A Curious Statistical Anomaly

I was thrashing my brain trying to think of a post and someone asked me how I did my socks without a pattern. So, thought I’d try to explain. When I first started with socks I followed patterns and then I sort of got the hang of it. Eventually, after reading several book and blogs I found that there wasn’t any real trick to it.

Toe UP:

First I use a figure 8 cast on. Actually when I first did it I didn’t really know what it was called but it seemed to make sense to me after doing all those kitchener stitch toes when doing top down. Knitty.com has a great explanation with pictures of the figure 8 cast on. They call it the figure 8 toe. After trial and error I more or less do it this way now.

Once I have used the figure 8 to cast on 16-18 stitches (8-9 on each needle), I knit one row — this row is usually the most difficult. Then on the next row, knit one, M1, knit to next to last stitch, M1, K1 (for each needle) on the next row I usually split the stitch over 4 needles with an same number of stitch on each needle.

Next row knit all stitches.

Now on first needle, Knit 1, M1, knit to end of needle. 2nd needle you knit to next to last stitch and then M1, knit 1. 3rd needle: Knit 1, M1, knit to end. 4th needle: Knit to next to last stitch, M1, Knit 1. (You’ve increased 4 stitches in this row. All increased are on the outside of the toe.

Repeat until you have enough stitches to get to the widest part of your foot by the upper toes. This is where I usually start a pattern if I’m going to or ribbing if I want a ribbed sock. If you do a lace pattern keep the stitches that will be the bottom of the foot plain. If you’re doing ribbing you can do the whole foot as ribbing (sort of makes the sock fit snugger — if that’s a word).

When you’re within two inches of the heel you need to decide on a heel type. You can do a regular heel (follow any pattern and don’t worry that you’re going in the opposite direction), a short row heel, an afterthought heel, whatever you’re comfortable with. There’s an article on heels on Wool Works website, a great website with lots of photos on heels and other sock knitting tips, the directions for an afterthought heel on Sockknitters, and the Knitting Fiend has lots of good sock links.

Once you’ve done the heel, well you’re home free. Knit up as high on the leg as you want though if you’re going to go mid-calf you may have a problem with slipping down. I usually go either 8-9 inches or keep to a 2×2 or 1×1 ribbing so it holds up a bit better.

Well, that’s my fuzzy method of knitting a sock. On my next pair I’m planning an hour-glass (or short-row heel). I just loved the way it looked on the vintage socks that the Yarn Harlot just finished knitting. I don’t think I’d ever have the patients for those tiny leaves but I really like the looks of the heel.

Meanwhile, I’ve started a top down sweater and I don’t have a pattern so I’m sort of hyped to get it going. Only got 3 rows so far so it will be a while before a photo shows up here. Why doesn’t work, chores, errands, and loved ones just fade into the background when there’s a new project on the needles — it will only take me a day or three before the newness wears off and I won’t mind being interrupted so much.

I’ve been continuing to organize and move fiber and projects into Ziploc bags. So far it’s not so bad — or at least not as bad as I’d feared. The destruction so far:

* one sock with two holes (salvage possible)* one lace shawl 3/4 done eaten so badly the yarn couldn’t be salvaged at all

* one lace scarf with three holes (salvage possible)

* two containers of angora fiber completely yucky — had to toss.

* one spindle of angora yarn chewed enough that it has to be tossed

Not too bad so far. Salvageable projects have been placed in a Ziploc bag and sealed. I figure that way if I missed anything it will come out in the bag and then can be tossed. So, far most of my loose fiber has been okay — or at least looks okay but it was stored with cedar sachets and cedar balls and sprigs of rosemary and eucalyptus — also the final rinse for all fiber is in a eucalyptus scented rinse.

I’ve still got some more boxes and bags to go through but I’m feeling a bit better about all this. At least once it’s done it’s done and I’ll just have to be more careful in the future with what comes into the house. Of course, it doesn’t help that we live on 5 wooded acres in the rural tier of Prince Georges County, Maryland. It’s wooded and farm area so there’s lots of bugs. We’ve managed to gain control on the house but it’s hard to keep bugs out during the summer when doors open and close as you move the screens into play.

The other side effect is that I found I have quite a bit of sock yarn, but not a lot of general stash. Got lace weight for planned projects and none extra. I do have a lot of cleaned fleece ready for spinning. And, oh gee, Maryland Sheep and Wool is coming up in May (the website hasn’t been updated yet)– at least this year I have a better idea what’s in the house.

I doubt there is anything worse for a knitter than finding a moth in the house. Well, finding a moth has eaten a hole in a beloved project or two or three. It’s been on my TO DO list for a while to go through all my stash and get it organized and figure out what I have and where it is. If you remember one of my New Year’s resolutions was to finish some of my WIPS (works in progress) and UFOs (Unfinished Objects). So, finally this past weekend I started. Imagine my delight when I found this sock — I still like the yarn. I started to wonder why I never finished it and remembered it was my first ever toe up sock and I didn’t have a pattern for doing that and was winging it and having some problems with the heel… turned it over and started looking at what I’d done…. Horror struck — it had been eaten by something.

Now, a while back I’d heard that Zip-Lock bags were a gift to crafts people protecting fiber from moths, dust, dirt, and other damaging whatevers that could cause fiber disasters. So, I’d bought boxes of various size bags and had been putting yarn into bags by project as it arrived at the house. However, I hadn’t yet started on the stash. So, tonight I started going through my living room stash: checking for damage, sorting by yarn and color. Now I feel better since I, so far, haven’t found any other evidence of moth damage or any other damage — so my delusion is that only this one sock/yarn/project has a problem. I’ll live with this delusion as I move on to my next stash area and more organization.