock.

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52 thoughts on “Socks Loom-a-Long: Swatch”

  1. i finished my swatch and came up with 10 st. and 16 rows= 2 stitches.

    I am using the adult sock loom. Does this make the pattern work differently? This is my first loom knitting of any sort, so i will probably be asking a ton of questions as i go along. LOL.

    I am glad to be a part of this group and know i can lots of good advice.

    maureen

  2. I am getting these numbers:

    9.5 sts/15r=2″
    using self striping wool blend yarn

    foot=8″ in circumference

    Looks to me like I will need 38 needles.
    Kathryn

  4. My foot measures 9″ around, so after doing the math I came out with 38.5 so I will be rounding up to 40 pegs. Is this right?

  5. Still working on my swatch. How do I get back to your post about how to measure it?

  7. Kathryn,
    The exact would be 38 pegs, but we need to take care of the 10% negative ease, so we will end up with 34 pegs. The stitch pattern we are using is a multiple of 4, therefore we can either use 32 or 36 pegs.

  8. Maureen
    Does the sock loom have capabilities of adjusting the number of pegs? Or is it a round sock loom? I am sorry, I am not familiar with the adult sock loom. Please let me know.

  9. Jean,
    We need to account for the 10% negative ease so the sock fits nice and snug. So you got 38.5 from that we are going to take away 10% which will leave us with 34 pegs. The stitch pattern for the Double Woven socks is a multiple of 4, so we have to either round up to 32 pegs or 36 pegs. Remember, that knitting does stretch, I would suggest going with 32 pegs ;), it will knit up faster.

  10. HELP! I haven’t done the swatch as I just found this page but help me to understand how many pegs I would use if my swatch is 9.5 inches gauge as yours is.

    My foot measures 9.5 around the widest point. Using your calculations for 9.5 and deducting the 10% for the negative ease I came up with 40.615 so I would use 40 pegs – is that correct?

    But somewhere I saw that a woman’s foot usually needs 50-52 pegs.

    I’m using the Kb sock loom and Deborah Norville Serenity Sock Weight yarn – super fine 1.

    HELP

  11. Brenda,
    The KB Sock loom is a different gauge than the AllnOne knitting loom. I used the AllnOne knitting loom for my sock and therefore I got 9.5sts=2 inches. However, the sock loom is a finer gauge loom and you also use a thinner yarn for it so most likely, your gauge will be different than my 9.5 sts=2 inches. In order to find out the number of pegs to use, a swatch must be worked up. Work up a swatch with your loom and yarn that you are going to use and let me know your gauge and then I can help you calculate the number of pegs you need for your sock.

  12. My swatch came out 21 rows and 14 stitches on the KB sock loom. My foot is 8.5.

  13. I am using the adjustable sock loom and I am having difficulties with my crossbar sliding when it is set to do the pegs for the swatch. Do you have any tips or solutions for that?

    Also, I have a ball of sock yarn that I had received as a gift with the loom. No clue what type or length it is. Is one ball typically enough or should I start with a project with less yarn?

  14. The 38.5 is after taking away the 10% so should I go down to 36 stitches or up to 40 stitches.

  16. An idea for Lena: it seems to me likely that your bolts are not tightly enough screwed together and that is letting the adjuster slip. I find that using a washer under the wing nut makes it easier to get a tight adjustment without damaging the board. You could even use a rubber washer rather than steel which might make it easier for you to get it tight enough.
    Kathryn

  20. Kathryn,
    I would just suggest when being in the middle of two numbers to use the lowest number, it is best to have a snug sock than one that falls down ;).

  21. Jean, I would go to 36. It is best to have a sock that stays snuggly on the leg than one that keeps falling down. Also, you will knit it quicker 😉

  22. Lena,
    Kathryn, mentioned looking at the slider and making sure it is sitting right against the long rail so it doesn’t move. Another tip that I have used is get a rubber band or a hairband and place it on the slider and on the two pegs on the long rails, so it is sitting on the one of the pegs of the long rail, on all the pegs of the slider and then on one peg of the opposite side long rail. Push the rubber band to the bottom of the pegs so that it doesn’t get caught with your knitting. The rubber band will aid is preventing the slider from moving.

  23. I’m using the KB sock loom and a # 2 Serenity sock yarn

    My swatch came out 15 rows and 11 sts = 2 inches

    My foot is 8 inches

    I came out either 50 or 51 pegs

    Let me know if I’m right or wrong. Thanks. Jackie

  26. This comment board kept saying I already made that comment. To be sure, my foot is 8.5 inches. Jackie

  27. Thanks. So do we start knitting the pattern now? I’m good with the first four rows, then I need to know how to do a yarn over knit two together on a loom. Also, how can I print out the pattern in bigger print. Mine is really tiny print.

  28. Good idea with the rubber band. I find that the slider slips on my Sock loom when ever I am working an infant size sock and that is with it tightened as far as I can go. Next time I’m working on a smaller sock I will definitely use the rubber band to see if it helps.

