Date: Mon, 1 Jul 96 06:47 PDT From: Judy Gibson To: spamily@io.org Subject: Pattern for your knitting magazine - - - - - - - "You're Putting Me On" Socks Copyright, Judy Gibson, April 1, 1996 These are socks knitted from the toe up, with a standard turned heel (done backwards). Their name comes from the fact that you can try them on as you go to check the fit of the foot. Another advantage is that the upper part is done last, so if you're running low on yarn you can get the feet done on both socks first before doing the tops. But mostly, this design was an exercise to see if I could figure out how to do it. Technical Hints The samples on which these instructions were based were knitted on American #6 double-pointed (dp) needles in Woolease yarn. (This is probably NOT a good yarn for socks; I hear it wears out quickly.) I got 5 1/2 stitches per inch, a slightly tighter gauge than the label gauge for this yarn. These fit my size 8 feet. The instructions assume you have five needles, to allow the sock to be arranged symmetrically on four needles. I used a lifted increase for the toe and gusset increases. This is made by lifting the loop from the back of a stitch one row below the row you are knitting. I found that the new stitches slant away to the RIGHT if you lift the stitch below the stitch on the right needle, and they slant away to the LEFT if you lift the stitch below the stitch on the left needle, thus Lifting the stitch below stitch on the left gives: | | | | |/ (or) \ \ \ \ \ \ | | | | | / \ \ \ \ \ \| | | | |/ \ \ \ \ \ | | | | / \ \ \ \ \| | | |/ \ \ \ \ | | | / \ \ \ \| and lifting the stitch below the stitch on the right gives: | / / / / / (or) \ | | | | | |/ / / / / \| | | | | | / / / / \ | | | | |/ / / / \| | | | | / / / \ | | | |/ / / \| | | FIGURE-EIGHT CAST ON (phony grafted toe) Hold two dp needles parallel and wrap the yarn in a figure-eight, making 8 loops on each of the two needles. To do this, hold two needles parallel in the left hand, and also hold the tail of the yarn. Pass the working end of the yarn over the top needle away from you, through the middle toward you, under the bottom needle away from you, and through the middle toward you, until there are 8 loops on each needle. Don't tie or twist the end of the yarn--just let it hang loose, so you can tighten up the cast-on later. Next, knit around the 16 loops, being careful not to split the yarns of the cast-on row. The first eight stitches will be hanging the "wrong" way, so you'll have to knit through the back leg of the loop. The second eight will be hanging the right way. When you have finished this round you'll have two needles, each with 8 stitches, and the cast-on row between them. Knit a round changing to four needles, with four stitches each. Knit 4 stitches. This will put you in the center of the sole of the foot. The next needle is needle #1; mark the first stitch to mark the beginning of the round. (Sometime after you've knitted a couple of rounds you will be able to tighten up the cast-on if necessary, using a crochet hook to work the slack toward the tail of the yarn. Fasten off and weave in the end.) TOE INCREASES Increase round--Increase one stitch each needle as follows: Needles 1 and 3: k to within 1 st of end; reaching behind the work, lift the stitch below the stitch on the right needle and knit it; k1. Needles 2 and 4: k1; lift the stitch below the stitch to the left and knit it; k to the end of needle. Knit one round. Repeat these two rounds until there are 10 stitches on each needle. FOOT Knit on 40 stitches, trying on the sock from time to time until you reach the point where the leg meets the top of the foot. [I'm trying this about 3 inches from back of heel, this is 7 inches from the toe for me.] GUSSET As before, let's say each round starts at the center of the sole, and needle #1 is the first needle of the round. Knit needles 1, 2, and 3 plain. Needle 4: k1, lift the stitch below the stitch to the left and knit it; k to the end of needle. Needle 1: k to within 1 st of end; lift the stitch below the stitch on the right needle and knit it; k1. Knit needles 2, 3, and 4 plain. Repeat these two rounds six times altogether. Needles 1 and 4 have 16 sts, needles 2 and 3 have 10. HEEL SOLE Place the heel sole stitches on their own needle as follows: Knit 6 stitches from needle 1 onto needle 4. Turn. P2 tog, p 10. Slip the remaining 10 stitches from the needle onto the needle to its left. Turn. K2 tog, k across row. Turn, P2 tog, p across row. Repeat these two rows until 4 stitches remain, ending with a right-side row. HEEL COUNTER (would be the flap if you were going the other way) Pick up 7 stitches along the decrease edge. Turn. Sl 1 as if to purl, p back across the heel and pick up 7 stitches along the other decrease edge. Turn. Sl 1 as if to knit, k across row to the last st. Sl 1, sl 1 from the next needle, k these 2 together through back loop. Turn. Sl 1 as if to purl, p across row to the last st. Sl 1, sl 1 from the next needle, p these 2 together. Turn. Repeat these two rows for a total of nine (I think) times, ending with a purl row. You should have 40 stitches. Turn and knit a full round. SOCK TOP AND CUFF You're on your own from here! A few rounds of stockinette and then K1P1 ribbing all the way will work--or anything you like. A good height for a sock is the same as the length of the foot. Cast off VERY loosely! See a knitting book like Montse Stanley's for a "tubular cast-off;" it works nicely. Copyright Judy Gibson, 1996. This pattern was developed by Judy Gibson (jgibson@cts.com). You may print out a copy for yourself, and make copies for your friends as long as no money is charged INCLUDING for the cost of reproduction or materials, and as long as this copyright notice is included. You may not reproduce this pattern for sale or put it on any internet site without my express permission. Permission is granted to Emily Way to put this pattern on her "online knitting magazine"--Judy Gibson, 1 July 1996 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Judy Gibson jgibson@cts.com Descanso, California Botany Department San Diego Natural History Museum --- This pattern downloaded from Wool Works: the online knitting compendium http://www.woolworks.org/