This cast on is basically a series of slip knots placed on your needle. It creates a very elastic edge and is great for the cuffs of socks, mittens, and sleeves plus anywhere else where you want a very stretchy edge. It works especially well with ribbing and adding stitches at the end of a row.
One important point when doing this cast on: you need to get the stitches snugged up close to each other – avoid gaps between the stitches as it will give an untidy looking edge.
Link to video:
My DS put “socks that won’t wear out at the heels” on his Christmas list. It was a late request – and not one that would I would likely be able to meet by Christmas – but it was an invitation to knit socks for someone I love!
So – I started a pair of socks – plain label version, cuff-down with 2 X 2 ribbing for the heel and instep. I used Knit Picks Stoll in Carbon Twist colorway. I got about 6 inches of the cuff done before Christmas and so I wrapped the “in progress” socks up along with two additional balls of yarn (Knit Picks Stoll – Merlot colorway) for another pair of socks and gave it to him as a Christmas present, with the promise that they would actually become socks.
The Carbon Twist socks are now about 75% complete – I am working on the foot and heading for the toe. I love the way this yarn knits up – it’s great for a pair of men’s socks. I knit the cuff for 6 inches on size US 1 needles (2.50 mm) and then went down to size US 0 (2.00 mm) for another 2 inches on the cuff , the heel flap and approximately half of the gusset before switching back to the larger needle. This produces a denser knit heel and should increase the wearbility of the socks. I intend to knit the toes on the smaller needles for the same reason.
For the Merlot colorway yarn, I am planning on doing the “Manly Aran” socks pattern from Antje Gillingham’s Knitting More Circles around Socks. This is a toe-up pattern and I am looking forward to trying this out using Magic Loop.
I have not been actively blogging since about 2014. Life has a way of intervening from time to time, and I stepped away from the task of updating my blog and website to focus on other things happening in my life.
I just finished updating my website pages with a new theme and color scheme. I have also updated links throughout. As often happens links change over time or become inactive. I hope you find the updates pleasing and that you will continue to check in to my blog from time to time as I plan on making regular posts going forward.
My next post will be the first of a series of posts discussing swatches. Swatches are one of those things that you learn to appreciate over time and I will be sharing what I have learned as I have grown as a knitter.
After doing two pairs of the “Fancy Feet” Anklets, I came to the following conclusions:
1) I really, really do not like to knit socks of any type toe-up. (I know that may shock those of you that swear toe-up is the only way to go — but there it is. I just don’t like to knit ’em that way.
2) I don’t like the repeating short rows that make the heel on this pattern. I don’t care for it’s depth or it’s shape.
3) I prefer using the German Short Row method over the “Wrap and Turn” method.
As knitters, we do have the right to our preferences. These are some of mine.
That said, I got out my needles and some leftover sock yarn and started working on a basic anklet pattern, cuff down. I have now finished my first pair and my notes are a bit sketchy — so I will need to knit a couple more pairs before I put out my basic pattern. But here a couple of pictures of the completed anklets:
Details:
Yarn: Leftover Serendipity yarn in colorway Amethyst
Needles: US 2 (2.50 mm) circulars, 48″
Magic Loop method. Pattern has a basic rib cuff and a short-row heel. Knit in stockinette stitch.
You will note the pooling on this yarn. I wrote about how this variegated yarn pools depending on the size of needles and the number of stitches back in 2010. If you’re interested here’s the link: A Study of Pooling in a Variegated Sock Yarn
