I am new to knitting but have made 2 pairs of socks !! I love it. With that said I find that my cuffs are loose using the 2 by 2 cuff. I have ordered some elastic thread to correct this but there must be a way that is easier. Any help would be appreciated.
you might try a 1 x 1 twisted rib which is a firm but still stretchy ribbing. Twisted rib in the round is easy because all you do is purl as usual but for the knit stitches you would knit into the back of the stitch
Good idea with the elastic; I have seen that done in factory-made socks. But in my opinion, most of the time, it should not be necessary. Have you tried going down a needle size for just the cuff? You can also try a 1 x 1 cuff. Another thing that helps is a longer section of ribbing.
If your knitting in general tends to be looser than you desire, you can try to work your stitches closer to your needle tips and don’t let both barrels be jammed into the stitch you are working, but once formed, slide the new stitch onto the barrel of the receiving needle (so the amount of yarn in the stitch was only sized by one needle rather than two, if that makes sense).
If you do go down a needle size, make sure to cast on loosely enough or use a stretchy cast-on to provide enough room to get the sock on comfortably (that is, if you are knitting cuff-down socks; if toe-up, bind off loosely or use a stretchy bind-off).
@Zeeh93 I agree with @Carlota that going down a needle size is the first thing I’d try, as well as increasing the length of the ribbing. You can also decrease the number of stitches by four if doing 2X2 rib. If you’re doing cuff down just increase four stitches before beginning the leg of the sock. Welcome to the wonderful world of sock knitting!
Thank you for your reply. I am using a 2m needle so using a 1m is really small. I like your idea of making the cuff longer and will try that. Again thank you.
Thank you for your reply. I do toe up so wouldn’t your suggestion work in reverse ? Decreasing 4 stitches before the cuff ? I think that sounds like a great idea and I will try that.
Absolutely! Decrease 4 right before the cuff, or even 8 stitches if the cuff is very loose. A pattern is like a recipe, adjust it to your taste.
You could go down a few stitches for your cuff or knit a longer cuff. I find my socks sag when I give up at 1-1&1/2 inch cuffs but a 2&1/2 or 3inchea of rib will really improve things. I find some yarns are just not great for socks even when they are listed as a sock base, some just stretch out a bit too much and the sock doesn’t maintain the proper negative ease for a good fit. I also find that sag or looseness around my heel will cause the leg to sag down so make sure you have a good tight sock all the way down the leg.
@Zeeh93 - how do the legs of the socks fit? If they aren’t snug, try casting on less stitches. Even if you need more stitches for your foot, you can always increase for the foot section.
Another thing to keep in mind is what yarn you’re using. Socks made from yarns such as bamboo, will be more prone to stretching when worn.