Diva Knitting Podcast

Check here for updates to the toe up Erica sock along!  You can also find information about the sock along on the Ravelry group. 

Sock Along
Figure 8 Cast On
Magic Cast On (print version)
Magic Cast On Video (slip stitch)
Magic Cast On Video(Cat Bordhi, no slip stitch, my preferred)

CO 6 to each needle
Increases
Make 1 Back (left leaning increase)
Make 1 Front (right leaning increase)
LRinc (La-Rink, right increasing) LLinc (La-Link, left leaning)Cat Bordhi Video
Lifeline
Continue increases and try on to find desired width (varies according to your foot and gauge). Work until 2″-2.5″ short of desired length or just try on and stop when your sock meets the beginning of your ankle bone, right about the end of your arch.

Forgot: Divide a 100g skein into two 50g balls prior to starting using a kitchen scale
Benefits to toe ups: no picking up sts and can work to the end of yarn
Short Row Heel: No gusset, no picking up sts, fits some people better, easy to produce without a pattern

You now have X amount of sts on your needles (for magic loop ½ on each needle, for dpns may be spread out ¼ over each needle) Using the toe as a reference, choose which ½ of the sts are the sole and which are the top of the foot. You may wish to place the top sts on a holder especially if you are using dpns. You will work the heel on the sole sts which are the X sts you started with divided by 2 = Y

Multiply Y sts by .4 = Z The number of sts you want to leave unwrapped in the center is Z. If Z is even (example 32*.4=12.8) round to the nearest even number (in the example, 12). If Z is odd (example 38*.4=15.2) round to nearest odd number (in the example,15). This will ensure that you end up on a RS row when you leave that number of sts in the middle.

To begin heel

Tip: If you are worried you won’t be able to see the wrap, put a safety pin on it right after you do it. You can also use this safety pin later when concealing the wraps to easily pull the stitch up and over its stitch. (Read in Cat Bordhi’s New Pathways for Sock Knitters book).

RS row: k to last st, wrap and turn.

WS row: p to last st wrap and turn.

RS row: k to st before last wrapped st, wrap and turn.

WS row: p to st before last wrapped st, wrap and turn

Repeat previous two rows until Z sts remain in the middle unwrapped. You should be ready to start a RS row. You will now work any wraps as you come to them together with their stitch. (I like to use the Cat Bordhi method of concealing wraps Part 1 (knit sts) Part 2 (purl sts))

On RS row, use the right needle to go under the wrap (or wraps) and lift it up and to the left of its stitch. Work the sts together through the back legs (from right to left)

On WS row, use the right needle to lift the wrap (or wraps) from the KNIT side and lift them up over and to the left of its stitches. Work the sts together as a p2t or p3t.

RS row: k to first wrapped st, k the wrapped st (work the wrap together with its st), wrap and turn (if using safety pins, adjust pin to include both wraps)

WS row: p to first wrapped st, p the wrapped st (work the wrap together with its st), wrap and turn

RS row: Slip 1, k to first double wrapped st, k the double wrapped st (work the wraps together with its st), wrap and turn

WS row: Slip 1, p to first double wrapped st, p the double wrapped st (work the wraps together with its st), wrap and turn

Repeat previous two rows until one double wrapped st remains at each end of work.

RS row: Slip 1, k to double wrapped st, k the double wrapped st and continue working in the round with all sock sts.

When you get back to the first stitch of the heel, you’ll need to pick up the wraps on the first stitch. You may also wish to pick up a stitch in between the front and the heel and work it together with the first stitch to help close the gap.

Cast off: Important to make it stretchy

Happy Socks

Method 1: M1 in between sts using backwards loop cast on as in my happy socks pattern (backwards loop cast on video)
(use the backward loop M1 for this section, bind off in usual method ie. pass one loop over the next method except adding stitches as BO is completed): *K1,M1, pass first stitch over M1 stitch, K1, passM1 stitch over K1, M1, pass K1 stitch over M1* Repeat instructions between the asterisks to end

Method 2: The sewn bind off, ala Elizabeth Zimmerman
Break off a length of yarn around 3 times as long as the knitting and thread it onto a yarn needle.
*Insert the needle into the first 2 stitches on the knitting needle as if to purl and pull yarn through. Insert the needle again into the first stitch on the needle as if to knit, pull the yarn through and slip off that stitch.*
Repeat the instructions between the asterisks to end.