SOCKKNIT
Knit a better sock — gauge, yardage, and hand-hosiery know-how.
From checking your gauge and estimating yardage to picking a needle size, sizing a sock to a foot, casting on for any circular project, and keeping track of rows, SockKnit pairs free hands-on calculators with practical, hand-written guides. Knit the sock you measured for, not the one you guessed at.
Sock-Knitting Calculators
Free tools for gauge, yardage, and fit — gauge & stitch calculator, sock yarn yardage estimator, needle size guide, sock-size to stitch count calculator, cast-on count calculator, and a row counter.
Gauge & Stitch Calculator
Turn a swatch's stitch and row count into stitches and rows per inch, scale that gauge up to any width or length, and see how far your gauge sits from a pattern's stated gauge
Sock Yarn Yardage Estimator
Estimate how many yards a pair of socks needs from your foot circumference, leg and foot length, and gauge — with a built-in waste buffer for swatching and finishing
Needle Size Guide & Converter
Convert any US knitting needle size to millimetres (or the reverse), and see the conventional needle range for lace through bulky-weight yarn
Sock Size to Stitch Count Calculator
Turn a foot circumference and your stitch gauge into a cast-on count, with the standard negative ease built in so the finished sock actually grips the foot
Cast-On Count Calculator
Work out a cast-on for any circular project — hat, mitten cuff, cowl, or sweater — with a garment-appropriate ease default and rounding to your stitch-pattern repeat
Row Counter
Track your row count against a pattern repeat and a target total — see repeats completed, where you are in the current repeat, and rows left to go
Museum of Hand-Knitting & Hosiery
Wander an immersive, richly illustrated collection — knitting and socks, hand-knits from around the world, wool and the fibers knitters work with, and the long history of hosiery and stockings — each in its own gallery. Every entry, image, and fact is drawn from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons.
Tour the museum →From the Journal
Hand-written guides on gauge and swatching, yarn and fiber, needles and tools, sock construction, fit and sizing, and the techniques that tie it all together.
How to Read (and Trust) a Gauge Swatch
A swatch only tells you the truth if you knit and measure it properly. Here's how to make one that actually predicts how your sock will turn out.
How Much Yarn Do You Need for a Pair of Socks?
A practical way to estimate sock yarn yardage from your own measurements and gauge, instead of hoping a single 50g skein is enough.
Choosing the Right Needle Size for Sock Yarn
Needle size is a starting point, not a rule — here's how the US and metric systems relate, and how to actually land on the right size for your yarn.
Turning a Heel: Flaps, Gussets, and Short Rows Explained
The heel is where sock construction gets interesting. Here's what a heel flap, a gusset, and a short-row heel actually do, in plain terms.
Toe-Up or Cuff-Down: Choosing a Sock Construction
Neither direction is objectively better — they trade off differently on yarn management, fit adjustment, and how the heel gets built. Here's how to pick.
Negative Ease: Why Your Sock Should Be Smaller Than Your Foot
Cast on for your exact foot measurement and the sock will still end up loose. Here's why sock patterns build in negative ease on purpose.
Keep Learning
Plain-language explainers on the building blocks of sock knitting — gauge and swatching, yarn and fiber, needles and tools, and the construction techniques and fit decisions that make a sock actually work — everything you need to go deeper with confidence.
Visit the Learn hub →