Knifty Knitter Circular Loom Socks 03

You can wear these socks with your Birkies...

---

Or wear them with Garden Clogs...

---

Or just lounging around on the Porch...

---

Or as snuggly House Socks!

---

Super Bulky Ribbed Toe-Up Socks

Skills needed:

Slip Knot
E-wrap
Knit Over / Knit Off
Knit
Wrap & Turn
Purl
Sewn Bind-Off
Weaving-in Loose Ends

Materials needed:

6-8 ounces of Super Bulky Weight Yarn.
60-70 inches of contrasting-color waste-yarn
Stitch Markers
Tapestry Needle
Peg Markers
Loom Pick
Blue 24-Peg Knifty Knitter Loom

       PEG
   (12)    13
    11     14
    10     15
     9     16
     8     17
     7     18
     6     19
     5     20
     4     21
     3     22
     2     23
    (1)    24

Refer to the above diagram.
With the loom in the above position.
Place peg-markers on pegs 12 and 1.

I knit a sock tightly on the Knifty Knitter Loom.
My gauge on this sock is 6 sts and 10 rows in 2x2 inches.

The Short-Row Toe:



With Waste Yarn of contrasting color, place Slip Knot on PEG.
1. E-wrap pegs 1 to 12.
2. E-wrap pegs 12 to 1. KO.
3. E-wrap pegs 1 to 12. KO.
4. E-wrap pegs 12 to 1. KO.
Undo waste yarn slip knot from PEG.

Leaving a 6 inch tail, place a Slip Knot of working yarn on PEG.
Cast-on: Wrap behind peg 13 and E-wrap pegs 12 to 1. KO.
         Place Stitch Marker in loop of working yarn on pegs 12 and 1.
         Wrap behind peg 24.

                                                   (T = wrap & turn)
The directions are on the left and a visual        (E = e-wrap)
chart is on the right. In the chart it is          (W = wrapped)
relatively easy to see the hourglass shape         (2 = 2 over 1) 
of the short-row toe. The key to the chart         (<- work left)
is to the right.                                   (-> work right)

Work back and forth on pegs 1 to 12 as indicated.

Decrease:                                               12  9 7 5 3 1  
  Row  1: E-wrap pegs 1 to 11. KO. W&T 12.           <-  TEEEEEEEEEEE
  Row  2: E-wrap pegs 11 to 2. KO. W&T 1.            ->  WEEEEEEEEEET
  Row  3: E-wrap pegs 2 to 10. KO. W&T 11.           <-  WTEEEEEEEEEW
  Row  4: E-wrap pegs 10 to 3. KO. W&T 2.            ->  WWEEEEEEEETW
  Row  5: E-wrap pegs  3 to 9. KO. W&T 10.           <-  WWTEEEEEEEWW
  Row  6: E-wrap pegs  9 to 4. KO. W&T 3.            ->  WWWEEEEEETWW
Increase:
  Row  7: E-wrap pegs 4 to 10. KO, 2-over-1 on 10.   <-  WW2EEEEEEWWW  
  Row  8: E-wrap pegs 10 to 3. KO, 2-over-1 on 3.    ->  WWEEEEEEE2WW
  Row  9: E-wrap pegs 3 to 11. KO, 2-over-1 on 11.   <-  W2EEEEEEEEWW
  Row 10: E-wrap pegs 11 to 2. KO, 2-over-1 on 2.    ->  WEEEEEEEEE2W
  Row 11: E-wrap pegs 2 to 12. KO, 2-over-1 on 12.   <-  2EEEEEEEEEEW
  Row 12: E-wrap pegs 12 to 1. KO, 2-over-1 on 1.    ->  EEEEEEEEEEE2

Put the loop that is attached to the waste yarn with the stitch marker
from peg 12 on peg 13. Put the next loop on peg 14, and so on, until 
all pegs to peg 24 have loops on them. The waste yarn should be free 
from the loom. No loops of waste yarn should be on any pegs. The waste
yarn may be removed after all the loops have been placed on the empty
pegs.

