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.
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.
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.
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