Shaping The Toe

My goal is to be able to knit Toe-Up 2-at-a-Time Socks with fingering weight yarn on one US #0 40 inch circular needle. But first I'm going to knit one Sample Sock with leftover Class Sock Aran / 10 ply (8 wpi) weight yarn on one US #5 40 inch circular needle. There are so many things to remember when learning how to do this that I had to make a list.

1. Judy's Magic Cast-on: 16 sts (8 sts per needle)
   
   
   
   • Yarn tail over index finger.
     
   • Working yarn over thumb.
     
   • Loop around Top Needle.
     
   • Loop bottom needle around yarn tail.
     
   • Loop top needle around working yarn.
     
   • Repeat until there are 8 loops on each needle (16 sts total).
     
   • End with a loop on the bottom needle (tail yarn).
     
   
   
2. Pull tail yarn over working yarn and to the back, out of the way. Knit first side (8 sts), rotate. Place marker on first st.
   
3. Knit through back loops on second side (8 sts), rotate.
   
4. K1, M1R (working yarn to back), Knit to next-to-last st, M1L (working yarn to front), K1, rotate.
   
5. K1, M1R (working yarn to back), Knit to next-to-last st, M1L (working yarn to front), K1, rotate.
   
6. Knit evenly all around.
   
7. Repeat 4., 5., and 6. until there are 32 sts total (16 sts on each needle).
   

I don't know why it has been so difficult for me to get my head wrapped around doing this, but I am making progress, albeit, slowly. I've been doing a lot of frogging.

KnittingHelp.Com: Increases.

Once the toe is shaped, Knit evenly around for the Foot until the Sample Sock measures 2 inches from the tip of the toe.

Webcast with Wendy on TheknitGirllls

This from WendyKnits:

The Knit Girls Video-Cast with Wendy D. Johnson.

Wendy warns that she is very chatty, and the webcast is in five parts, but she looks so svelte. It must be the 'clean diet' she is on. Check out her blog for more about that: Wendy Knits. Her new book is shown, and her shawlettes.

So why are you still reading this?

Judy's Magic Cast-On

Instructions for doing Judy's Magic Cast-On are at her blog, Persistent Illusion. She says:

These instructions assume that you have some familiarity with knitting socks toe-up. The pictures show the Magic Cast-On using two circular needles. Instructions for knitting two socks at the same time and for using the cast-on with DPNs are at the bottom.

I've been learning how to do Judy's Magic Cast-On, and practicing doing toe increases with leftover yarn from the Class Sock and my Hiya US #5 40 inch circular needles. One thing I've discovered is that it seems to make a difference the way I loop the yarn over the top needle for the first stitch.

Judy does it like this:



If the loop of the first stitch is twisted so the tail yarn is in front, and goes to the back over the index finger, then the first two loops are not tied-in to the rest of the cast-on. After you've finished casting-on the number of stitches you need for the toe, turn the needles over and look at the back. There should be purl bumps tying all the stitches together. The thing is, those first two stitches aren't tied in with the rest of the stitches.

This is how I do it:



If the loop of the first stitch is twisted so the working yarn is in front, and goes to the front over the thumb, then the first two loops are tied-in to the rest of the cast-on with purl bumps. Interesting, eh? I don't know if it makes any difference or not.



The thing to remember with Judy's Magic Cast-On is that after I've cast-on all the stitches, I turn the work so the working yarn is on the right, and the right-side (knit stitches) is facing me. I make sure to lock the tail yarn behind the working yarn. Then I slide the working needle out of the loops and knit the first side. Then I rotate the toe, and slide the needles around to do the second side. It is important to knit into the back side of these loops, otherwise they'll be twisted. This is the only side that has to be done that way.

