I really appreciate how you explain the reasoning behind how you increase or why a stitch leans one way or another. It makes it so much easier to follow and remember when I understand the mechanics of what I’m doing. I’ve always struggled with increases and grabbing the right part of a stitch until now because I didn’t understand why it worked the way it did. You explain it beautifully.
I appreciate the fact that you mention not only the importance of a swatch but also the importance of knitting it in the same manner that the project is to be knitted! I never thought about that..provides a much more accurate gauge. Also the tip on reducing the fit of the sock by five to 10% for those who prefer a snuger fit. And you are the first one to demo making long socks which I certainly prefer in the winter! Awesome all the way around. Thank you!
This (and your whole channel) is incredibly helpful. I'm a very sporadic knitter with a bad memory, so every new project I need refreshers. I always come to your channel first. Thanks for doing what you do
I began my cast-on 3 times!! No, I did what you said but the dreaded jumpy, goofy puppy just had to inspect mid-stitch and with only 2 to 4 rows it was better to begin again...but 3rd time was a charm! I took my knitting to bed last night and discovered it is better than reading a book and got most of the round toe done before I put it aside. Think I will do that more often. Thank you for sharing your experience!
Love the sock tutorials, I'm a fairly new sock knitter (only on my third pair :) ). Wanted to try the toe-up just because I want to use all my yarn; and decided to try as well the Sweet Tomato Heel by Cat Bordhi. I just cast on the second sock, and I loved the turkish cast on, the rounded toe recipe and the Sweet tomato heel worked very well. Thank you for very clear instructions; all the best from Poland/Europe.
This is so awesome and a huge help. I've adopted the pattern for this toe to portuguese style knitting. It is a far superior toe compared to the boxy or wedge shaped toes I used to knit. Thank you so much for including the free pattern in your description, you have been a huge help!!
Here I go again. I've decided '23 is the year of the sock. This go 'round I'm determined to get comfortable with #2 dpn. Talk about fiddley! Too fiddley until I realized the ml had the advantage of the cable easing tightness . I think I've solved it by casting on with one size larger needles. I then pinch and slide out the larger for the smaller dpns. I also carry the end of the yarn behind my working yarn till it's on the beginning of the round. Lots of thinking and challenges but perfect for keeping the brain working.
Jana I did my first sock ever with your original customizable toe up sock tutorial. I’m looking forward to starting this sock with you. Your instructions are so clear. Thank you very much
Hi, I'm watching this video and really enjoy the info you teach. I do know how to knit a scarf but I haven't made socks yet. Your instructions are great, not too slow, not too fast; just right. Thanks.
I practiced on some other sock yarn I have while waiting for my Urth yarn & I love it!! This will be my toe from now on. Thanks so much for sharing this!
I can see how this is easier to understand Judy's Magic Cast On, but after you get the hang of it, I think it is the same, basically. I took a class from her and did not get it, but then in 2009 I took a class from Chrissy Gardiner to learn toe-up so I could do Cat's super fascinating, love all that math patterns. That was the year of the first Sock Summit, an idea given by Cat Bordhi to her retreat group. That was a huge awakening for me since I was a lone knitter learning only from books. Since then I've gotten into spinning because no one, still, makes the kind of yarn I want for socks. I'm using wool 2ply from Mountain Meadow Wool. They are a fascinating story in themselves. Started in order to save sheep ranchers in Wyoming. Just saved 7 shipping containers of yarn making machines from a Coats and Clark factory being scrapped. Great job! Anyway, I'm just starting a pair for a guy and I came here to learn fit. I reinforce the bottom of my socks with a yarn I spin. Custom. Then full the pair. That thickens and toughen. Yes, afterwards handwash, but I'm making these for hunting and fishing and farming. Nothing colder than SW IMHO. Thanks for the info. I'm subscribing. Great videos. I watched the swatch one. Really miss Cat being on the planet. Her classes were always a wealth of information, along with her brother. Merry Christmas!
I use the Turkish cast on all the time and I agree it is easier than the other method you mentioned. But one thing that helps me a lot is once I’ve wrapped the yarn around both needles the 14 times, I wedged the length of the yarn in-between the ends of the two needles and that holds the yarn tight so I don’t have to hang onto it as I’m rotating the needles to start knitting. Just a tip I learned somewhere along the way! 😄
Wow so glad i checked your series of toe up sock, i just finished my first pair of toe up socks and did not like the patters in particular for the heel. Yours looks so much better and i love the pattern K6p2 with 1 P on each side, that is gonna work great with my camouflage yarn. Thank you
Very nice tutorial. The Turkish cast on is easy to follow. I started my first toe up sock a while ago using Judy’s Magic Cast On. Cat Bordhi figured away to do the cast on so that all the stitches are properly oriented. I was just getting familiar with her when I found out she was dying. Very sad but her attitude was amazing. The increases I learned on the sock are the same ones you are doing. The pattern I’m using calls for alternating a stow of just straight knitting with an increase round. It’s just a different toe I’m sure. Your instructions are very clear and concise. I look forward to following along! It’s always great to learn new techniques! Thanks for sharing!