The working yarn should be between pegs 1 and 24.
Work from right to left (counterclockwise).
K12. This is the sole of the foot.
K1, P2, K2, P2, K2, P2, K1. This is the top of the foot with ribbing.
Repeat the above pattern for each round until pegs touch the leg, when
the sock is tried-on. I place a stitch marker every ten rounds on the
sole of the foot, to keep track of how many rounds I've done. Not
counting the toe, this sock was 34 rounds in length. The heel was
started on the 35th round. Your length will probably be different.

The Short-Row Heel Turn:
                                                   (T = wrap&turn)
The directions are on the left and a visual        (K = knit)
chart is on the right. In the chart it is          (W = wrapped)
relatively easy to see the hourglass shape         (2 = 2 over 1) 
of the short-row heel. The key to the chart        (<- work left)
is to the right.                                   (-> work right)           
 
Work back and forth on pegs 1 to 12 as indicated.

 Decrease:                                        12  9 7 5 3 1
 Row  1: Knit pegs  1 to 11. W&T 12.           <-  TKKKKKKKKKKK
 Row  2: Knit pegs 11 to  2. W&T 1.            ->  WKKKKKKKKKKT
 Row  3: Knit pegs  2 to 10. W&T 11.           <-  WTKKKKKKKKKW
 Row  4: Knit pegs 10 to  3. W&T 2.            ->  WWKKKKKKKKTW
 Row  5: Knit pegs  3 to  9. W&T 10.           <-  WWTKKKKKKKWW
 Row  6: Knit pegs  9 to  4. W&T 3.            ->  WWWKKKKKKTWW
 Row  7: Knit pegs  4 to  8. W&T 9.            <-  WWWTKKKKKWWW
 Row  8: Knit pegs  8 to  5. W&T 4.            ->  WWWWKKKKTWWW
 Increase:
 Row  9: Knit pegs  5 to  9. 2-over-1 on 9.    <-  WWW2KKKKWWWW 
 Row 10: Knit pegs  9 to  4. 2-over-1 on  4.   ->  WWWKKKKK2WWW
 Row 11: Knit pegs  4 to 10. 2-over-1 on 10.   <-  WW2KKKKKKWWW
 Row 12: Knit pegs 10 to  3. 2-over-1 on  3.   ->  WWKKKKKKK2WW
 Row 13: Knit pegs  3 to 11. 2-over-1 on 11.   <-  W2KKKKKKKKWW
 Row 14: Knit pegs 11 to  2. 2-over-1 on  2.   ->  WKKKKKKKKK2W
 Row 15: Knit pegs  2 to 12. 2-over-1 on 12.   <-  2KKKKKKKKKKW
 Row 16: Knit pegs 12 to  1. 2-over-1 on  1.   ->  KKKKKKKKKKK2


The working yarn should be between pegs 1 and 24. 
K12. This is the sole of the foot.
K1, P2, K2, P2, K2, P2, K1. This is the top of the foot with ribbing.
Repeat the above pattern for 10 rounds above the top of the heel.

At peg 1, start the K2, P2 Ribbing, and work this pattern for the
remainder of the sock leg.

Finish the sock by threading the last of the yarn onto a tapestry
needle and doing a sewn bind-off all around. Weave the loose ends
in.

A. Short-Row Toe: 12 rows.
B. Foot: 34 rows.
C. Short-Row Heel: 16 rows.
D. Heel: 10 rows.
E. Leg: 34 rows.

The Short-Row Toe (A.), e-wrapped for elasticity, so the free loops can be stretched onto the empty pegs of the loom (pegs 13 to 24), is worked on half the loom (pegs 1 to 12). The Foot (B.) is knitted in the round, K12 for the sole and K1, P2, K2, P2, K2, P2, K1 for the instep, which centers the K2, P2 Ribbing pattern that will be knit on the leg. The Short-Row Heel (C.) is knit on half the loom (pegs 1 to 12) for 8 rows of Decreases, then 8 rows of Increases to make the heel turn. The Heel (D.) adds 10 rows in the round to the top of the turned heel because it not only looks better, but I think the Short-Row Heel is too short for a heel. These 10 rows follow the same pattern as the Foot. The Leg (E.) is 34 rows of K2, P2 Ribbing. However, because this sock is Toe-Up, the Leg can be made any length.