The Magic Cast-On is actually really easy, once it's been done a few times, and after the first two sides have been knit (remembering to position the tail yarn properly, and to knit into the back of the loops on the second side), the toe increases can be started. In Melissa Morgan-Oakes' book, Toe-Up 2-at-a-Time Socks, she uses Backward Loop Increases. She calls them M1R and M1L. M1L is a left-leaning backward loop increase where the working yarn points towards me. M1R is a right-leaning backward loop increase where the working yarn points away from me. It isn't very difficult to do, but does require remembering which is which, since they are used on both sides of the toe. I just try to remember that the R in M1R means Rear (points away from me, to the rear).

So far, it's only taken me about ten tries to figure all this stuff out. That's ten toes cast-on, knitted, and frogged. It's good practice.

New Circular Knitting Needles

Today I got some new circular knitting needles. I finally made a firm decision to learn how to knit Toe-Up 2-at-a-Time Socks on one circular needle. At the LYS I bought Addi-Turbo US #0 40 inch circular needles, and Hiya-Hiya US #1 40 inch circular needles. The plan is to eventually have a complete set of 40 inch circular knitting needles for socks, from US #0 to US #2.

The increments are in millimeters:
US 0 (2.00mm) - 40"
US 1 (2.25mm) - 40"
US 1 (2.50mm) - 40"
US 2 (2.75mm) - 40"
US 2 (3.00mm) - 40"

I don't really know how much of a difference 0.25mm makes when knitting with fingering weight yarn, but I'll find out over time.

Toe-Up 2-at-a-Time Socks

I'm expecting Toe-Up 2-at-a-Time Socks by Melissa Morgan-Oakes to arrive on Friday, the 23rd of April. Currently, my toe-up socks are on a temporary hold until this book arrives. Why?

Well, there's more to socks than meets the eye! Knitting can be as simple as two sticks and some string, or as complex as yarn weight, needle size, knitting tension, and knitting technique.

The gauge swatch for the toe-up socks I'm planning to knit with fingering weight yarn, on US #0 needles, shows that I'm knitting 10 sts per inch. That's pretty tight.

The thing is, I knitted the gauge swatch on a set of five, eight inch, US #0 double-pointed metal (PHILDAR brand) needles (2mm) that were given to me. If I decide to use dpns to knit these toe-up socks, I'll want a second set of dpns, so I can knit both socks at more or less the same time. However, 8 inch dpns are much too long! The LYS has 5 inch dpns, and those are too short. The chain stores that have knitting supplies have 7 inch dpns, and those are still too long.

So the question is, since I'll have to purchase some needles anyway, why not wait a couple of days to see if the technique of knitting two socks on one long circular needle is within my technical ability, or not? If I think I can do it, I'll buy one 40 inch US#0 circular needle, and knit both socks on it. If the technique looks too complex for me, then I'll buy two sets of five needles, six inches long, and do them on dpns.

I kind of like the idea of being able to knit both socks at the same time on one circular needle. I've already been introduced to the Magic Loop technique, when I took the sock class. That was just knitting one sock on one circular needle. I'm thinking it shouldn't be too difficult to take that experience and translate it into doing two socks on one circular needle.

Anyway, that's where I'm at today. I don't have anything on needles at this point. Knitting teaches patience, and so does waiting for a new book to arrive in the mail.

Gauge Swatch with 0 Needles and Fingering Weight Yarn

Today I cast-on 40 sts onto US #0 (2mm) dpns in order to do a gauge swatch for making toe-up socks with fingering weight yarn.

The yarn is Paton's Kroy Sock Yarn, fingering weight (1), 14 wpi, self-striping, 75% Wool, 25% Nylon, given to me by my SO.



After measuring several places around the gauge swatch, it looks like I'm knitting 10 sts and 13 rows per inch.

The calculations for my toe-up socks:

The foot circumference around the ball of the foot is 9.125 inches.
I'm getting 10 sts per inch, and 10 sts X 9.125 = 90.125 sts.
With a 10% negative ease, I'd cast on for 80 sts (divisible by 4).
With a 5% negative ease, I'd cast-on for 84 sts (divisible by 4).
I've decided to go with the 5% negative ease for these socks.

