When it comes to knitting socks that fit perfectly, understanding the measurements of your foot is crucial. Each foot is unique, just like the rest of our bodies, and getting the right fit requires attention to specific measurements. Here’s a guide to help you measure your foot accurately and achieve the best fit for your hand-knit socks.
- Low Calf Circumference: Measure the circumference of your leg 6″ / 15 cm up from the ground.
- Ankle Circumference: Measure the circumference around the narrowest part of your ankle.
- Heel Diagonal: Measure the diagonal circumference from the top of your foot in front of the ankle to the very back of your heel, on the floor.
- Gusset Circumference: Measure the circumference around the arch of your foot, just in front of the heel.
- Foot Circumference: Measure the circumference around the ball of your foot, which is the widest part just after your toes.
- Toe Length: Measure the length of your longest toe.
- Foot Length: Measure the length of your foot from the top of the longest toe to the back of your heel. It’s best to take this measurement while standing on a measuring tape for accuracy.
- Low Calf Circumference: Measure the circumference of your leg 6″ / 15 cm up from the ground.
Standard Human Measurements
While feet can vary in size and shape, some general guidelines can help you understand the typical measurements for “standard” feet:
- The foot circumference and ankle circumference are usually similar in size.
- The gusset circumference is typically 10-15% larger than the foot circumference.
- The lower-calf circumference should not exceed 30% larger than your foot circumference.
- The heel diagonal circumference is usually about 30-40% larger than the foot circumference.
- Adult toes are typically 1 3/4-2 1/4″ (4.5-5.5 cm) long.
The Keys to Successfully Fitting Socks
To ensure your socks fit perfectly, follow these essential steps:
- Take Proper Measurements: Measure your foot circumference and foot length accurately. These measurements will determine the number of stitches you’ll need for the sock.
- Use Negative Ease: Negative ease means that the finished sock circumference measures smaller than the intended wearer’s foot circumference. This negative ease is crucial for a snug fit that stays in place and supports the foot contours.
Foot Circumference
Foot circumference is the measurement taken around the ball (the widest part) of your foot. Your foot circumference is the same as your ankle measurement and determines the number of stitches you’ll have in your leg. The sock will stretch to accommodate your calf, and the negative ease will help keep your socks up (because it’s never fun to keep pulling your socks back up, right?!).
Shoe size and foot circumference are related, but shoe size alone does not directly dictate foot circumference. Shoe size typically refers to the length of the foot, usually measured from the heel to the longest toe. People with the same shoe size can have different foot circumferences, and vice versa. This is because foot width and shape can vary significantly among individuals, even if they wear the same shoe size.
Foot Length
We measure our foot length from the top of the longest toe to the back of the heel. This measurement is most accurate when taken while standing on a measuring tape.
Shoe size typically refers to the length of the foot, usually measured from the heel to the longest toe. A numerical value represents it in different sizing systems (e.g., US, UK, European sizes) and you’ll be able to determine the inches/cm length of those shoe sizes. So, if you don’t have the foot of the person on hand to measure the length for the socks you’re knitting, but know what shoe size they wear, you’ll be able to work your sock to your desired length.
Negative Ease
Negative ease concerning socks means that the finished sock circumference measures smaller than the intended wearer’s foot circumference. The importance of negative circumference and length is crucial to how well a sock will fit. If you knit your sock to your exact measurements, you’ll have ill-fitting socks that won’t stay on and won’t support all the foot contours, leaving floppy glops of fabric. Socks also loosen up over the day, particularly with natural fibres, to keep them cosy and on your feet, ensuring you add negative ease. Loose socks also face added friction, causing those precious hand-knit socks to wear out sooner than they really should.
To achieve the right negative ease for your socks, follow these general guidelines:
- Adult socks: When knitting adult socks, you should have 1″ / 2.5 cm negative ease in the foot and calf circumference & 0.5″ / 1.5 cm shorter than the foot length.
- Children’s socks: When making socks for children, you should have 0.5″ / 1.5 cm negative ease in the foot circumference and calf & 0.25″ / 0.63 cm to 0.5″ / 1.5 cm shorter than the foot length.
If you follow these guidelines for negative ease, you’ll find you’ll have a much better fit and wear for your hand-knit socks, regardless of the pattern. Most sock patterns base their finished size on the foot’s circumference as your working rounds can easily adjust the leg and foot length.
When you stumble across patterns that say “small, medium, large” or will fit a lady’s size 8, tread with caution if the actual size isn’t listed. You won’t know what the finished measurements are, and getting a proper fit is the end goal. If it doesn’t contain the finished sock measurements, you’ll be able to calculate a rough estimate by dividing the stitch count by the number of stitches per inch in their gauge (usually listed in stockinette). The total will equal the sock’s circumference for a stockinette sock. This rough estimate doesn’t consider any cables or lace stitches that may be in the sock pattern, which causes it to be smaller (cables cinch in) or larger (lace opens up) – things to keep in mind!
