Machine Knitting a Sock Instructions

Today we will be using our machine knitting skills to show you

how to produce quality good fitting circular socks on a knitting
machine! We will be using a Brother KH940 Knitting Machine,
with ribber, you may have to experiment with yarns and
tensions to get them just right for your machine.
Those familiar with machine knitting, knitting machine patterns
and the terms they use, follow the Pattern lines. Otherwise,

the Beginner sections are best

Towards the end,
Pattern and Beginner begin to merge, mainly because there is
no short way to explain what the steps are and hopefully the
leaners are becoming more familliar with the machine knitting
process by the end.
The short version as a PDF can be downloaded by right
clicking and Save Target/Link As.. here Machine Knitting a
Sock Pattern , other patterns can be found on the Machine
Knitting Patterns, Free! page
Yarn: 4 ply (Sock yarn, wool containing some synthetic for
better wear)
Tensions (shortened to T for the remainder):
For the 1 x 1 Rib Band 0 (for cast on & circular row)
3 for
main
rib
6 stocking
stitch
(st
=
stitch)
NOTE: Set the tensions on both main carriage and ribber to
be the same.

Pattern: With main yarn, T 0 cast on 75 stitches in 1 x 1 rib

(zig zag row right to left).
Beginner: Prepare to cast on by moving every second needle
to the B position, working from the middle for 75 needles width
(do to the 37 mark on the left, and 38 on the right, both beds,
the bottom bed will be offset slightly to the left) . Moving the
carriage side to side once will line them up nicely, finish with
the carriage on your right, reset your row counter to zero.
Now thread the yarn through the carriage, and between the 2
beds, and hold it firmly under the knitting machine beds.

Set the tension to 0 and slide the carriage and ribber left
over the needles, this will knit the yarn creating a zig zag row.
NOTE: Put your ribber cast on comb on. Simply remove the
fine wire and feed the comb up from under the beds so that

the teeth seperate each zig zag, then feed the wire back
through the weight comb and let it hang. Add 2 weights evenly
near the sock.

Pattern: Knit 1 circular

row.
Beginner: With the carriage still on the left, set the carriage to
do a circular row. Press in right hand Part button on main
carriage, this means it will only knit from right to left on the
main bed. On the ribber, push up the left Part button to P-R,
this will only knit from left to right on the ribber bed. Now slide
the carriages right, then back to the left. Set counter to zero.
Pattern: Remove circular setting, T 3, knit 33 rows in rib.
Beginner: Remove circular settings on the carriage and ribber
by setting it back to normal, change the tension setting on the
carriage to 3 and knit to 33 rows.
Pattern: Transfer all stitches to main bed, decrease 7 stitches
evenly
along
bed.
Beginner: Using the double eyed tool, move the stitches from
the bottom bed to the main bed, thus creating a whole row.
Drop
the
ribber
bed
down
one
notch.
Then
decrease 7 stitches evenly along bed. See the video below for
a demo.

NOTE: This produces a rib at the top of the sock that is better
shaped to the body of the sock than if you dont do this
decrease.

You should end up with something like this.

Pattern: Close
gaps
keeping
centered.
Beginner: Using a transfer tool, move all stitches from each
end, towards the middle to close gaps, this is time consuming
and fiddly. See below.

Pattern: T 6,
knit
1
row
in
stocking
st.
Beginner: Change the tension setting on the carriage
to 6 and knit 1 row (right to left) stocking (normal/plain) stitch
using the main carriage only.

Pattern: Take work off with a few rows of contrasting waste

yarn.
Beginner: Break or cut the yarn and replace with waste yarn,
using a contrasting colour is highly recommended. Knit a few
rows with the waste yarn, 6 to 10 rows will be ample. Break
waste yarn and knit until the sock falls off. Remove cast on
comb and weights. Leave the carriage on your right.

Pattern: H pitch on ribber, 34 needles on each bed to working

position.
Beginner: To the left of the knitting machine bottom bed /
ribber, you should see a slider shaped like a smile that has P
H, slide it right to H, this is so that the needles dont touch
each other when protruding. Now bring 34 needles on each
bed
to
working
position
B.
NOTE: The main bed right most needle must be outside (to
the right) of the ribber bed right most needle.
Pattern and Beginner: With the wrong side of the last knitted
row facing you, start on the right centre needle and place the
left most loop of the sock onto that needle (NOT the waste,
fold it under, away from you). Now roll the rib into a circle and
place what was the right most loop onto left centre needle and
1 loop onto all remaining needles along the main bed. This
should put the center seam of the rib at the back of the sock
and on the main bed.

Pattern and Beginner: Now work your way along the bottom
bed, 1 loop from the sock (NOT the waste) onto each needle.

For those only just learning Machine Knitting, maybe this will
help.