The cool thing with a toe-up sock is, I can fit it as I go, and if
it doesn't fit, I rip-it out and start over, without too much work.
After all, it's only a toe, right?

Also, I can make the leg as high as I want to, or knit until I run
out of yarn. There's no leftover yarn!

Loom Knitting Socks

Loom Knitting Socks by Isela Phelps rounds out my loom knitting library. Most of the patterns in this book are written for the Extra Fine Gauge sock loom, which means I'll have to make one in order to do any of the socks in this book. I'll probably make a 64-peg loom first, since many of the sock patterns are for that loom. A sock loom knitter can use fingering weight yarn with an EFG loom. Extra Fine Gauge means that the pegs are 3/16ths of an inch apart, from the center of one peg to the center of the next peg. The Fine Gauge sock loom pegs are spaced 1/4th of an inch apart. A sock loom knitter should be able to get 7-8 stitches per inch with an EFG loom. The loom knit socks in the book look every bit as fine as their needle-knitted counterparts.

Anyway, PART ONE has patterns for Simple Socks. PART TWO has patterns for Textured Socks. PART THREE has patterns for Colorwork Socks. PART FOUR has patterns for Fancy: Cables & Beads Socks. PART FIVE has patterns for Lace Socks. PART SIX has patterns for Footsies & Other Socks. PART SEVEN has patterns for Kid's Socks. All of the socks patterns in this book are written for Cuff-Down socks, but there is a Toe-Up Method on pages 28-29 with an explanation of how to make a toe-up sock on a 36-peg DA child sock loom with fingering weight yarn.

All in all, this looks like a fun loom socks knitting book.

Toe-Up Socks For Every Body

I recently added another toe-up socks book by Wendy D. Johnson to my socks knitting library. Once again, she has made a beautiful book, with beautiful socks on beautiful models. Toe-Up Socks For Every Body has an Introduction, followed by PART ONE, which has Basic Information for Sock Knitters, including Toe-Up Tools, Knit to Fit, and Pattern Essentials. PART TWO has the Sock Patterns for Lace Socks, Cable Socks, and Colorwork Socks. There are a total of 23 beautiful toe-up sock patterns in this book. All of the socks patterns in the book have been added to the Ravelry Patterns section. Finally, there is an APPENDIX of Techniques For Toe-Up Socks. I am looking forward to acquiring the skills needed to make some of the socks in this book.

Some Notes on the Sample Sock

I am not a hooker, and making the provisional cast-on with a crochet hook is difficult for me to do. I guess I just need to practice making chain stitches with some yarn and a crochet hook. One thing that has been pointed out in my books, is to use a smooth yarn for the provisional cast-on because it is easier to see the purl bump on the back of the chain, that needs to be picked up for the cast-on. I've tried it both ways, using a slightly fuzzy yarn and a superwash smooth yarn, and it is much easier to do the provisional cast-on with smooth yarn.

The wraps and turns on my sample sock sucked. They worked, but they looked like crap. So the first thing I did after I finished the sample sock was to look for a good tutorial on doing a Wrap & Turn (W&T). The best tutorial I've found is in this Universal Sock Pattern on Knitty.Com.

Even with a good tutorial, I'm still having trouble seeing the wrap when it comes time to lift it, in order to hide it when completing the short-row process. In my practice short-row toe, I'm using stitch markers to show me which stitches have a wrap, so I can figure out which part to lift. Just like making a W&T, there is a RS and a WS way of lifting a wrapped stitch.

I'm making practice short-row toes. These are just for practicing W&T. I do a long-tail cast-on of 12 sts, and proceed according to the sample sock pattern, except I have the tutorial in front of me, and I'm using stitch markers to keep track of where I am, as far as how many wrapped stitches I've done. Without having to do the provisional cast-on each time, the W&T practice toes are going pretty fast. I'm determined to learn how to W&T and how to lift the wraps so my short-row toes will not only look good, but be nice and tight as well.

