A few weeks ago, Jen shared some links to tutorials to get you started knitting cuff down socks. But of course, there’s more than one way to knit a sock! So today, I’ll be sharing some resources if you’d like to knit toe-up socks.
Why might you want to knit socks toe up? For starters, they’re easy to try on your foot as you go to see if you’re happy with the fit. If you’ve got a special skein of yarn you want to make the most of, you can divide it in half and knit your sock til you run out of yarn, ensuring none of that precious skein is wasted. And if you elect to knit an afterthought heel, a plain toe-up sock can make for some great mindless knitting — once you’ve knit your toe, you can just knit round and round til you’ve reached your desired length or run out of yarn — no measuring or patterns required! As with so many knitting techniques, knitting a sock from the cuff down or toe up is often just a matter of personal preference. If you’ve not tried a toe-up sock, I encourage you to give it a go and see what you think — and hope these tutorials can help you get started!
I’ve been perfecting the art of knitting while walking for my daily exercise using this vanilla toe-up sock.
Casting on …
Many toe-up socks begin with Judy’s Magic Cast On, a great method for starting a tube that you’ll be knitting in the round. If you’d prefer to knit a toe with spiraling increases (rather than increasing along the sides of your toe) you could also give the Pinhole Cast On a try. Both links will take you to Jen’s video tutorials, both part of A Year of Techniques.
Needles …
Just as with cuff down socks, you can use DPNs or a long circular for magic loop to knit your toe-up socks. Working Judy’s Magic Cast On is, however, much easier with circular needles (or Addi FlexiFlips/CraSy Trios), so if you’re planning on using DPNs, you might want to wait to switch to them until you’ve got the toe established.
The Heartgyle Socks from Boost Your Knitting are worked toe up with an afterthought heel in Coop Knits Socks Yeah! 4ply. Photo © Jesse Wild.
The Heel …
Again — you have options! If you like an afterthought heel, it’s knit exactly the same for cuff down and toe up socks. If you prefer the fit of a gusset, that’s also possible with toe up socks (and was the featured technique for the Alcedo Socks from Boost Your Knitting). Both links will take you to Jen’s tutorials.
The Alcedo Socks by Wendy D. Johnson are knit toe up and include a gusset. Worked in Admiral 6ply, they knit up a bit faster than a 4ply sock! Photo © Jesse Wild.
Casting off the cuff
It’s essential to use a cast off for your cuff that’s stretchy enough to get over your heel. I love the sewn cast off for toe up socks (just take care not to pull too tight). If you’ve worked your cuff in 1x1 rib, the tubular cast-off method is another great option. (Both links will take you to Jen’s tutorials!)
Working two at a time …
Second sock syndrome is a thing, and there are a few ways to avoid it. You can work both socks concurrently on two sets of needles. Or you could give two at a time (TAAT) socks a go! While this method works no matter what direction you knit your socks, I think the set up is a bit more straightforward to set up for toe up socks. So if you’re looking to learn another new skill, you could give it a try. VeryPink Knits has a tutorial that will get you started.
What you’ll need …
We’ve put together a great collection of sock yarn, patterns and needles together in the online shop for the #SteppingOutKAL. The code STEPPINGOUT gives you 15% off everything in that collection until the end of June, when you spend over £40.00, or following this link will automatically apply the discount to eligible purchases!