Toe Up Socks with Gusset and Heel Flaps

I really like knitting socks toe up, but I also wanted to try for a better fit by adding a gusset, and I wanted to knit it with magic loop instead of double points. I searched and searched and didn't find a pattern that had what I was looking for. So I examined heels and gussets in several different patterns and of course my gauge was different, and this is what I came up with.

I knit from both ends of the yarn, which is why the stripes progress in opposite directions.

This is a basic sock formula which can be adjusted. The numbers in my example fit a size 6 US shoe size (9 inches toe to heel, and 7.75inches around the ball of the foot).

Gauge: 6.25 st/in

Needle size: 4

Yarn: Indulgence 6 Ply Distrato (at 426 yards, it looks like I have enough for another pair)

Use a cast on appropriate for magic loop knitting, such as this

http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring06/FEATmagiccaston.html

Cast on 16 stitches per sock (8 each for the top and bottom). If you want a wider toe, cast on more to start.

Toe increases:

Row 1: K1, M1, knit to last stitch, M1, K1; K1, M1, knit to last stitch, M1, K1

Row 2: K around

Continue increasing until there are 48 stitches per sock. (or more for a wider sock)

Knit around until you have 6 inches or about 2/3 of the total foot length. This can be adjusted depending on how big of a gusset you want. On this sock I did 3 rounds of increasing for the gusset, if you want more start that many rows earlier.

The first half of the sock is the top.

Row 1: Knit across the top. K1, M1, knit to last stitch, M1,

K1 (2 stitches increased)

Row 2: K around

Repeat until you have the desired number of gusset increases.

Turn Heel

How wide or narrow the heel is can be adjusted by how many stitches are in the middle of the heel. This gives a fairly wide heel.

Row1: K 23, M1, K1, wrap and turn

Row2: P18, M1, P1, W&T

Row3: K16, M1, K1, W&T

Row4: P14, M1, P1, W&T

Row5: K12, M1, K1, W&T

Row6: P10, M1, P1, W&T

Row7: K8, M1, K1, W&T

Row8: P6, M1, P1, W&T

Knit around picking up and K2TOG the wraps as you go. (Pick up the wrap, put it on the left needle, and knit it together with the stitch it was wrapped around)

Heel Flap

K till 8 stitches left, SSK, turn

Sl 1, P20, P2TOG

Sl 1, K20, SSK

Continue decreasing until you are back to 48 stitches per sock (so 24 on the heel side).

Leg

Knit around until a little less (1 1/4 inches) than desired length

Switch to K2, P2 rib for 1 1/4 inches.

Use a stretchy bind off such as a K2TOG (through the back loop to make it look like a regular bind off) bind off http://www.knittingdaily.com/blogs/daily/archive/2008/07/30/a-stretchier-bind-off.aspx or Jenny's surprisingly stretchy bind offhttp://knitty.com/ISSUEfall09/FEATjssbo.php.

They're gone already,

gone to the giftee. I finished the Slippery Socks! The results were great, but had I known how long it would take to knit, I probably would have knit a different pattern.

Here are the cables close up! This is on the sides of the socks.

This is on the front and back.

The yarn I used is Paca-Peds: Superwash Alpaca Sock Yarn in Frosty Nite.
I paired that with a size 1 needle.
Yep, I went ahead and used a circular needle instead of the double points the pattern calls for (Hey, I don't have size 1 double points and I like doing socks 2 at once so I don't mess up and make them different. I'm just a rebel like that.) I had to do some creative rearranging of stitches for the heel and then again to finish the toe.
I like the cables and the pattern is pretty straight forward (use stitch markers to tell you where the end of the different needles would be if you're going the circular route, that part requires a little math).
However, I wish the sizing was more clear, as the pattern is for "an average woman's foot", and it instructs you to knit until "2 inches less than desired length". That is a bit difficult if you can't measure the giftee's foot, which can be awkward and totally spoil the surprise! That's why I linked those handy charts in my last post.

Now the socks have been given already or tardily as the case may be, and I hope the giftee loves them!

Sock Sizes

I'm working on another pair of socks (shhhhh) and I've noticed that many patterns I've looked at say something like "knit until 2 inches less than foot length".

Well that doesn't make it much of a surprise if I go up to the giftee and ask to measure their foot!

In my searching I found this chart that gives you shoe size to average foot length.

These charts from My Jewel Thief Knits give even more information on sock sizes!

I'm so glad I found those!

On the Needles: Skew Socks

I haven't been doing much knitting for myself lately, but these socks are all mine.
I'm knitting the Skew socks on Knitty. The pattern is for size 8.5, which is waaaay too big for me. The pattern calls for 7.75 st/in and I went with 8 st/in for a touch smaller around the foot using a size 1 needle, and did 10 repeats in the foot section instead of the called for 14 which leaves out 3/4 an inch.
I love toe up socks because you can try them on as you go. So far, it fits great, and now I'm about to do the heel.

Crazy Socks

So I started knitting some socks on one long circular needle. checked my gauge, did the figure 8 cast on and started knitting and increasing. Then I noticed that my socks were pretty different.


I know I checked my guage. I just didn't check each skein seperatly; they're supposed to be the same.

5 st/in vs. 6.5 st/in.... great...
I asked the nice people at knittinghelp.com about how to solve this problem. I got 1 response suggesting to start at a differnt spot in the skein and match up the colors as this yarn happens to vary in size. They're usually more talkative than that. Oh, well. I seem to be good at killing threads on any forrum. So I wound the skein on my ballwinder and tried the other end. This time using the magic cast on. I don't know why there is so much "magic" stuff in knitting. I used the magic cast on on magic loop and so far its convient and looks good, but isn't magic at all.
So the new toes are moving right along and now I'm trying to decide if I want ribbing on the top of these socks and what kind and wondering where the skein gets fat. Wish me luck, I really like these colors!

So, if you have some of this yarn

be careful, it might change gauge on you.

Blue and Green Socks

I finally finished weaving the ends in on these socks. I like the stripe pattern but I don't like weaving in ends. You may notice that the stripes are different. I shortened the pattern on the second sock because I was running out of green. These are stash socks. I'm trying to use up some of what I have before I buy and make way more yarn. I carried the yarn on the inside for the shorter stripes to make it easier and avoid more end weaving. The very top stripe is my new washing code: xxxoxxxo. The blue o's are on the purls. I like the one row code much better as I don't have a thick spot in my socks now.

Making Socks

I like knitting projects that don't take terribly long. I made 2 sweaters but they took forever. So I like making mittens, hats, and SOCKS. I haven't had the second sock syndrome problem yet, but I just got some long circular needles to try the two socks at once thing. I knitted these on double pointed needles, toe up, one at a time with a short row heel. :)


The squares in the same color as the toe and heel are washing instructions. I want that to be consistent from pair to pair, but I think a one row symbol would be easier and add less bulk.
Here's a great site with all sorts of sock making directions: http://mysite.verizon.net/vze8mnnp/toesheels.html