knitabit

No a-count socks

I use some techniques for knitting socks on circular needles that I have not seen anywhere on the web, so I thought it might be nice to share them with you.

I learned this from a free sock pattern given to me by the owner of DJ's Fibercrafts in Florence, Colorado (a really cute yarn shop.) I think the pattern was called 'Mother MacKenzie's Miracle Sock' or something like that. You knit the leg of the sock in the normal way (on circular needles.)

For turning the heel, place a stitch marker in the center of the heel, and then do your short-rowing by first going two stitches past the center (knit one row, purl one row) then three stitches past the center (knit one row, purl one row) etc., until you run out of stitches. If you lose count, you can always judge where to decrease by noting the location of the 'gap' left from the previous row. (I have seen this 'gap' trick noted in some of the instructions in 'Knitting on the Road.')

When you're ready to start the gusset, you shift your stitches on the needles so that the sock is divided from side to side - that is, you have half of the instep and half of the heel on each needle.

Then, you place stitch markers to separate the instep stitches from the heel stitches. And you know where to do your gusset decreases (three stitches away from the marker - on the heel side of the needle) without having to do any counting. After you're done with the gusset, shift the stitches again so that the instep is on one needle and the heel is on the other. Then when it's time to do the toe, you do your decreases three stitches from the ends of both needles.

I knit my first pair of (completed) socks this way. Now when I read sock patterns, I see all these complicated counting algorithms that I completely ignore, because I need only pay attention to my stitch markers! A lot of this is probably intuitively obvious to those who knit socks on circular needles; I went temporarily insane trying to learn how to knit socks on dpn's, and the "Socks Soar on Circular Needles" book and this "Mother MacKenzie" sock pattern were real life-savers for me.

I know the above explanation is sad and pathetic so drop me a line if you need a better explanation. Or better yet, contact DJ's and ask for a copy of the sock pattern. I see that their website is still under construction, so pardon their dust.

You can see my stitch marker just to the left of the gusset decreases.

Comments

I just came across your blog in my travels so I thought I'd say HI. That's a nice baby sweater project and I love the look of "Lochinover". Very nice.

Just thought I'd say HI.

Posted by: Uli at October 27, 2003 04:03 PM

DJ's Pattern is such a life saver!

I got hold of them, they sent me the pattern and now I can knit socks!

I now buy all my supplies from DJ's by mail. The service is great and they've been extremely helpful.

Posted by: Anne at June 6, 2004 04:31 PM