1st Toe Up Socks

Early this past winter I decided to to just do it. Try Toe Up socks. I've always knit my socks cuff down on 5 double point needles. But I've heard that medieval socks were generally knit toe up. So I decided that it was important for me to learn to knit toe up. I started and abandoned I don't know how many socks using the figure 8 cast on. Those toes always turned out pitifully loose and gappy and I would frog it and start over. Finally I tried the Easy Toe method in Charlene Schurch's Sensational Knitted socks. Look! It worked.

That said, I fervently declare that I will never made another pair of socks by the toe up. I don't like working to up! Now I can honestly say I've tried it and gotten a toe up sock to work fairly well, so I can smugly say I won't do it again. I'll stick to cuff down. And I don't really care if it's not period! Besides, the only period socks I've wanted to make are the Elizabethan style socks like Eleonora of Toledo's red silk socks, and they were almost certainly worked cuff down. So there!

These socks are made of Lion Brand's Wool Ease, and I adapted a stitch pattern from the same book. Instead of having the baby cable pattern making up the entire sock I just used one on either side of the top of the leg and foot. I kinda like the look of these. When I started I didn't have anyone in mind to give these to. I made them pretty long, so they definately don't fit me! I wear a size 6. You can see how much larger the socks are than the blockers. Luckily, there's a woman at church that these fit perfectly. I'll give them to her tomorrow. Naturally, it's spring now, so she probably won't wear these until next year. (sad face) Oh, well, on to the next pair!