Sock Anatomy

How many different sections form a whole sock?

For these socks, L knitted each part with a different color. The resultant rainbow is both beautiful and an excellent look at what exactly makes up a sock.

Starting at the top, there is a dark yellow cuff hugging the ankle. This cuff is followed by a dark green leg.

Below the green leg is where things really get interesting. The burgundy heel flap leads directly into the light yellow heel turning. Heel turning is notorious for its supposed difficulty. However, you shouldn't be frightened by it. Remember two very important things. 1. Many, many people have done this before and lived. 2. You're knitting - anything you do can always be undone and the fate of the world is not dependent on your sock being completed before midnight.

Unless it is a very special sock.


After the heel turning, some magic happens and that heel turning, heel flap, and leg get connected to the orange portion, which is known as the gusset. The gusset leads into the blue foot of the sock. The final section is known as the toe. The last two sections of the sock are my favorite, mostly because I can remember what they are called.

In the end, all of the segments come together to form a harmonious whole. Isn't it the cutest little sock?