  29. Hi my name is tena and this is my first ever atempt at kitting a sock ever on this kb. Sock loom. When i started the heel part it was too tight to work and the yarn broke…so now i took it all off and i must start over…what am i doing wrong? Any sugestions??? Your help would ne much appreciated. Thanks…TENA.

  30. I figured out the k2, yo and did row 5 of the pattern. It was hard to get the yarn onto the adjacent peg most of the time. I’m doing the knit stitch and not the flat stitch. Trying to keep a nice even tension and not get too tight.

  31. Just finished row 14 and ready to start the repeats til it gets to six inches. It’s going very well.

  32. I will have to round up a rubber band or try the washer. It is as tight as I can turn it right now. I don’t seem to have as much slip if it is slid a bit in either direction. Not sure why the sweet spot for slipping is where I am doing the swatch.

  35. Mary,
    I find it easier to move the loop then knit the peg, then move the next loop and knit the peg. It seems to get me more of a little bit of slack on the yarn.

  36. Isela, I’m looking at your sock and now I’m not sure if I’m doing the skip two pegs in front correctly. Here is what I’ve been doing: Hold the yarn across two pegs then knit the next two stitches all the way around the board. Then I knit each stitch around and I knit the ones with the yarn in front of them by picking up all the yarn on the peg and knitting it. Am I supposed to ignore the strand of yarn laying across the peg? My sock looks more like ribbing. I have about a half inch done like this.

  37. Learning the Rib Stitch is ROUGH! I wanna scream! I got it, slightly-lol
    then I took it out & tried again, so I would know how to start it from the beginning 5X’s.
    See, this is why I am waiting a little longer before I get the 38″ afghan board. I want
    to master a few stitches first. Oh well, I’ve learned -The Stockinette, The Double
    Stockinett, and I can cast off- Yeah! A ways to go, but I will get there! One day, I will
    be posting a finished piece! Whew!
    Thanks for reading all my woes! LOL

    Professional 2 B !

  38. Isela,
    The adult sock loom is one made by the Authentic Knitting Board. It has 52 pins and is non-adjustable.

  39. Thanks Sue. In this case, the user will need to use all the pegs, there is no choice in adjustment.

  40. Mary, the yarn should stay in front of the stitches. So, this is the way I do it, leave the yarn laying across the pegs, so knit 2 pegs, leave the yarn laying in front of the next two pegs. Repeat. On the next round, the pegs that have the yarn in front of them, simply put the yarn behind the pegs, there should still be a loop on the pegs, then knit the row as normal.

  41. I am having trouble with the knit rows. The skyfarn goes to the inside of the sock. Is this how it is supposed to be?

  43. I see that I have made a bad yarn choice for this pattern. sigh! While Isela’s yarn was making a statement, mine was mumbling incoherently. I was trying to use yarn from my stash and this time it was a bad idea. So I undid what I had started will just use this yarn for ordinary socks. I am about to go out of state to teach a seminar so I will have to catch up to you all when I return.

    Best wishes to the rest of you!
    Kathryn

  44. My loops are still on the inside of the yarn. So here is what I did: Laid yarn across front of two pegs then knit the next two pegs all the way around. At this point the there are stitches on each peg as well as the loops laying across the fronts of the sets of two pegs as previously stated.
    Now for the next round I knitted the two knit St., then at the pegs with the loops I lifted the loop to the back and then knit the two St that were on the pegs that had the loop, then knit the next two St. But the loops still show on the inside instead of the outside of the sock, so it’s still not right. Please set me straight. Thanks

  45. On my repeats for 6″. Never have done heels before or short rows

  46. How do you get the skyf on the right side. Mine are on the wrong side?????

  47. Jackie, I just did a little mini-video and will be posting it as soon as my computer finishes processing it. Basically, you want to pop the strand towards the back of the peg, but in front of the knitted fabric. Remove the loop that is on the peg, then pop the long strand that is in front of the pegs towards the back of the peg but in front of the right side of the fabric.

  48. Mary,
    The yarn should end up towards the back of the peg but in front of the right side of the fabric. This is the way I do it, remove the loop from the peg, then pop the strand towards the back of the peg but make sure it ends up towards the front of the fabric. So hold the loop towards the inside of the knitting loom, then just make sure your strand is towards the front of the knitted fabric.

  49. Thanks Isela. I think I know what you mean, bit I’ll watch the video to make sure

  50. Hi..I’m getting a late start…just received my All-n-One loom yesterday. Finished my swatch and need some help….please! I got 11st/16rows, foot measures 9.5″. So, divide 11/2=5.5×9.5=52.25-10%=47.025 Should I round up to 48 or down to 44?

    Thanks so much in advance for your help,
    Geri

  52. ok I know this is not what everyone is talking about but PLEASE HELP !!!!!! in doing the dangbury hooded can anyone tell me what a circular means im using a loom and im stuck, im on the front of sweater button side
    ty

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