cwBlog

I have been making progress on the Knitivity sock, but nothing worth photographing yet. So I figured I'd start posting some of the recipes I use for making socks.

This is my favorite toe for my own feet; it fits better than any other toe. (The flat toe, which I'll talk about in another post, also fits well.)

First, you need to figure out how many stitches you need to go around the ball of your foot. One of the advantages of some toe techniques is that you can just start knitting and work out as you go how you are going to increase; this isn't one of them.

Now, the hard math part. You need to figure out what numbers to multiply to get that. One number is the number of stitches you'll cast on, and the other number is one more than the number of increase rows you'll work. The number you cast on should be even, and if it's divisible by 4, you can work a round where you increase only half as much. The second number shouldn't be much more than 8 for sock weight yarns, or 6 for DK or worsted weight yarns.

So, for instance, suppose we need 80 stitches around. That's casting on 10, with 7 increase rounds. 10 x 8 = 80.

Or, suppose we need 64 stitches around. That's casting on 8, with 7 increase rounds. 8 x 8 = 64.

Or, suppose we need 48 stitches around, on a DK weight sock. That's casting on 8, working 5 increase rounds. 8 x 6 = 48.

Hopefully you get the picture.

Now, suppose you need 78 stitches. That's casting on 12, with 5 increase rounds (6 x 12 = 72) and one half-increase round (plus 6 stitches).

So you cast on the appropriate number of stitches, using the figure 8 cast on, the magic toe-up cast on, or the Turkish cast on. Then you work 1 round plain, 1 round of *(k1, M1)*.

Then you work 2 rounds plain, 1 round of *(k2, M1)*.

Then you work 3 rounds plain, 1 round of *(k3, M1)*.

Then you work 4 rounds plain, 1 round of *(k4, M1)*.

See the pattern here? You work a number of plain rounds, then one round of k the same number, M1, repeated across.

If you have to work a half-round, you skip every other increase in one of the increase rounds, usually the last one.

And there you have a round toe.

As far as the M1 goes -- I like the raised increase. You can work any increase you like that doesn't make a hole (or, if you want a lacy look, you can work a YO, but I think that would look weird). And if you work a bar increase, you'll get odd bars here and there, but you knew that because that's why it's called a bar increase.