CLOSING TOES ON SOCKS
By  KarenInTheWoods
pfundt@gmail.com

 

Here is my little way to close toes on machine cranked socks.  I have gleaned these ideas from all the great folks helping me out on the sock knitting list with hints and helpful ideas.   This is how I close a toe effectively without losing stitches or making a mess!

My first step is to knit my socks on the circular sock machine. When I create the toes, I make sure I have an even number of needles on the  foot portion and the toe portion.. so the corners of toe are exactly  at the sides of the sock.  This is important if you are doing, for example, a ribbed surface of foot and a smooth stockinette bottom sole.   You need an even number of stitches on EACH surface.    I learned to start my toes at one needle forward of the red marks to even out my particular toes doing mock ribbing (3 in 1 out) on surface and smooth (all in) on sole. 

When ending the toe,  I pull about three feet of the still-connected sock yarn through at the LEFT side  of the cylinder lining up with the corner of the heel and tuck down in the sock before switching to the scrap yarn.  This tail yarn is used for stitching up the toe later and will then be on the RIGHT hand side.   I knit about a good 2 inches or more of scrap yarn before starting another sock. The more the better, until you get good at this. When removing a chain of socks,   I carefully separate each sock leaving the most scrap yarn I can at the toes….   Less near the tops…

Now for the step by step photos:

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Now I take the unconnected sock and find the tail yarn inside, thread it on a blunt yarn needle and get it untangled from any inside stitches. You are working from the inside of the sock right now. 

Now find the two cornermost stitches and insert needle into the one on the right, bring thread to the outside of sock.

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Bringing yarn through to outside of sock   Now you have half a stitch made in the corner of sock…  find the next corner stitch to the right, and insert needle it only ONE half of stitch. Tuck the excess scrap yarn into the sock, smoothing it down to evenly stitch the toe.

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Tuck the scrap yarn into the toe sock opening like this.. and hold this way for stitching.  The idea of “picking up stitches” is the you pick up a V shape of the sock yarn..NOT the scrap yarn.  The V stitches we are using point towards the opening.    Picture is an example of what you are picking up.  You are actually following the path of the white scrap yarn where it enters and leaves a stitch. You now have started the process of stitching up the toe.   It is VERY important that you catch each and every loop of the stitches, or else they will pull out upon sock wearing and unravel. 

The idea of closing these toes with the scrap yarn still in place is that it holds the sock stitches evenly in place without unravelling, without switching to knitting needles or without dropping the stitches and wrecking the sock.  (Been there..done that!)

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Now, you are going to go pick up a stitch along the bottom half of opening….

Then on the top half.. each time picking up a complete V, alternating from top to bottom.

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Work you way across the sock, evenly alternating picking up a V from the top row, bottom row, etc.  If you have ribbing or mock ribbing, you will see how there is a space in your V stitch, just work it in and pull it together. It is important that you do not pull too tightly on these sewn stitches, as you are trying to recreate the same size and length and depth of the stitches above and below the opening.

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Getting close now to the other side of sock.  Coming down to the last four complete V and one V which is split to on e half from the above row and one half from below row.  (remember we only used half of each at the other corner too?  Keep going now, one V from bottom ..one V from top.. one V from bottom.. one V from top.

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Now you should only have two half stitches left.. at corner.  Go through both of those half stitches and run needle up into a row of stitches.. about four or five.. and pull through..  now skip over a row and back up one stitch, and run up four or five again, and one more time. Snip off yarn close to surface of sock.  This hides the end effectively, keeps it from unraveling, and there is NO knot to irritate the toes.  Just be careful to not catch the underside stitches of under layer. Or you will end up stitching your sock shut!

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Now turn the sock inside out to carefully remove the scrap yarn on the inside of sock. (I save my scrap and knot together and use again.)  Be careful when you get close to the seam, and do NOT pull hard on any of the stitches.  A sharp pointed scissors works wonders here, and many times the scrap yarn is split in between plies from the needle sewing up the seam.  Carefully snip off the scrap when split areas arise.

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Turn inside out, hand wash in sink (sometimes I use hair shampoo and conditioner and hang to dry) Now the sock is all done! 

 

And READY TO WEAR… no matter HOW you like to wear them…….  

 


 

 
 

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