Overall, the Short-Row Toe and Heel Toe-Up Basic Sock is a good sock to make. The toe and the heel are seamless. The provisional cast-on is a bit of a pain, but well worth the effort. One other thing to look into is a stretchy bind-off.

Sample Short-Row Toe and Heel Basic Sock

The pattern for this sample sock is based on the Short-Row Toe and Heel Basic Socks pattern, on pages 32-36, in Wendy D. Johnson's book, Socks From The Toe-Up.

24 Stitch Short-Row Toe and Heel Toe-Up Basic Sock.

 1. Make a chain stitch 18 stitches in length.
    Note that one side of the chain stitch has V's and the other side
    has purl bumps.
 2. Pick-up a purl bump with the left needle and knit it with the
    right needle until you have 12 stitches cast-on the right needle.
   
   12  9 7 5 3 1
    |  | | | | |
    Provisional Cast-on
    TKKKKKKKKKKK Row 01\                 /  [T = Wrap and Turn]
    WPPPPPPPPPPT Row 02 \               /   [K = Knit]
    WTKKKKKKKKKW Row 03  \  Decrease   /    [P = Purl]
    WWPPPPPPPPTW Row 04   \     |     /     [W = Wrapped Stitch]
    WWTKKKKKKKWW Row 05    \    V    /      [2 = K/P loop and wrap(s)]
    WWWPPPPPPTWW Row 06     \       /
    WWWTKKKKKWWW Row 07      \     /
    WWWWPPPPTWWW Row 08       \   /

 3. Row 1: K11, Sl the last unworked st from the left needle onto the
    right needle. Turn.
 4. Row 2: Sl the first unworked st from the left needle to the right
    needle. It should be wrapped around its base with the working yarn.
    P10. Move the working yarn as if to knit and slip the last st. Turn.
 5. Row 3: Sl the first st and K9. Wrap and Turn.
 6. Row 4: Sl the first st and P8. Wrap and Turn.
 7. Row 5: Sl the first st and K7. Wrap and Turn.
 8. Row 6: Sl the first st and P6. Wrap and Turn.
 9. Row 7: Sl the first st and K5. Wrap and Turn.
10. Row 8: Sl the first st and P4. Wrap and Turn.
   
   12  9 7 5 3 1
    |  | | | | |
    WWW2KKKKWWWW Row 09        /   \
    WWWPPPPP2WWW Row 10       /     \
    WW2KKKKKKWWW Row 11      /       \
    WWPPPPPPP2WW Row 12     /         \
    W2KKKKKKKKWW Row 13    / Increase  \
    WWPPPPPPPP2W Row 14   /      |      \
    W2KKKKKKKKKW Row 15  /       V       \
    WPPPPPPPPPP2 Row 16 /                 \
    2KKKKKKKKKKK Row 17/                   \

20. Unzip the provisional cast-on and put those sts on a second needle.
21. K6 onto a needle.
22. K6 onto a second needle.
23. K6 onto a third needle.
24. K6 onto the fourth needle.
25. Knit rounds for one inch.
26. Sl 6 stitches from the third needle onto the first needle. 
27. Start the short-row heel, the same as the toe, working back and forth
    on the one needle.
28. When finished turning the heel, put the 6 sts back on the fourth needle
    and work in the round for one inch.
29. Work K2, P2 Ribbing for one inch.
30. Bind-off very loosely in rib.

Short Rows with W&T (Wrap and Turn):

On knit rows, working up to turning point, slip next stitch (purlwise) 
onto right needle, yarn forward, return slipped stitch to left needle, 
yarn back, turn. (W&T Complete)

On purl rows, work up to turning point, slip next stitch (purlwise) 
onto right needle, yarn back, return slipped stitch to left needle, 
yarn forward, turn. (W&T Complete)

When you come to the wrapped stitch again, make the wraps less visible 
by knitting them together with the stitch they wrap. Insert right needle 
into the wrap, then into the stitch and knit the two together.

