by Meg Bateman August 14, 2020 2 min read

Last week we talked about ways to cast-on socks from the toe-up, but this week we're starting from the other end of the sock! When casting-on socks from the cuff-down, it's important to have a stretchy cast-on so the socks fit over your calves. We're covering four ways to cast-on socks from the cuff-down, including a brand-new method – Kelley's Tubular Cast-On! 

German Twisted Cast-On

The German Twisted Cast-On (Also called the Old Norwegian Cast On) gives just enough stretch without being too stretchy. It's similar to the long-tail cast-on and gives a great finished edge for ribbing. 

Casting-On Two-at-a-Time Socks for Cuff-Down

Instead of casting on all the stitches for both socks at once, like with toe-up, to do two-at-a-time cuff-down socks you cast-on half the stitches for sock 1 first. Then slide it to the end of the needle, and cast-on all the stitches for sock 2. Slide sock 2 down the needle to the cable, and split them in half on the cable using Magic Loop. Then pick up the sock 1 skein again and cast-on the remaining stitches on the left needle. 

Cable Cast-On for Cuff-Down Socks

The Cable Cast-On gives a stretchy & substantial cuff without needing a long tail! Kelley recommends doing the cable cast-on with one needle size larger than you will be knitting with. 

Cuff-Down Socks with the Tubular Cast-On

The Tubular Cast-On gives a double knit edge to the top of the sock cuff. It isn't flexible, but it gives a nice edge to the sock cuff. The join of the round is very noticeable with the traditional Tubular Cast-On – but Kelley's method below hides it! 

Kelley's Tubular Cast-On without Waste Yarn 

Kelley came up with her own version of the Tubular Cast-On that doesn't use waste yarn, is a bit more flexible, and it has a better join for the round. It begins in a similar way, cast-on half the number of stitches using Judy's Magic Cast-On. Watch the video at the top of this article to see how to do this brand-new cast-on!

Are you ready to cast-on some socks now? Which method will you use – cuff-down or toe-up?

Photo of four different examples of ways to cast-on cuff-down socks.

Meg Bateman
Meg Bateman


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