The End of the Year is Coming Fast

I've had to put aside the Silk Garden blanket for a bit so I can get to work completing my goal of 12 pairs of socks this year. For this pair for my daughter, I've decided to cross party lines so-to-speak and give the toe-up a try.

I thought I'd custom fit it to her particular foot shape, so I cast on only 16 stitches to create a pointier toe. After testing several cast-ons, I settled on the Figure 8 method. It nicely mirrors the look of the grafted toe on the top-down sock although the cast-on stitches looked a little loose and sloppy at first. After knitting a few rounds, I used my crochet hook to pull the slack over to the side with the tail so it looks neater. For the second sock, I may try the Eastern Cast-on to see if that gives a neater appearance.

After watching Shirani rip hers out several times because the increases weren't nicely matched, I decided to use the Lifted Increase, my favorite, which is nearly invisible, leaves no hole, and has an almost perfectly symmetrical slant depending on which stitch the increase is worked into.

By the by, here's a photo of the double pointed needle holders that readers asked about. (Hmmm, it posted upside down...)

They are great to use when knitting socks: the needles fit inside the tube and the sock in progress can be wrapped around the outside. Hand made for Cultured Purl by a wonderful Pennsylvania woodworker, they are beautifully constructed out of various woods and come in two sizes to hold either 5 inch or 6 inch needles. They are perfect for protecting your precious wooden double points and keeping your work in progress from slipping off the needles. I have several. Cultured Purl just got a bunch in - they make a great Christmas gift!

Yours in knitting,
Claire

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