Gauge
To get socks that fit, you will need to knit a gauge swatch to ensure you’re achieving the same sized gauge as the designer. We work modern sock patterns in the round. Therefore, ensure you’re knitting your gauge swatch in the round. Knitter’s gauge often changes between working flat and working in the round because of the purl or wrong side rows. As always, you want to treat your gauge swatch in the same washing manner as your finished object. Knitting your swatch and measuring without soaking/washing won’t give you an accurate gauge. When water is added, yarn/fibres transform like a gremlin.
By understanding your foot measurements and incorporating negative ease and proper gauge into your sock knitting, you’ll be well on your way to creating comfortable and well-fitted socks you’ll love to wear. Happy knitting!
Hello! I have a question about sock fit. In my experience, knitting a sock based on the ball-of-foot foot circumference measurement results in a sock that won’t go over the heel. Which makes sense, considering that the heel diagonal- the widest part of the foot the sock needs to stretch to accommodate- is in fact around 35-40% larger than the ball of the foot. That’s a lot of stretch to expect from a fabric. The fabric is straight stockinette, and the problem is not the cuff (which stretches adequately). If I can finally get the sock on it fits perfectly, however getting it over the heel diagonal is extremely difficult (when it’s not impossible). What am I missing?
This may just mean you need a sock heel that has a higher instep, like a heel flap & gusset, which accommodates that extra room. You’ll need to ensure you’re picking an appropriate heel type for your foot shape.
My feet are skis, so a heel flap and gusset make it too roomy for my feet. We all have such unique feet. 😊
Hi Melinda,
Wow, thank you so much for responding so quickly! I wasn’t sure how old the blog post was, and wasn’t sure I would get a response at all. So I have been doing a flap and gusset- I like a standard slip stitch flap on half the stitches and a GSR heel turn, then the gusset. Still, though, with the can’t-get-it-over-the-heel. I just blocked a pair of toddler socks and stretched them a bit, but I would love to know how to make them fit properly right out of the gate (I block most things, but generally not non-gift socks). It seems like my toddler’s feet measurements are fairly standard based on Kate Atherley’s measurement tables. I feel sure I must be missing something…..
No trouble at all with getting a response – I would hate to have socks lingering! For troubleshooting purposes, what’s the fibre content you’re working with?
It’s Smith and Jamieson 2 ply jumper, 100% non-superwash wool. I’m wondering whether just the wool itself is fairly rigid…. There isn’t as much stretch to the fabric as I expected.
Yarn choice can definitely be impactful, especially without some stretch to it. I have a post about choosing sock yarn, you can find it here. https://rhyflowerknits.com/sock-yarn/
Alternatively, if you’ve invested your heart into using that particular yarn, maybe changing up the fabric will help. Perhaps something with a rib (like Pass the Maple Syrup) would give you the stretch you need rather than a stockinette, which has far less give than a rib. https://rhyflowerknits.com/product/pass-the-maple-syrup/
If it’s the cuff that is struggling to go over your heel, you will want to make sure your bind off (or cast on depending on the sock construction) is stretchy enough. If you’re still struggling even though you’re using one that’s stretchy, try going up a need size for that bit.
Thanks! I blocked and stretched them a bit, so we’ll see how it turns out. I use the Twisted German CO (I like top-down construction) so the cuffs went over just fine. If the blocking doesn’t sort it out I’ll try a ribbed sock next time. I do love this yarn, and my other preferred sock yarns are not dissimilar to this one- I like woolly yarns, and don’t care for superwash (though of course there are many, many more sock yarns to try). Thank you for the links, and for the troubleshooting help!
This is a great post.
Very specific question for you. My socks tend to bunch up right under my toes. Any thoughts on mods I can make to avoid this?
Hello, Wendy! Feet are so uniquely shaped, so the toe choice you may be using may not be right for you. Try tracing your toes on some graph paper, having each square represent a stitch, this will show you where you may need more decreases (or increases if working toe-up) to help manage the fabric you’re creating to shape your toes a bit better and have less bulk. 😊
Hello!
I would like to ask do I need to increase the number of stitches around the cuff if I make a long (almost up to the knee length) sock?
Or just to keep knitting the same amount of stitches from up down to the ankle?
Thank you!
That will depend entirely on your unique calf/ankle/foot circumference. There’s no blanket answer to that. I’d recommend grabbing a copy of Custom Socks: Knit to fit your feet by Kate Atherley who has an extensive walkthrough on how to adjust socks to fit all sorts of calves and all the math behind it.