I also found I had to do every other row with no increases. Did I miss this in the video? Doing the increases in every row after the first three stitches and before the last three stitches left a long line where the increases were. Can you please clarify for me
Just reading this. I just posted that was what I did. I didn't deviate on purpose I just watched almost all the video and thought I knew what she was going to do. LOL. I did 10 less stitches on each needle and when I got to the increases added a knit row in between each increase row. Maybe on my next pair of socks I'll do 14 less stitches. I couldn't find a guideline on that for rounded toe and, with straight knitted row in there each time, I didn't want too long of a toe box.
This will be my second practice sock. I am working on the toe with acrylic yarn and everything is so tight. I bought sock yarn for my first good ones made for later. I really like this channel and will be sharing very soon. Thanks for the connection!
Thanks for the clear instructions and video. Just knitted my first toe up sock for my husband. Am starting my second sock. I thought the heel part would be difficult but it was a breeze with your instructions.
I like the 4321 toe for my sons wider toes. It gives a less pointy and wider toe. I’ve never done a round toe. Roxanne Richardson does it in the round or wedge to adapt for different shaped toes. Pretty cool 😎 Thanks for this thorough series. Nicely done.
Hi thanks for this. I do like the toe-up sock because I do not like the Kitchener stitch. I will knit this on my next pair of socks I am casting on this weekend.
I just discovered your RU-vid channel, and have subscribed. Thank you! Your easy-going, real, get to the point instructions are so welcome! I love your style of YouTubing!
Thank you for these learning videos! New subscriber here. Please explain how to cast on 2 socks to knit at the same time. Your technique is great! Cannot wait to get started on 2 at once,...Cheers Deb
I'm finding starting the toe up much easier with circular needles but after a few rounds I'm back to my DPs. My smallest circulars are size 6 I'm using size 2.5 and 3 DPs, doesn't seem to matter. Can't believe I'm enjoying working with such thin yarn.
I need to practice the cast-ons. Could not do Judy's magic cast-on, so I thought would not be able to make socks. It felt so good when I followed this video. It's exciting to see the formation. I'd like to show my work & donate.
If you'd like to join the Purl Together groups, go to Facebook and/or Ravelry and join us! facebook.com/groups/PurlTogether www.ravelry.com/groups/purl-together If you'd like to support Purl Together, check out my page on Patreon! www.patreon.com/purltogether
Thank you so much for this video and the playlist, I've made one pair of cuff down socks before now and this was a fantastic guide on how to get into the toe up variation!
Thank you for this video. On my tiny double pointed needles with thin alpaca yarn it was still a challenge but your directions are the ones I’ll be using in the future. I followed you here for sock #2 toe and it looks pretty good. Sock #1 was a joke… following another person’s directions…. I may end up ripping that one out and knitting it again with these directions. 👍🏻
Hi, I just wanted to let you know that what you are doing is brilliant. I'm a beginner and needless to say how much I have learned from you. And socks are my favorites. There is a particular kind of socks that I dream about now, socks with five toes. I found some videos on the internet, but - to be honest - they were so inferior compared to yours that I barely learned anything. I know you are probably very busy, but could you, please, consider doing a video on five-toes socks?
Hi Jana, I have discovered your wonderful tutorials on sock knitting. You explain everything so well and I am about to embark on my first pair of toe up socks. It is winter here in Australia so I hope I get them finished quickly so I can wear them! 😆
I have been trying to figure out how many stitches to knit for a person with narrow feet, it’s going to be a Christmas gift so I can’t really go and ask if I can measure her feet. You were the first person I thought of when I was looking for some sort of guideline
I think I would cast on either 64 or 72, depending upon whether you tend to be a tight knitter or not. Then I would be sure to use a pattern like the Vanilla Latte, or similar, since ribbing is pretty stretchy and forgiving.
I started a sock yesterday from the toe up version you did 4 yrs ago and am halfway up my foot. Interesting that you just wrapped the yarn around the needles instead of doing the figure 8 method from the previous version and got the same results. I'll try that next! I'm using Cascade Heathers100% Peruvian Highland wool for mine, It's a little thicker yarn so I'm using fewer stitches. I might not use them with shoes but they should keep my feet warm.
Gracias. por aclarar, yo tengo el patron, desde hace un tiempo, pero no conseguí en la abreviaturas del ingles al español el M1, lo hice con el ML1, y MR1. Agradecida. Feliz día.
Your pattern on Ravelry for the toe-up socks, gives very incomplete written instructions for the beginning from the Turkish cast-on forward. This video didn't address this either. I found other comments down below asking the same question I needed answered and wanted you to be aware that the directions, both in the video and the Ravelry pattern, are incomplete. It is not stated about repeating rows 3 and 4 until you reach the desired number of stitches around. I do, however, LOVE the Turkish Cast-on method and will use it from now on. Once I understand the rounded toe, I will be using it as well.