Knifty Knitter Circular Loom Socks 02

Short Row Toe-Up, Short-Row Heel, Super Bulky Weight Yarn, House Socks/Slippers.



The toe was e-wrapped. St st for the foot. Knitted flat st for the heel and leg. K2, P2 ribbing for the cuff.



I used a heavily modified version of this pattern:

Toe Up Slippers Pattern

Created by Deb Saunders (debsueky)

Supplies Needed:
One skein 4-ply worsted weight yarn
Blue Knifty Knitter loom
Looming tool
Tapestry needle

Directions:

Begin with the toe section:
  Holding two strands together as one, make a slip knot and attach
  the yarn to peg #12.
  Cast on by e-wrapping from peg 12 back to peg 1, and continue back
  to include peg 24.
  Wrap pegs 1 thru 12, knit off, and turn on peg 13.
  Wrap pegs 12 thru 2, knit off, and turn on peg 1.
  Wrap pegs 2 thru 11, knit off, and turn on peg 12.
  Wrap pegs 11 thru 3, knit off, and turn on peg 2.
  Wrap pegs 3 thru 10, knit off, and turn on peg 11.
  Wrap pegs 10 thru 4, knit off, and turn on peg 3.
  Wrap pegs 4 thru 11 and knit off.
  Wrap pegs 11 thru 3 and knit off.
  Wrap pegs 3 thru 12 and knit off.
  Wrap pegs 12 thru 2 and knit off.
  Wrap pegs 2 thru 13 and knit off.
  Wrap pegs 13 thru 1 and knit off.
  Take the loops from the starting edge and hook them onto the 
  empty pegs (13 thru 24).

For the ankle section, wrap and knit off all pegs (1 thru 24) for 
5 rows.

For the cuff, do 5 rows of ribbing (knit the odd numbered pegs and 
purl the even numbered pegs).

Cast off using the flat removal method.  Weave in yarn tails using 
the tapestry needle.
Done!

Notes:
To "turn on peg X," if there is a loop on the peg, lift it off with 
the looming tool, run the yarn behind the peg, then return the loop 
to the peg.  If there is no loop already on the peg, just run the 
yarn behind the peg.

When knitting off a peg with more than 2 loops on it, knit off all 
the extra loops, leaving just one on the peg.

The flat removal method creates a fairly tight opening.  You may prefer 
to add a chain stitch between loops.  
(See http://decoraccentsinc.com/flat_removal_method.html for more 
detailed removal instructions.)

First of all, I used Super Bulky Weight Yarn, so I didn't have to use two strands of yarn. I ended-up having to e-wrap the short row toe, but the foot, heel, and leg were all done with a knitted stitch. I finished the cuff with K2,P2 ribbing. For the Bind-Off, I did a simple sewn stitch through each loop with a tapestry needle. Finally, I wove-in the loose ends.

I frogged the first pair of Knifty Knitter socks I did (the Chunky Ribbed Socks), so I can use the yarn to experiment with the short-row toe-up sock technique with the short-row heel. I will be trying to make a short-row toe with St st.

Getting Started Knitting Socks - Part 7 - Foot

The foot is knitted in St st until the piece measures 8.75 inches from the back of the heel, or about 2.25 inches less than the desired total foot length. For this pair of socks, I knitted the foot until it came to the base of my big toe when I tried it on.

While knitting the foot, I made the decision to shorten my bamboo chopstick double-pointed needles to six inches. Now, there's not a lot of extra needle sticking out from the sock while I'm knitting. They were 8.875 inches long when I started. Each needle is now a little over six inches long.

I have run out of yarn right before starting the toe. This is one of the best reasons for making toe-up socks (if you run out of yarn making toe-up socks, you just make the leg shorter). Fortunately, the yarn I'm using is a staple at the LYS, so I was able to buy another skein of yarn in the same colorway and lot number. I'll have left-over yarn.


The foot of the socks is finished, shown here on 4 dpns.


This is a picture of my socks project bag, which used to be a storage bag for king-sized sheets. It also has a little pocket which I use to store needles, scissors, stitch markers, whatever. The top has a zipper. I like it because I can see through it.

The next part of the sock is the toe.

