How to knit a sock: Making a slip knot

There are many techniques that can be used for knitting socks. They can be knitted from the cuff ie. top down, or from the toe up. We're going to take you through how to knit a sock worked from the top down with a gusset heel and heel stitch for comfort. The first step: making a slip knot! So let's get you started.

Note, you can use double pointed needles (DPNs) or circular needles in this project. Circular needles can either be used with a short core or a long core using the magic loop method. We'll show you how to knit a medium sized sock using a sport weight yarn so you can see the detail and 60cm circular needles using the magic loop method.

Step 1: Making a slip knot step-by-step

Get started. Place slip knot onto the needle in the left hand.

Wrap it. Wrap the ball end of the yarn around the left index finger and the tail end of the yarn around the left thumb.

Anchor your yarn. Anchor both ends of the yarn around between the third and fourth figures on left hand.

Needle the loop. Insert the tip of the needle upwards through the loop on the thumb.

Get your loop ready. Insert the tip of the needle down through the loop of yarn on the index finger, and draw it back down through the loop on the thumb.

Don't drop it. Remove the thumb from the loop taking care not to drop the new loop from the needle.

Nearly there. Use the thumb to pull the loop tight to form a new stitch.

And again! Repeat the steps until you have 60 stitches.