f1bercat's SlowKnitter: Matching Socks Friday, July 1, 2011

I finished the Summer Mystery Shawlette and realized 2 things: 1. it is pretty tiny, indeed a "shawlette" and 2. I had 2 balls of the gorgeous purple yarn left. Soooo I decided to make a pair of socks to match the shawlette. This will make a great gift for one of my little nieces, Katerina and Martina.

Sorry but this post will be a lot of numbers and math as I work my way through the basic sock pattern in Toe Up Socks 2-at-a-time.

First, what size/how big to make the socks...

from Fibergypsy.com

For size 6 1/2-7 children's socks:

Width around the top of cuff: 5 7/8

Heal flap length: 1 1/8

Total Foot length 5 7/8

size 8 - 8 1/2

Width around top of cuff: 6 1/8

Heal Flap Length: 1 1/3

Total Foot Length: 6 1/4

My gauge:

size 2 needles = 18 /4 stitches horiz, 5/1 rows vert

size 1 needles = 22/4 stitches horiz, 6/1 rows vert

I will make the size 8-8 1/2

so 5 1/2 stitches to inch horiz. 5 1/2x 6 1/8 = 11/2x49/8 = 539/16 = @33.67 stitches

I think i will do 32 inches. I have to divide it onto 2 needles. Hope they aren't too small.

32 stitches = 100% of the sock

28 stitches = 75% of the sock

16 stitches = 50% of the sock

8 stitches = 25% of the sock

From Toe-Up 2-at-a-Time Socks by Melissa Morgan-Oakes, the formula for the number of stitches from Toe-to-Gusset is: X - (Y/Z) = TGL (Toe to Gusset Length)

where X = desired Total Sock Length (6 1/4 in or 6.25 in)

Y = Number of rows in Gusset and Heel Cup (75% - 1 stitch) 75% = 24 so 23!

Z = Rows per inch from gauge (6)

X - (Y / Z) = TGL

6.25 - (23/6) = 2.316666666 inches

since my gauge is 6 stitches per inch i will need 6x2.31666= 14.5 rows

Melissa recommends rounding down, since socks stretch. So my toe-to-gusset length is 14 rows!

I have knitted the toes, casting on 8 stitches per side per sock (I love 2 at a time). I increased to 16 stitches per side. Now I have added the gussets. I increased the sole side of the socks to 32 stitches by adding a stitch on each end every other row.

I love knitting for kids because it goes so quickly. Now I am working on the heal cups. So back to the math. I find it really helpful to take these notes as I knit. Reading, doing, writing helps me to get the formulas into my head.

First a HINT! I put a removable marker at the far end of the circular needle, in the loop. Sometimes when I'm knitting, the 2nd sock slips and becomes one circle, instead of staying divided. This is no big deal since I know how many stitches belong on each side, but if I put a marker there, it helps.

Heal Cups: (using of course my Toe-Up 2-at-a-Time guide)

total stitches on sole side = 32

knit 1/4 ( 1/4 of 32) and place a marker (8 stitches for these socks)

knit 1/2 of 32 - 1 (16 - 1 = 15) and slip the 16th as to purl ( or whatever makes it 1/2 of the total stitches) bring the yarn to the front to "wrap" the slipped stitch, place 2nd marker on left hand needle and slip the stitch back onto the left needle. Wow. Seems complicated. I have made heels with just knitting 1/2 of the stitches. I think the slipping and wrapping adds strength? We shall see.

Once I finished the heal cup, I knit the heel flap, always knitting (or purling depending on side) 15 stitches (1/2 of total shoe - 1) then either SSK or P2K. Each row is 16 total (1/2) until there are only 16 total stitches left on the heal side.