Baby and kids socks

Small diameters, and a cuff that must not leave a mark.

Baby socks are knitted on the smallest cylinders in the workshop. Beyond the size, the difference is the cuff: it has to stay on a leg with almost no calf shape to grip, without pressing hard enough to leave a ring on the skin.

The inside of the sock matters as much as the outside. Loose threads, a ridged toe seam or a hard label are all things an adult tolerates and a baby reacts to, and the parent returns the product without being able to say exactly why.

Cuff tension. State it as a requirement, not a preference: the cuff must hold the sock on without marking the leg. This is the most common reason a baby sock sample is rejected.

Size steps. Baby sizes are graded in months, not shoe sizes, and feet grow fast enough that the steps have to be close together. Decide the age bands before the colourways.

Grip or no grip. Once a child is crawling and standing, a silicone sole becomes useful. Below that age it adds nothing. Split the range at that point rather than putting grip on everything.

Yarn and certification. Skin contact is constant and buyers in this category are asked for certification more often than in any other. Say which certificate the finished product needs to be sold against.