Sock Knitting Machine Instructions

Use a sock-knitting machine to make yarn socks.

A sock-knitting machine is generally used for homemade production of custom-made or colored socks. Using a machine to knit socks often cuts the time well in half when compared to knitting by hand. While they are not marketed today, sock-knitting machines can still be found at antique stores or through some online retailers. If you do come across a sock-knitting machine, it is very easy to learn how to use one.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Sock-knitting machine
• Setup bonnet
• Scrap yarn
• Ribber
• Ribber needles
• Ruler

1. Place the setup bonnet you plan to use in the creation of your sock. The bonnet threading should be placed over every other needle. Place the scrap yarn on the yarn ball holder and thread the yarn by hand cranking about 3 inches of kitted material. This should be done to simply get the sock started so the sock will be easier to knit.

2. Make the hem of the sock. Knit about 10 rows of yarn with by hand cranking. Count the rows each time the yarn carrier completes a turn on the cylinder. Take a stitch from the very first row of thread and place the stitch on the needle. Do this all the way around the cylinder in the middle of the machine.

3. Place the ribber on the machine to make the rest of the stitching. The purpose of the ribber is to transfer a stitch made from a cylinder needle to a stitch on the ribber needle. It creates the knitting pattern for the sock. This device has a much smaller set of needles than the cylinder. Hand-crank the machine to knit the leg of the sock. Keep knitting until you have reached your desired length.

4. Knit the ankle of the sock by placing half of the ribber needle stitches onto the cylinder needles. Raise half of the needles from the stitching to knit the heel. Raise one needle on one side of the machine and then hand-crank the machine. Continue this until you make it to the red makers on the cylinder that show where to stop.

5. Create the foot part of the sock by hand cranking the machine until you reach the desired foot length. You can make the perfect size by measuring a foot's length with a ruler and then kitting to that exact length.

6. Make the toes for the sock by removing the ribber from the machine and transferring the ribber stitches over to the cylinder needles. Make the toes in the same method as you did the heel by raising half of the needles up out of the threading. Raise the additional needles from the stitching one by one by cranking and then raising out a needle each time. This creates a small pouch in the knitting for the toes. The pouch should simply fall off the machine and the sock is now ready to wear.

Tips & Warnings

• Ribber needles can be placed directly into the ribber if they need to be replaced.

References

• Country Rain: What Is A Sock Knitting Machine