I was asked the other day to come up with a nice pair of white bobby socks for the latest doll of a student of mine. She needed them in a hurry, and there wasn’t time to order. I’ve made socks from a variety of materials, my favorite of which is children’s tights material that I usually pick up at places like Goodwill or Salvation Army for a few cents. But, not having any white tights left in my “goodie drawer”, I decided to save myself a trip to the store and try something different this time.
Awhile back I ordered three pairs of doll socks for students and they all decided to use something else at the last minute. I could have insisted that they pay for them anyway, but instead I just added them to my stash. They were very nice socks with a pretty textured weave, but they were the kind with the stretchy band around the top and not anklets, so I needed to tweak them a bit.
The first thing that came to mind was to just cut the band off and finish them with a bit of gathered lace, but I remembered my student commenting in class that she really didn’t want to much frou-frou, so after considering my options, I decided to forgo the lace and try something else.
First I tried the socks on the doll’s foot to be sure of the fit. The size was great, but with the tops cut off they were going to be a bit short to fold down really well. They had enough length to fold, just not enough to avoid looking kind of skimpy, so I needed to do something to correct that problem.
I started by leaving two rows of the cuff knit in place when removing the tops. This gave me enough room to be able to do a loose zigzag stitch around the top without sacrificing any of the body of the sock. I set the length of the zigzag stitch at 1 ½, which was close enough together to prevent ravels, and still loose enough to allow for some stretch. And the width at about 2 so not too much would be rolled under with the stitch. This done, I dug out a crochet hook and some fairly fine white crochet thread and began to try to figure out what type of an edging I could make that would look nice and still not be too fancy. I needed to keep it simple, and after trying several variations, I decided on the following:
(Round 1) Attach the crochet threat to the top of the sock. Remember to work with the inside edge of the sock as the “right side” because it would be out when folded down. Ch 2, and crochet around the top edge of the sock just below the zigzagged edge. Slip stitch into the first crochet. This edging will work best if there are an even number of crochets around the sock.
(Round 2) Ch 2, then crochet in each crochet in the previous row, ending by slip stitching in the first crochet in row 2.
(Round 3) Ch 4, DC in the same crochet, *crochet in the next crochet, then Dc, chain 1, and DC in the following crochet. Crochet in the next crochet.* Repeat from *all the way around the top. Slip stitch in the 3rd chain pf the beginning stitch in the row and tie off your thread.
This makes a very simple yet attractive edging. If you think you may need a wider edging to make the folded cuff look wide enough, you can repeat round 2 until you are happy with the cuff width, then add the scalloped last row. This scalloped row is also attractive if done in a color to match the doll’s dress. The simple crocheted edging added a touch of elegance that combined with the delicate textured pattern of the socks themselves to produce a pleasing effect. I would love to be able to include some pictures of the end results, but my digital camera seems to have died, or at least needs the attention of a professional to revive it, so I home you are able to envision our socks, and maybe even be inspired to come up with some further improvements!
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I found your website yesterday while surfing the web and noticed the last post was in September. I was worried that it was no longer active. I forgot to close off of the internet last night and when I came to my computer there was your website with a brand new post. I am so excited to find you as it is getting very difficult to to find any information about porcelain doll making these days. I love making porcelain dolls and am just getting back into the swing of things. I just completed a 12″ Kewpie and am getting ready to string her. The last doll I made before her was a John Wayne for my husband 3 years ago.
I crocheted the dress and panties for the Kewpie because you can’t find clothes to fit the cute little round body. I really like the sock idea and will be using it for this doll. One question, in round 1, did you dc? I’m thinking you dc crocheted for all round of the sock. I just wanted to clarify before attempting. Thank you so much for being out there!
Hi Loretta, I don’t know what you were looking at that misled you, but if you look again you’ll see that I do try to post several times a month at a minimum. Anyway, I’m glad you saw the sock article, and I’m glad to hear that you’re getting busy making dolls again! In regards to your question about round 1 of the sock trim pattern, I didn’t DC in the first two rounds, but there isnt any reason why it shouldn’t work just as well. You might only need to do one round if you did DC instead of crochet in that round, depending on your sock. I’d like to see a picture of your kewpie. Could you please send one when she’s all done and I’ll post it on the Fun & functions page for others to look at as well. It was nice to hear from you. Come back often!
I’m so glad I found you. I shall be watching for all the great tips you provide. It is a wonderful web page and I’ll tell my doll club about you. Keep up the good work.
Greetings Mary! I’m happy to hear that you find our website interesting and informative! Please come back often and don’t forget to share your own tips and ideas here.