Socks part 2 - making a pattern

Please, do read all the way through befor you begin - if there is a point where my description doesn't make sense to you you will not be as frustrated and have time to ask me or someone knowledgable in hose or sock making! What will you need:

paper (newspaper will work) and pen

Wool suitable for socks

Tailors chalk

ruler

pins

scissors

and preferably a second set of eyes and hands since it is harder to get a good fit on your own.


Start out on paper by making a sole - draw around your foot while standing:

 

Measure across your fot at the highest point and note the number somewhere. Mark that corresponding line out as well on the paper. Measure around the back of the sole - the measuremant from those points - you can just make out that notation on my pattern. I also took the measurement from the toe to the point where the flap will bend - app. where foot becomes leg I guess.
 You now have your sole pattern:

making the top:

Draw out the flap: Mine is almost square: 9 cm at the top and 8 cm at the bottom, which gives the pattern a slight angle but in reality the flap will end up square when hemmed.

Use the measurement from the planned position of where the flap will end up on your leg to the top of your toes - mark that point on the paper.

Use the second measurement from your highest point all around the heel and divide in half - add those as the "back flaps". I drew at right angles a 10 cm line on each side. That will probably work well for all adult feet.

Then raw a rough likeness of the pattern I have adjusted to your measurements - add a hefty seam allowance to make you able to adjust the fit as needed.
You now should have something looking like this:

 

This is how my new paper templates compares to my original pattern:

Now it is time to do it in wool fabric!
cut out and add remember to have seam allowance in the wool fabric. - you really will need have something to grab hold of when pinning.

Now the fun starts:

Pin the back seam so you can comfortably get in and out of your sock but still have it looking like you can have a reasonable fit:

Sew that seam - I did this when I made the first pattern with looong stitches on the machine - but only because it was loaded and ready - otherwise it is as quick to do a simple seam by hand. Reason for basting is that pins hurt...and you will have enough pins to worry about anyway!

Put on the top pattern, place the sole piece on the floor, then place your foot on top of it and and start pinning them together! (this is where you either are an octopus or have an assistant)
Make sure that you pin close to the floor or you will end up with a seam higher up wich usually is not comfy at all! You also may have to adjust your back seam at this point. Just make sure you can remove the sock!

 

When you think you have a good fit; carefully remove the sock.

You most likely will have quite a lot of excess fabric:


Trim the edges down to more sensible sewing allowances:

 

upside down

Sew along the sole. Double check that you have a good fit. You can now trim the sewing allowances down to be ready for felling. I make the sewing allowance of the sole be a few mm longer so they will cover the tops when felled.

Now - sorry, but there is no other way - take the sock apart. Either keep this as your pattern - or make a paper one by drawing out a copy of your sock.

Make your socks! And remember if you make adjustments later - do that to your patterns as well!

As for my newly made pattern - which I kind of had to make since I realised that there was no way I could explain how to do this only in words - compare the new in purple to the old one in red:

Close enough I'd say!

Hose and socks part 1

 

I came home from Double Wars realising I only had one good pair of hose. Time to do something about that and I brought out my trusted hose pattern and in short order I finished two pairs, one of which can be seen here:

 

Summer was not so far away (this was in mid-May) and I thought about summer wear. I remembered Whiljas trossfrau socks and decided to make my own. (Whiljas corner - the trossfrau sock)

I had also seen my friend Petronilla of London's photos of a linen sock from Regensburg. In appearance it reminded me a lot of the 16th c shoes Erik had made for me. I used that pattern for a toile and fitted the first attempt:

 

I then used the fabric I planned to make socks of, a melton from Medeltidsmode. I made a sock, fitted and ready for felling with all the hems trimmed - and then I took it apart; this is now my pattern. I can now just cut and sew!

I then went for linen socks. It quickly became obvious that linen behaves differently than the wool did so I made a new "trial" sock and now have two slightly different patterns.

I have since then made a pair of yellow, black and purple wool socks, and a pair of white linen ones. Addictive "sockers"!

 

Now a lot of people have told me they want socks so I guess my next post will be some kind of instruction on how to make a pattern :)