Thank you very much, Melinda!
If a pattern says finished sock circumference is 7”, 8”, 9” to be worked with approximately 1” negative ease does that mean if my circumference is 9” I should make the 8” size?
Correct, if the finished measurements state the size of the item and the designer tells you that you’ll want a specific ease, you’ll need to pick a size that will give you that ease based on your personal measurements.
Thank you for this post and the replies! I am so frustrated with myself and my socks. I am now scouring blogs for answers.
I started years ago knitting cuff down and didn’t realize there was another way. My socks fit great! But oh the leftover yarn…
I am a “waste not, want not” kind of girl, so when the bemoaning my stash was overhead by a kind woman who introduced me to the world of toe-up knitting, I thought I had died and gone to heaven!
Not so- I am now the owner of multiple pairs of gappy-heel socks. *insert weeping emoji*
I’m on a quest for a toe-up, no picking up stitches, no leftovers, well-fitting sock pattern (and if the truth be told) I would REALLY like to use flexible DPN’s to knit it.
Is this the unicorn of knitting patterns? Am I doomed for all time?
Hopeful Me
I fully appreciate your commitment to minimizing waste. In order to optimize yarn usage, I exclusively use the toe-up technique in 99.99% of my sock knitting endeavors. This approach enables me to capitalize on every ounce of yarn, particularly beneficial when crafting long socks to cater to my husband’s preference for leg length.
For those inclined towards a toe-up methodology, I recommend exploring our complimentary pattern Back to Basics: Socks. This pattern encompasses both toe-up and cuff-down options, offering versatility in addition to three distinct heel variations. This comprehensive selection empowers you to discern the most suitable heel type for your preferences and foot anatomy.
Should you discover that traditional heel constructions, such as the happy heel or heel flap and gusset, result in excess roominess for your foot shape, I recommend experimenting with the short row heel version. Personally, this variation stands as my preferred choice due to its comfort and compatibility with a low instep.
Fingering version: https://rhyflowerknits.com/category/knitting-patterns/back-to-basics/back-to-basics-socks/
DK version: https://rhyflowerknits.com/category/knitting-patterns/back-to-basics/back-to-basics-socks-dk/
Many thanks! I will try the short rows and Back to Basics pattern.
Btw- TURTLEPURL!!! Love their yarn!!
Hoping to have finally found my unicorn!
I hope so too! Quite Unicorn obsessed over here 🤣
Hi!
One problem when i follow patterns is that the foot fits well but the cuff feels to big and doesn’t stay up. I followed you instructions to measure my foot, and my ankle circumference is actually smaller than my foot circumference. Would you have any tips on how to correct that problem?
(because in the foot circumference section you wrote that foot circumference is usually the same as ankle circumference and determine the number of stitches…)
Thank you!
It is not uncommon for individuals to encounter challenges in achieving an optimal fit for knitted items, given the inherent uniqueness of human body shapes. In addressing this issue, knitters often resort to adapting the leg portion of their projects to better accommodate their calf size. I highly recommend exploring the insights shared by Kate Atherley in her book titled “Custom Socks: Knit to Fit Your Feet” (available at https://amzn.to/3JrXgbd), where she comprehensively guides readers through the process of modifying the leg to suit various body types. Atherley’s book is a valuable resource that can significantly enhance one’s ability to address such fitting concerns with precision and skill.
This illustration is the best one I have seen to understand exactly what to measure for each of these common terms (foot circumference, gusset, ankle, etc). I feel like there is an opportunity in this post to expand more on each of the measurements. You tell me everything to measure, but then don’t tell me how to use those numbers except for foot length and foot circumference. I realize you can’t cover the whole shebang (that would take a book – Kate’s book) – but a few tips on variations in each measurement could be helpful. Such as if your heel is around 40%, look at roomier heels or adding more heel flap or what?
I did not know I had a high instep until I read this article. Thank you!!
I’m pleased to hear that you’ve found the information helpful. The circumference of a sock, a standardized measurement in patterns, is crucial. Length-wise, it’s common to work the foot to a specified length before the heel or toe, depending on the construction method, all rooted in mathematical principles found in most patterns.
However, assessing the “roominess” of a heel proves challenging due to its subjective nature. Varying perspectives on what constitutes a roomy heel, coupled with the absence of standardized heel measurements in patterns, often require knitters to engage in complex calculations for pattern compatibility.
Offering a blanket solution in a blog post is problematic due to the nuanced nature of individual preferences and dimensions. Legal considerations regarding intellectual property further complicate matters, particularly when applied to non-rhyFlower patterns.
Given these complexities, further exploration of this topic may be warranted when time allows, potentially in the context of completing ongoing projects and instructional classes.