#knittinghour Sock KAL for Beginners - Week 4

You've nearly made it! Welcome to the final week of our #knittinghour sock KAL for beginners. You have almost completed your first sock and all that is left is to knit the toe section before you can proudly wear it (and move on to sock number 2, of course). So let's get started!

Week 4

Toes:

Round 1: k1, ssk, k24, k2tog, k2, ssk, k24, k2tog, k1

Round 2: k all

Round 3: k1, ssk, k22, k2tog, k2, ssk, k22, k2tog, k1

Round 4: k all

Round 5: k1, ssk, k20, k2tog, k2, ssk, k20, k2tog, k1

Round 6: k all

Round 7: k1, ssk, k18, k2tog, k2, ssk, k18, k2tog, k1

Round 8: k all

Round 9: k1, ssk, k16, k2tog, k2, ssk, k16, k2tog, k1

Round 10: k all

Round 11: k1, ssk, k14, k2tog, k2, ssk, k14, k2tog, k1

Round 12: k all

Round 13: k1, ssk, k12, k2tog, k2, ssk, k12, k2tog, k1

Round 14: k all

Round 15: k1, ssk, k10, k2tog, k2, ssk, k10, k2tog, k1

Round 16: k all

Round 17: k1, ssk, k8, k2tog, k2, ssk, k8, k2tog, k1

Round 18: k all

Round 19: k1, ssk, k6, k2tog, k2, ssk, k6, k2tog, k1

Round 20: k all

Nearly there! All you need to do now is close up the toe so you can wear your first ever socks. The neatest way to do this is a little tricky, but it is worth the trouble. If you can’t manage it this time, don’t worry. You can simply sew the toe together if you like.

It’s really difficult to explain this stitch without a video, so go have a look at Purl Soho’s video tutorial to help you visualise what you need to do:

http://www.purlbee.com/2013/11/11/kitchener-stitch-video/

And you’re done! Wear your socks with pride. 

Thank you for taking part in the #knittinghour sock KAL.

See past installments:

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3

"Our jungle fighters want socks"

The great thing about creative people is that they tend to really think about what you might like when they send you things.

I've been meaning to show you this card since Claire sent it to me with some item she was destashing. The card is perfect for a knitter and it is one I hadn't seen before. That's not very surprising since I tend to be more familiar with the Second World War from the other, German, side of things. It was only in recent years that I became aware of how much knitting was being done for soldiers by British citizens at home. 

Having such a little piece of history on a card is oddly lovely.

#knittinghour Sock KAL for Beginners - Week 3

It's been a tough week, I am sure, for those who have braved the tricky heel over the past week. It is definitely the hardest part of any sock, but I hope that by breaking it down into steps, knitting your heel wasn't too tough. You've made it now and can relax this week because it's all about plain stockinette now.

Week3

 Foot:

Yay, time for some mindless knitting! 

If you still have your stitch markers in the middle of the sole stitches, move it to the end of the sole stitches instead. It is now positioned in front of the first stitch for the top of the sock’s foot. This will be the new beginning of your round.

Simply knit all stitches until your sock is 2” (5 cm) shorter than your total foot length. Easy peasy.

Continue with:

Week 1
Week 2
Week 4

I Made a Boob

More images on Instagram

I did! And I do not get to keep it, sadly. This is going to be a Secret Santa gift for someone at work - I know... it is far too early, but I love Christmas, especially all the preparation and gift hunting. I knew this would be a great gift for someone at the office because our jobs are quite adult in nature. Can't wait for December! 

Knitting the boob was interesting because unlike all other patterns I came across, this one said to knit the project sideways. I chose it because the decreased looked better and gave the breast a more rounded shape. I'm very happy with it.

Once you finish knitting the body of the breast, for lack of a better word, and joing the ends with my favourite Kitchener stitch for a seamless join, you end up with a hole in the top where the nipple will be added and at the bottom, too. This hole is closed by picking up stitches and decreasing in the round. I like that look and it is better than I expected.

The nipple is a bit oddly shaped due to having to sew it onto the edges of the top hole. It looked great when I knit it, though. It would probably be better to close that hole like the one at the bottom and then sew on the nipple. Good thing to remember for next time! I really want one of my own now.

#knittinghour Sock KAL for Beginners - Week 2

Welcome to the second week of our #knitting KAL! I hope you have enjoyed knitting the leg of your first socks. This week will be tougher, but remember that we're happy to answer any questions during #knittinghour on Twitter and you can always message me @KnittyNadia and fellow knitters, too. 

Week 2

 

Heel flap:

Oo, we are gradually heading towards the tricky bits!

The heel flap is only knit across the first 30 stitches. You will be knitting back and forth across the same 30 stitches until you have a fairly long flap that will cover the back of your heel. The stitches used here help to make a stronger, more durable fabric that is great for heels and very comfortable.

Here’s how you do it:

Row 1 (RS): *sl1, k1*

Row 2 (WS): sl1, p29

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until you have finished 30 rows.

Hurray! You have made it this far. That wasn’t so bad, was it? Have a cuppa and take a break before the next step. It may look daunting, but I promise it’s easier than it looks.

Turning the heel:

You will keep knitting across the same stitches of the heel flap as before, gradually reducing the number of stitches. This is done by starting to knit the stitches in the centre of the row and taking stitches one by one from the sides as you knit back and forth. This will start to shape the heel so it will cup your heel nicely when you wear your socks.

Row  1: Sl1, p16, p2tog, p1, turn

Row 2: Sl 1, k5, ssk, k1, turn

Row 3: Sl 1, p6, p2tog, p1, turn

Row 4: sl1, k7, ssk, k1, turn

Continue knitting in this manner, increasing the number of stitches worked between the slipped stitch and p2tog or ssk by one on every row (ie p8 on row 5, k9 on row 6, p10 on row 7 etc) until all stitches are used and you only have 18 stitches on your needle. 

Note: While turning the heel, you will see that a gap forms in your knitting, which works great as a visual aid. All ssk and p2tog stitches are knitted across that gap.

Gusset:

I think it’s time for tea and biscuits at this stage. Or cake! The worst is behind you now, but there is still a little challenge ahead: knitting the gusset that will follow the arch of your foot and narrow the sock down. Ready?

You should now be ready to pick up stitches along one side of the heel flap:

Pick up 15 sts along one side of heel flap, k30, pick up 15 stitches along other side of heel flap, k9, PM. This point marks the new beginning of your round.

Round 1: k21, k2tog, k32, ssk, k21

Round 2: k all

Round 3: k20, k2tog, k32, ssk, k20

Round 4: k all

Continue in this manner, decreasing each odd numbered row by two stitches until you only have 60 stitches left on your needles.

Continue with:

Week 1
Week 3
Week 4