Pattern: T 6 knit 40 circular rows (80 on row counter) keep

downward
pressure.
Beginner: Set your tensions to 6, set your row counter to
zero. Set your carriages to do a circular row again, if you have
forgotten, see just under the casting on instructions, it involves
the Part buttons. Thread your main yarn back on,
knit 40 circular rows (80 on row counter) keep downward
pressure. This will be the length up your leg of the sock.

Machine knitting the sock heel

Pattern and Beginner: Drop the ribber bed half way
only, change to main bed only (presser). T 5 on main
carriage. Set holding cam lever (N-H-I) to (H). Remove the
circular knitting setting on the main carriage.
On the top bed, assuming your carriage is on the right, bring
the furthest needle from the carriage to holding position (left
most needle, all the way out), knit 1 row (from right to left),
place yarn under the protruding needle (now closest to
carriage), bring furthest needle from carriage (right most) to
holding position, knit 1 row, place yarn under right most
needle, protrude 2nd left needle, knit 1 row, now place the
yarn under the 2nd left needle but over the 1st
Repeat until there are 8 needles in holding position on each
side of the sock. Main bed only!
NOTE: Keep downward pressure on the sock underneath the
main bed throughout the knitting of the sock heel as the sock
will grow longer under the main bed as the heel takes shape,
ribber bed side will not.
Pattern and Beginner: You should have 8 needles out on
each side with the carriage on your right, and the yarn under
the 8th innermost right needle but over the first 7 needles on
the
right
Push the innermost (8th) left needle back to knitting position
D. Knit 1 row, place the yarn under the new innermost
(7th) left needle but over the remaining 6 left needles. Push
the innermost right needle to knitting position D. Knit 1 row.
Place the yarn under the new innermost (7th) right needle but
over the remaining 6 right needles. Push the innermost
(7th) left needle back to knitting position D. Knit 1 row. Repeat
until all needles are in except the rightmost needle the

carriage should end up on the left with rightmost needle only

remaining
out.
Remove presser, replacing with ribber, raise ribber bed to
knitting position and set main carriage back to circular knitting.

NOTE: Next row has to be worked on the ribber only, which it

should because in circular knitting settings from the above
step, moving from left to right only knits on the ribber bed.
Make sure the remaining needle in the holding position on the
main bed is on the outside of the needles on the ribber bed.
Pattern and Beginner: T 6, knit 1 row (left to right). Place
yarn under remaining needle. Set holding cam lever (N-HI) to N and set knitting machine for circular knitting again.
Reset counter.
Knit 60 circular rows (120 on row counter). This will be the
foot.

Machine knitting the sock toe

Pattern and Beginner: Using a double pointed transfer tool,
decrease 1 stitch each end on both beds (pick up 2 stitches,
but only move 1 needle space inward, meaning the 2nd last

needle has the last stitch on it but the 3rd last has 2 stitches).
Knit 2 circular rows (twice back and forth with the carriage,
ends on same side). Do this 5 times.
Pattern and Beginner: Using a double pointed transfer tool,
decrease 1 stitch each end on both beds again. Knit 1 circular
rows (twice back and forth with the carriage, ends on same
side). Do this 6 times. Hopefully you have 12 stitches
remaining!
Break yarn leaving about 30cm and replace with more waste
yarn, knit a few circular rows and break waste, knit until sock
falls off!

Grafting the sock toe by hand

Pattern and Beginner: The video explains it best, its hard to

put into words! This grafting method leaves no seam, the
most comfortable sock you will ever knit! Grab a needle and
thread the 30cm of yarn you had left onto a needle. Poke it
through from the outside into the space beside the last knitted
stitch,
so that
it
comes
out
on
the
inside.
Fold the waste yarn out over the toe to expose the single row
of main colour, stitching from inside to outside of the sock (out
of stitch), starting with the stitch nearest you and closest to the
end you came through on. Another out of stitch through the
opposing
side
of
the
toe.
In to stitch (from outside to inside) you came out of first
(closest to you), then out of stitch in the next one along (2nd
closest to you). In to stitch first stitch on opposite side, then
out of stitch in the next one along (2nd one opposing side).
Repeat this until toe hole is closed! Poke the needle through
to the inside of the sock at the end of the last graft.

Remove the waste yarn from the sock toe. Remove waste
yarn
from
rib.
Sew up the rib and end all threads!

Hooray!
One Sock! Repeat for a 2nd one, or put eyes on the toe for a

sock puppet
You could also try using Variegated sock yarn for some
fancy coloured socks! Christmas happens every year!

The whole machine knitting a sock for beginners process,

with me asking questions, taking photos and video, redoing
parts that I didnt understand, and the final hand stitching
parts, took a little over an hour. Without me helping, Im sure
a pair of machine knitted socks could be produced in this time.
The time it took to get all this onto a website, a football team
could be wearing new socks