Bind-off in Rib:

Binding off is only passing the 1st stitch over the next instead of 
leaving it on the needle. Other than that, it's just knitting a row, 
or purling it or doing it in ribbing. So if its 1x1 rib - k1, p1, 
pass the stitch over, k1, pass the stitch over, p1, pass the stitch 
over, etc. 2x2 rib - k2, pass stitch over, p1, pass stitch over, 
p1, pass stitch over, k1, pass st over, etc.

Getting Started Knitting Socks - Part 9 - Finishing Socks

After weaving in the loose ends, and cutting off the extra yarn at about 1/4 inch, the finished socks were put in a zippered, open mesh, nylon laundry bag and put in the front-loading washing machine on Normal Cycle, Cold/Cold, Medium Spin Speed, with other laundry items. When done, they were laid out flat, on a drying rack, to dry.

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These socks are too big. For one thing, I did not calculate a 10% negative ease when I was figuring out what size to make the socks. I probably would have made a snugger sock by casting on 44 stitches, rather than 48 stitches. My gauge swatch was correct: I knitted 5 stitches to the inch. Live and learn. The socks are very soft, and very warm. Overall, I'm pleased with my very first pair of Adult-Sized, Cuff-Down, needle-knitted, wool socks.

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This is the first time I've managed to get the Kitchener Stitch (pronounced: "Kitchen - er") to come out so well defined. The way I did it was to weave in the yarn very loosely with the tapestry needle, through all the stitches, until they were off the needles. Then I went back to the very beginning and found the yarn that went through the first loop, and began tightening it up from there, until all the slack had been taken out, and the tension was even across the tip of the toe. The proper way to do the Kitchener Stitch is to adjust the tension to match the rest of the knitting as you go.

The Kitchener Stitch has a Setup, then repeats a Pattern until all the stitches are off the needles. The final four stitches are put equally on two parallel needles, which are called the Front Needle and the Back Needle. The working yarn comes from the right end of the Back Needle, and is cut off from the ball of yarn at about 18 inches, then threaded through a tapestry or darning needle.. It is important to keep the working yarn under the Front and Back needles at all times.

Setup:

1. Bring the tapestry needle through the first loop on the Front Needle as if to purl (from right to left).
2. Bring the tapestry needle through the first loop on the Back Needle as if to knit (from left to right).
The Setup is done only once.

Pattern:

1. Front Needle: Bring the tapestry needle through the first loop as if to knit, and slip this loop off the needle. Bring the tapestry needle through the next loop as if to purl, and leave the loop on the needle.

2. Back Needle: Bring the tapestry needle through the first loop as if to purl, and slip this loop off the needle. Bring the tapestry needle through the next back loop as if to knit, and leave the loop on the needle.

3. Repeat steps 1. and 2. of the Pattern until all the loops are off both needles.

When you finish, insert the needle into the inside of the sock and weave in the tail on the wrong side.

Blocking.

I threw the socks into the washing machine, then laid them out flat to air-dry, as described above, for blocking.

Getting Started Knitting Socks - Part 8 - Toe

The Toe is decreased from the full circumference of the Foot, to being closed with the Kitchener Stitch. The rounds are started at the center of the Heel.

Round 1:
Needle 1: K to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1
Needle 2: k1, ssk, k to end of needle
Needle 3: K to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1
Needle 4: k1, ssk, k to end of needle

Round 2:
Knit

Rep Rnds 1 and 2 until 24 sts rem. (6 on each needle)

Rep Rnd 1 ONLY until 8 sts rem.

Knit sts from Needle 1 onto Needle 4.
Slip sts from Needle 2 onto Needle 3.

---

4 sts each on 2 needles.

Cut yarn, leaving an 18 inch tail.
Using Kitchener Stitch, graft sts together.

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The Kitchener Stitch in progress.

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Weave in loose ends.
Both socks together.

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Wearing the finished socks.

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