Getting Started Knitting Socks - Part 6 - Gusset

Picking up the stitches.

Once the heel turn has been made, it is time to pick-up the stitches along the selvedge edges of the heel flap. The first stitch of each row on the heel flap was slipped to make a selvedge that is easy to pick up. I ended up with fourteen stitches at the end of the heel turn, and thirteen stitches are picked-up on the first needle. Ann Budd gives three different ways to pick-up stitches. I chose the Pick Up Both Stitches method. In this method, the gusset stitches are picked-up through both halves of the edge stitch, the yarn is wrapped around the needle, as if to knit, then the yarn is brought through to create a new stitch on the needle. Then twelve stitches are knitted on the second and third needles, which hold the instep stitches. Next, thirteen stitches are picked-up along the other side of the heel flap, on the fourth needle, plus seven stitches of the heel turn row. At this point, the working yarn is in the center of the heel. Each round, for all the gusset decreases, start in the middle of the heel. There are 20 stitches on needle one, 12 stitches on each of needles two and three, making 24 stitches on the instep, and 20 stitches on needle four. That is a total of 64 stitches. The objective of the Gusset Decreases is to get back to 48 total stitches, or 12 stitches on each needle.

The decreases are made using k2tog on needle one, and ssk on needle four. This is what the pattern looks like:

Gusset Decreases:
Rnd 1: pick-up sts as described above.
Rnd 2: On needle 1, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1; on needles 2 and 3, knit across all instep sts; on needle 4, k1, ssk, knit to end (2 gusset sts dec'd).
Rnd 3: knit
Rep Rnds 2 and 3 until 48 sts rem (12 sts on each needle).

Since there is a decrease round, followed by a knit round, I used a stitch marker to mark the stitch at the beginning of each decrease, and removed the stitch marker and pinned it through the center of the heel on the knit round. So the gusset decreases looked like this:

Rnd 01: pick-up sts on heel flaps (64 sts)
Rnd 02: k17, k2tog, k1, k24, k1, ssk, k17 (62 sts)
Rnd 03: k62
Rnd 02: k16, k2tog, k1, k24, k1, ssk, k16 (60 sts)
Rnd 03: k60
Rnd 02: k15, k2tog, k1, k24, k1, ssk, k15 (58 sts)
Rnd 03: k58
Rnd 02: k14, k2tog, k1, k24, k1, ssk, k14 (56 sts)
Rnd 03: k56
Rnd 02: k13, k2tog, k1, k24, k1, ssk, k13 (54 sts)
Rnd 03: k54
Rnd 02: k12, k2tog, k1, k24, k1, ssk, k12 (52 sts)
Rnd 03: k52
Rnd 02: k11, k2tog, k1, k24, k1, ssk, k11 (50 sts)
Rnd 03: k50
Rnd 02: k10, k2tog, k1, k24, k1, ssk, k10 (48 sts)
Rnd 03: k48



The finished gusset decreases. The working yarn is at the middle of the heel, so each round starts there.

Next, the foot is knitted in St st until the piece measures 8.75 inches from the back of the heel, or about 2.25 inches less than the desired total foot length.

Getting Started Knitting Socks - Part 5 - Heel Turn

Although the Heel Turn is a very small part of the sock, this is where the magic happens! This is where the sock changes angle, and starts to look like a real sock with a heel, and not just a tube sock. The heel turn is accomplished with short rows. Short rows are rows that are only knitted part way, then the sock is turned, and another row is knitted part way. Decreases are knitted on each row until there are only 14 sts remaining.

The pattern looks like this:

TURN HEEL
Work Short Rows as follows:
Row 1 (RS): K14, ssk, K1, TURN
Row 2 (WS): Sl 1 pwise, P5, P2tog, P1, TURN

Row 3: Sl 1 pwise, K to first st before gap on prev row, ssk, K1, TURN
Row 4: Sl 1 pwise, P to first st before gap on prev row, P2tog, P1, TURN

Rep Rows 3 and 4 until all heel sts have been worked. 14 sts rem

It doesn't take very long to do, however, on my first try, I flubbed it, then frogged back to the lifeline. Once at the lifeline, I discovered a knotty spot in the heel flap, and decided to frog the heel flap back to the lifeline, and do it over as well. I'd rather not have any knotty places in the heels, soles, or toes of my socks.

