What Is Socktober? The Real Story Behind the Name (and How to Join In)

Originally published on October 16, 2026

It's October, the heater is back on, and every knitting corner of the internet is suddenly full of socks. If you've been on social media or Ravelry lately, you've probably seen the word everywhere: Socktober.

But where does that name actually come from? I'll be honest with you: until this year, I never really knew what the word Socktober stood for. Maybe it simply never mattered to me in the moment, I just happily cast on socks whenever October came around. But this year I really wanted to know where the origin of this event lies. It's a bit like World Wide Knit in Public Day, which we also celebrate once a year, and most of us have no idea who started it. Is Socktober just a cute pun knitters made up, or is there more behind it? And what are people actually doing all month?

I did some digging, and honestly, I love this story even more than I expected. Grab a pair of socks and let me tell you all about it.

What Is Socktober? The Real Story Behind the Name (and How to Join In)

Why Is It Called Socktober?

I actually thought that was all there was to it: Socks + October = Socktober.

But unlike a lot of internet "holidays," this one isn't just a hashtag someone invented last week. It has a real birthday, a real person, and a story that started in a classroom. Let me walk you through it.

The Origin of Socktober: How a 2011 Charity Drive Went Global

The West Tennessee Classroom That Started It All

In 2011, Brad Montague was working with kids at an after-school program in West Tennessee. A group of middle-schoolers wanted to do something about the growing number of people experiencing homelessness in their town, so Brad picked up the phone and called the local shelter, half expecting them to say the kids were too young to help.

Instead, the shelter gave them their wish list. And right at the top? New socks.

So Brad and the kids started a sock drive and gave it a name: Socktober. Brad filmed himself handing out pairs of socks and wishing people "Happy Socktober!" and the idea spread far beyond their town.

Why Socks Are the Most Needed, Least Donated Item at Shelters

Here's the part that surprised me most: socks are consistently the most-needed but least-donated item at homeless shelters. People happily donate old clothes, but worn-out socks usually just get thrown away instead of passed on.

And honestly, I think I know why. We wear our socks until they're full of holes, and then they go straight in the bin. Or we lose one sock of a pair in the laundry, and the lonely leftover disappears too. I used to do exactly the same. But I realized while researching this: if you ask me, someone who has spent a cold night outdoors doesn't care whether their two socks match. A pink one and a blue one are still two warm socks. To someone with freezing feet, a "pair" is a luxury, not a rule.

For people living on the street, socks aren't a small thing. They walk everywhere, every day, and blisters, infections, and frostbite in winter are constant risks. A dry, clean, warm pair of socks can genuinely protect someone's health and dignity. That's why socks are needed most as the cold season begins.

P.S. If you're thinking about donating socks, please check your local shelter's guidelines first. Where I come from, everything is welcome as long as it's clean and washed. 🙂

These thick, cozy stripes are exactly what Socktober is about. (Make sure your donation socks are machine-washable!)

The Kid President Breakthrough (2013)

The big break came in 2013, when Brad's Kid President videos with his little brother-in-law went viral, and Socktober became one of its central causes.

Sock drives popped up in every US state, schools made it an annual project, companies like Microsoft, Happy Socks, and Sesame Workshop joined in, and today socks have been donated by participants all over the world. 

How the Knitting Community Adopted Socktober

So how did a charity sock drive turn into the biggest sock-knitting month of the year?

Well, you tell a knitting community that October is sock month, and we don't need to be asked twice. 🧦

Knitters everywhere took the spirit of Socktober and ran with it, and by now October is firmly established in the yarn world:

Socktober Sales, Yarn Clubs & 31-Stripe Yarns

Yarn shops and indie dyers treat October as sock season: special autumn and Halloween colorways, sock yarn clubs, and discount codes all month long. Some long-running sock shops are celebrating their twentieth-something Socktober this year! My favorite idea: self-striping sock yarn dyed with 31 stripes, one for every day of October, your sock literally counts down to Halloween.

Sock Knit-Alongs (KALs) and Community Challenges

Designers and shops host sock knit-alongs all month: pick a pattern, cast on October 1st, and knit along with hundreds of others, on Ravelry, in yarn shop communities, or on Instagram, often with prize draws at the end. It's low-pressure, it's friendly, and it's the best motivation to finally finish that second sock.

Charity Knitting for Local Shelters

And of course, many knitters use Socktober for what the month was originally about: knitting warm, handmade socks to donate to shelters and local charities before winter arrives. If you do this, choose a machine-washable superwash wool with some nylon for durability, handmade socks that are cozy and easy to care for are the ones that actually get worn.

A perfect example of a Socktober WIP: autumn colors, a ruffled cuff, and a little ghost friend keeping watch.

5 Ways to Participate in Socktober This Year

If you want to join in, here's what Socktober looks like in practice:

1. Cast on a new pair of socks. The classic move. Your very first pair or your fiftieth, toe-up or cuff-down, plain vanilla or fancy colorwork, anything goes. (If you've never knit socks, my free step-by-step sock knitting course and my tutorial for casting on DPNs without twisting your stitches will walk you through it!)
2. Master a new sock technique. October is a guilt-free excuse to finally try a new heel, a new cast-on, or something decorative, like the decorative ruffle sock cuff tutorial I shared last week.
3. Join a community sock knit-along (KAL). Casting on together with people around the world is half the fun, and prize draws don't hurt either.
4. Knit or donate socks to a shelter. I'm a very charity-driven person; I will always jump in somewhere and help out or donate. Hand-knit socks for someone who'll spend winter outdoors are Socktober in its purest form. And it doesn't even have to be for homeless shelters: here in my country we also knit socks for breast cancer patients; they have to be green, they're called "Grüne Socken" (green socks). And if knitting isn't your thing: even donating a pack of socks to a local shelter is exactly what this month was built for.
5. Support indie dyers during Socktober sales. Socktober colorways are limited-run and often sell out, and every skein you buy supports a small maker. (Your stash knew this was coming.)

A finished pair! Whether it's your first or your fiftieth, there's nothing like binding off a cozy pair of Socktober socks.

Socktober FAQ

Is Socktober only for knitters?
No, Socktober is for everyone. Non-crafters participate by donating socks to local shelters, while knitters and crocheters make and donate warm handmade pairs. As guidelines vary from place to place, it's always a good idea to check what your local shelter accepts.

Who started Socktober and when did it begin?
Brad Montague created Socktober in 2011 in West Tennessee, and it went global in 2013 through his web series Kid President.

Why are socks the most requested item at homeless shelters?
Because people rarely donate them; used socks get thrown out instead. Meanwhile, shelter residents walk a lot and need dry, warm socks to prevent blisters and frostbite, especially heading into winter.

What is a Socktober knit-along (KAL)?
A month-long community event where knitters cast on socks in October and share their progress, usually hosted by a designer, yarn shop, or yarn brand, often with discounts and a prize draw at the end.

More Sock Knitting Goodness

If this post put you in a sock mood (it happens to the best of us), here's where to go next:

• Free step-by-step sock knitting course
• Tutorial for casting on DPNs without twisting your stitches
• Decorative ruffle sock cuff tutorial

Cast On With Us

What I love most about Socktober is that it's two things at once: a silly, cozy excuse to knit more socks... and a genuinely kind idea that started with a group of middle-schoolers who just wanted to help. Fifteen years later, people all over the world have taken part.

So this October: cast on something cozy, and if you can, set one pair aside for someone who needs it more than we do.

Are you knitting socks this Socktober? I'd love to see them, tell me what's on your needles, and you can now attach a photo directly in the comments! 🧦

Until next time, happy crafting! 

A Little Way to Say Thanks