Top-Down Sock Class – Session One

25 Jan 2012 1 Comment

by kjwinston in instructions, knitting Tags: K2Tog, socks, top-down sock

This post is intended for students in my Top-Down Sock class at K2Tog . . . .

My cuff

Ladies, I am sorry for the delay in getting this out to you. My husband and I went away to The Sea Ranch for the weekend and I just thought our house would have internet, as they usually do there. But this one did not. So I was without internet from Friday a.m. til Monday p.m. and I’ve been playing catch-up ever since. I hope you all have progressed without me.

So, let’s go over what we did in class. We looked at the diagram of the sock, which has six parts, and in this first session we were concerning ourselves only with the first part, the cuff. In a standard sock pattern – the kind where you use sock-weight yarn (also called fingering) on size 1.5 or size 2 needles, you generally cast on 64 sts. We did discuss that two of our members would cast on more to fit the circumference of their ankles. As Cynthia so rightly pointed out, you want to cast on a number that is divisible by four.

You want to use a long-tail cast-on – and thankfully, all of you knew how to do that! We cast on over two dpns held together to make sure our cast-on is nice and loose and also consistent.

You then divide your stitches in the following way over three double-point needles (dpns) – DPN 1 – 1/4 of your total stitches (this will be 16 for those who cast on 64); DPN 2 – 1/2 of your total stitches (32 for most of you); DPN 3 – 1/4 of your total stitches (16 again). You then make sure your stitches are not twisted, but lying in a line. Then join for knitting in the round by making the first cast-on stitch and the last cast-on stitch trade places. Place a marker to mark the beginning of the round.

Are you with me?

Now you simply work a rib pattern for 7 inches, or for as long or as short as you want the cuff. I use a knit 2, purl 2 rib, but in future you may use a k3, p1 rib; a k3, p3 rib or any other one that works out evenly for the number of stitches you have cast on.

Some tricks that will help you here . . . If you have cast on 64 stitches and have divided them as described above, every dpn will begin with 2 knit stitches and end with 2 purl stitches. That also helps you know which side is the right side of your knitting.

Okay, as I said last week, session 1 was going to be the easy session. Session 2 will be tougher, as we have to get through the heel flap, turning the heel and working the gussets. I have linked to some videos for each of those that I hope you will be able to watch before tomorrow’s class. Don’t take these videos as gospel – I just want to you to see someone make these things before you and I do them together. My way of doing this is slightly different from all of these folks. MY WAY IS BETTER OF COURSE!!!!

Hope you are doing well. Let me hear from you.

 

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