Sock Tips: How to Modify Afterthought Heels for a Better Fit

When I first started knitting socks, I had a hard time making them to fit my feet. They were wearable, but just barely—they were always tight across the top of my foot at the ankle. Worse, they were difficult to put on, which means I rarely wore them. Unwearable FOs are incredibly disheartening, and I gave up on socks for a while.

Modifying the rows in an afterthought heel, like in the Cymru Socks shown here, can make for a better fitting sock for someone with high arches.

I complained to my friend Amy (an avid sock knitter) that my knitted socks never fit and I really didn’t think sock knitting was for me. After listening to my woes, she said, “I think you have a high instep. Have you tried adjusting your pattern to fit?” I had no idea what kind of instep I had or how to adjust my socks! She proceeded to explain and sketch out what a high instep looks like, and how to modify a sock pattern to fit accordingly.

An average instep (left) and a high instep (right). Illustrations by Laura Hulslander