Yarn Fifth Avenue

How to Knit Socks

I finished a fresh batch of hand dyed yarn, perfect for socks featuring a design pattern. The pattern texture will be best with yarn that is marbled and of medium color.

The pattern I’m using is from the Winter 2007 issue of Knitty.com. It’s called “Azure Socks”. The pattern calls for the socks knitted from the toe up with circulars, but I prefer 5 straights. I will walk you through how to cast on with DP’s, starting with the toe.

Below is a picture of the hand-dyed yarn, so you may have an idea of my starting point. It’s made from 100% merino superwash wool that is incredibly soft. We will have it available for purchase on this website soon.

Happy knitting!

~ Denise

 

 

 

Azure Socks, Winter 2007 – Knitty.com   Go to the site, make a copy of the pattern, and knit along!

Without having to actually knit cables, you will achieve an amazing cable-look with this pattern. It is fun working the different techniques. The pattern is well written and easy to understand. Toe-ups are not my favorite style to knit, but I am knitting more of them to achieve a higher level of comfort. Surprisingly, I enjoyed knitting them this time!  I hope you find the directions below helpful.

Let me know if something isn’t clear to you, and I will gladly offer assistance. These socks are worth the effort. Any color yarn would knit up well with this pattern, but a yarn that is more solid colored rather than multi-colored will show the cable-like pattern best.

Use the size needle you normally use with sock yarn. The pattern calls for 2′s, but I prefer size 1.  This is my personal preference because I like a densely knit sock fabric, which make the socks more comfortable and wear longer. I encourage you to experiment with needle size.

The Knitting Pattern:

These are toe-up socks, worked with 2 circulars. I knitted them with 5, size one, double points.

You can use this toe pattern to start any sock from the bottom up.

This is the basic pattern for starting toe-ups on 5 needles:

Cast on 4 stitches , start with a knit row and work in stockinette stitch for 9 rows. With right side facing (new needle), pickup and knit 6 stitches along left edge, rotate clockwise and pickup (with new needle) and knit 4 sts. from cast on edge, rotate again and pickup (with new needle) 6 stitches along last side.

Then, knit the first 2 stitches from first 4. You will have 20sts total.  Place marker. Move stitches, so there are 5 stitches on each needle. Put another marker (different color) between the 10th and 11th sts.

Knitting the Toe: 

Rounds   1,3,5,7,9:  Knit

Rounds  2,4,6,8,10:  K1, M1,  knit to 1 st before marker, M1, k2, M1, knit to 1 stitch before marker, M1, k1  (4 stitches increased)   

Repeat these 10 rows one more time. You will end up with 64 stitches, total.

The picture below gives you an idea of  what  your work will look like after the 6th row. Click on the image to see a larger version of it.

Make sure you use 2 different stitch markers, and remember which one is for the start of the row. It makes your life much easier!

 

 

I knitted the toe all stockinette. The actual pattern starts the design in the toe, but I prefer the smoothness of all knit. You can put the design in if you like. I started the design right after I finished the increasing for the toe, as you can see below. Click on the image to see a larger version of it.

 

 

Knitting the Foot:

Follow the foot chart as indicated on the pattern. I knitted the chart across the first 2 needles, then knitted the stitches on the 3rd and 4th needle. (ea. round). I repeated this pattern for approx. 6 inches. ending with row 7. 

If you have knitted socks before you will know how to adjust the length for a larger size.  This length should fit up to a size 8.

Gusset: Increase Rnd. Work stitches on needle 1 and 2 in pattern.  needle 3: k1, m1, knit across. needle 4:  Knit to last stitch. m1, k1.     Next Rnd. work in pattern.

Repeat these 2 rounds, 10 times more. then work Gusset Inc. Rnd, once more. (88 sts)  You will just have completed Chart Rnd 6.

Knitting the Heel:

Heel is worked back and forth over the 56 stitches on needles 3 and 4.

Row 1: right side, work across needles 1 and 2 in pattern (Chart Round 7) Needle 3 and 4: Knit  first 38sts. Turn work.

Even -numbered rows 2-12 (wrong side): Sl 1,  p19 .   Turn work.

Odd-numbered rows 3-11 (right side): Sl1, k19.  Turn work.

Row 13 (RS): Sl 1, k17,    w&t

Row 14 (WS): Sl 1, p15,  w&t

Row 15 (RS): Sl 1,  k13,  w&t

Row 16 (WS): Sl 1, p11,  w&t

Row 17 (RS): Sl 1, k9,  w&t

Row 18 (WS): Sl 1, p7,  w&t

Row 19 (RS): Sl 1, k5,  w&t

Row 20 (WS) Sl 1, p3,  w&t

Next Row (RS):S 1, k3, (k next st tog. with its wrap, k1) 4 times

Share on Facebook