I have a separate video that shows the Turkish Cast. The link for that is in the video description. If you follow the Customizable Toe Up Pattern and use the Seam Free Rounded Toe, linked in the pattern, you'll see that you do not repeat rows 3 and 4, you carry on through row 10, then repeat rows 8-10 until 4 stitches less than the total desired number of stitches. Thanks for watching!
This cast on is sooooo much easier than Judy’s Magic Cast On. I will be following along with you to make them customizable , will you be providing a written pattern? 🙂
You did the second set of increases three stitches from then end of each needle so that they increases are not stacked. i got that. But, what happens for the third set of increases? Do you go back to doing them two stitches from the end of each needle? It looks like you did the third set of increases three stitches from the end of each needle again, but doesn't that mean they are stacked? Everything else was super clear - thank you!
I love your videos! So clear and easy to follow. I think I've figured out how to do 2 of the Turkish cast ons for making 2 socks at a time using magic loop, but do you have a video that covers that so that I make sure that I'm doing it correctly? Thank you for your wonderful explanations!
You might check out this video, where I'm knitting toe up socks two at a time. I used a different cast on in this series, but the principle is the same. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-UDfHGKtlkk4.html
I, too, knit my very first pair following your cuff-down tutorial! I have made one toe-up sock so far but the cast-off (I did 2x2 ribbing and an “extra stretchy bind-off”) ended up “flaring” at the very top and I did not like that look/fit. I see it on other people’s toe-up socks too and it makes me not want to do toe-up (the matching sock is hibernating 😅). If you have any advice (maybe you already included it in the very last video of this series 😊) I would greatly appreciate it!
It's all about tension, both with your knitting and your cast off method. If you have a bit too much yarn with each stitch, it will flare. You just need to find the tension and/or cast off method that works for you.
You seem like such a practical person....So, perhaps you'll know the answer to kind of get me close on this one. I've made one pair of socks using a toe up vanilla pattern with an afterthought heel. I want to make grandsons socks and they wear men's sizes 10 and 11. I don't know the diameter of instep, etc. But, thought if I just turning this pattern into ribbing (multiple of 4), then it would give them enough stretch to work. What do you think? What number would I cast on and work up to total count? Thanks in advance. Blessings!
I’m very excited to try your ribbing pattern for the foot and leg. My perfect fit is 56 stitches -(28 per needle) which does not fit your multiples of six pattern. Would adding two addional purl stitches at the beginning and end of each row be the best way to make the pattern work? Thank you for making such a clear, thorough and enjoyable video.
Loving the customizable sock tutorials. I've always done short row heels and wanted to try gusset heels, toe up. Your videos are a great help. Any way to adapt this to two at a time magic loop?
So after you’ve increased three times then what do I start over with the next three increases or do I go back to the first stitch second stitch and third stitch increases you don’t really explain that
I’m getting there. I’ve started over about eight times now and I think that I’m almost there. I do have a hard time keeping track but I’m not gonna give up. I followed Marley bird. I followed Stacey Perry and now I’m looking at your video and I am getting lots and lots of tutelage. It’s just my sticky fingers in my arthritic hands that I guess are the biggest hurdle I have right now, but I’m bound and determined I’m gonna make a sock.
Hi, love your tutorial but, just wondering about the increasing. If you can't use the same stitch from the previous round because it's tight, do you alternate the increase between the 2nd and 4th stitch as you knit your rows? Marsha x
Really magical, thanks so much. But what I don't understand:does one have to alternate the increase , once in the second stitch, then in the fourth stitch and then in the second stitch again?
Yes, the alternating prevents the increases from being pulled from the same row & stitch each time. If you're using the lifted increase, you wouldn't be able to lift that same stitch over multiple rows without stretching and damaging the yarn.
I watched MOST of your video when starting my first pair of socks yesterday. Because I was modifying a pattern that started with a short row toe, I first followed the pattern and had all stitches cast on for TAAT. Maddening since casting on both was very fiddly. I have 72 total stitches. I must have seen somewhere else (I watched a dozen videos before finding yours and since I never knit a sock, I was full of trepidation) they knit a row in between because what I ended up doing was 26 on each needle, 2 rows after Turkish cast on, and then started increases. But, in between each increase row, I knit a row with no increases. This morning I came back to watch the end of your video and you increase every row and explained to knit in a few extra stitches so not to pull up from same lifted stitch. Oops. I'm guessing, like many things knitting, this won't matter in the finished object? By putting a knit row between every increase row, would that mean I could K1 and lift one for increase without an issue? Since the row before didn't have an increase? I do like the way my toe is just slightly rounded as I felt the short row toe looks not at all like the end of my foot!
Yes, putting a row between means you can increase wherever you’d like. The reason the rounded toe increases each row a few times is that what makes it more round. Alternating an increase row and a plain row works perfectly well, but results in more of a wedge shaped toe