Taking a suggestion from Jean, I made a couple of 5 inch stitch holders from a bronze brazing rod, which took the place of the two dpns that were on the instep sts.

The next step is the gusset. The gusset requires that I pick-up sts from the heel flap selvedges on a couple of needles, then start knitting in the round again, decreasing stitches until I get back to 48 stitches for knitting the foot.

Knifty Knitter Circular Loom Socks 01

I bought a set of Knifty Knitter Circular Knitting Looms yesterday, on sale at JoAnn's Fabric and Craft Stores for $14.99 (25% off). Four looms, a needle, a plastic tapestry needle, and an instruction book for making a hat were included in the set.



On Sunday evening, 2010-03-07, I started working on the Chunky Ribbed Socks in Isela Phelps' book, Loom Knitting Primer. They are knitted on the Blue, 24-peg loom. They feature a Short Row Heel and Toe.

In the above photo, I've just finished working the Short Row Heel, and am starting the Foot.

The yarn is Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick (Super Bulky Weight), 80% Acrylic / 20% Wool, in the 132 Lemongrass color (Lot #62492). I got two 170 gram, 108 yard skeins from Michaels for $3.99 each. Now I know why they were so cheap. The first skein I opened did not pull cleanly from the center, so I wound it, by hand, into center-pull balls. Not only was there a knot, but the yarn was cut in the middle (they didn't even bother to knot it). I bought this yarn in order to learn loom knitting, and was more concerned with the low price than with quality.




Loom Knitting Primer:
A Beginner's Guide to Knitting on a Loom, with over 30 Fun Projects.
Isela Phelps.
St. Martin's Griffin, 2007.
ISBN: 978-0312366612




The first sock off the Blue 24-peg Knifty Knitter Loom. This is my first ever loom-knitted sock. It fits my foot! It was also an excellent introduction to the Short Row Heel and Toe technique.

The second sock was finished on Thursday, 20010-03-11.

I ran across an interesting little thing in this Chunky Ribbed Socks pattern.

On the first sock I made a small modification on one side of the heel, and worked the pattern as is, on the other side of the heel. With the modification, there’s no hole, and without the modification, there’s a hole. In the second sock’s heel, I worked my modification into the pattern, and there’s no hole on either side of the heel. That’s gratifying.

The modification is very simple. Knitting the leg is pretty straightforward. Then comes Working the Short Row Heel, which is worked on half the pegs as a flat panel. I followed all the Row steps until I got to Row 15 and Row 16. I made my modifications here. Actually, you can see that there will be a hole at these places, as you are knitting on the loom. Here’s what I did to eliminate the hole:

Row 15: K11 (from peg 2-12). Knit 2 over 1 on peg 12.
Modification: W&T peg 13

Row 16: K12 (from peg 12-1). Knit 2 over 1 on peg 1.
Modification: W&T peg 24 (one peg past peg 1 )

Then, when you work the Sock Foot, on the first round, you’ll simply knit 2 over 1 on pegs 13 and 24, and keep on going. No hole! That’s my experience, anyway.

I tried different ways of binding off the toe, which is why the toes look different in the picture on my Projects page. I’m still learning, and I experiment whenever I can.

Here are some pix of the finished socks.




This heavy pair of socks weights just under seven ounces. I have about five ounces of this yarn leftover.


The socks, after being washed on Cold/Cold in the washing machine, in a nylon bag, and air-dried on the socks rack. Model: Cathy. This picture is featured on Ravelry for the Chunky Ribbed Socks.

Getting Started Knitting Socks - Part 4 - Heel Flap

The Heel Flaps on both socks are completed. The heel flaps were worked back and forth as follows: Row 1 (RS): *Sl 1 pwise wyb, k1; rep from *. Row 2 (WS): Sl 1 pwise wyf, purl to end. Rep rows 1 and 2 until a total of 24 rows have been worked (12 chain selvedge sts). There are 24 sts on the heel flap needle, and 12 sts on each of the two instep needles. The next step is the Heel Turn, which involves Short Rows.