Natalia Knits

I’ve not been knitting much lately, but I did finally get around to porting the blog to wordpress, so at least I will be *able* to use it.

A couple of weeks ago, I started a new pair of toe-up jaywalkers, using a very pretty blue/red colorway of Fortissima Colori Socka Color, this time on size 1’s instead of size 0’s.

I have turned one heel, and am midway through turning the 2nd, and I can say unequivically that this time the heels fit perfectly. Amazing what happens when you actually make gauge.

Pictures will follow.

I’ve been letting the blog languish over the holiday season, and a couple of people have posted questions while I was MIA (unfortunately, Blogger recorded the time of the comments, but not the date. WTF?) Anyway, I figure I will go ahead and post the answers, since it’s probably like school, for every person that goes to the trouble of asking a question, there are probably half a dozen who had the same question, but didn’t ask. So here goes:

Question #1

Sara asked:

“Row 4: Knit plain on sole side, [k-f/b, knit 15 (17), k-f/b] twice on instep side”
so I have this many stitches on the instep side: 2+17+2+17+2, which equals 40 stitches.

But I’m supposed to end up with 42 stitches (as per the next instructions: “You will now have 32 (36, 38, 42) stitches on the sole side needle, and 38 (42, 46, 50) on the instep needle.”).

Should I just do another K f/b setup row, adding two more stitches to the instep row (knitting f/b into the first and last stitch)? Or have I gone wrong somewhere, again LOL???!

Sara, you shouldn’t need an extra row. Since you repeat the entire pattern in the brackets twice, you will get [2+17+2]+[2+17+2] = 42

Question #2

Laura asked:

When I am knitting the gusset increases, am I supposed to continue working the instep side? At what point do I start knitting back and forth as I would for a heel flap?

Yes, while you are working the gusset increases, you will be working circularly. I guess the easiest way to describe this technique is to talk about it in reference to a normal cuff down heel-flap sock.

In fact, I’m just going to use this question as a starting point to start from the basics, and go into a lot more detail. (If any of you who are reading this have ever made a cuff-down sock, go get it now so you can follow along)

• So we start looking at the toe, lots of ways to make one, it’s just an end/begining of a tube.
• Then we knit around and around for a few inches. Same as you would on the foot of a cuff-down sock.
• Now the gusset. On a cuff-down sock, you knit around and around, decreasing on every other row, on a tow up sock, you knit around and around increasing every other row. What you’re left with when you’re done is a normal number of stitches on the instep - and on the sole, you have the sole stitches, and the stitches you *would have* picked up from the edges of the flap if you were going in the opposite direction.
• Since we’re going in reverse order, in a cuff down sock, the last thing you would do before the gusset increases is the heel turn. If you’re looking at an actual cuff-down sock, you see it as that little trapezoid, triangle or semicircle (depending on what kind of heel turn you use) that fills in that curved portion at the back of the bottom of your foot. To re-create that in this pattern, we knit the “heel extension”. It builds the little trapezoid, so that this kind of heel will have the same kind of fit as a cuff-down sock.
• We pick up stitches around the heel extension, and now we find ourselves at the bottom of the heel flap, which we will now work going up instead of going down. Now we treat *just* the stitches from the extension as the flap. So what about all of the gusset stitches hanging out, you ask? In a cuff-down sock we would pick them up, or create them from the side of the flap, so toe-up, we’re going to disappear them at the side of the flap. On each right-side row, you disappear (decrease) one from the left side, and on each wrong side row, you decrease one from the right side. Continue knitting your flap back and forth like this until you have eaten up all of the gusset stitches.
• Now your heel is done, and you are all set to knit the leg and the cuff.

I hope everyone had a wonderful new year, and hopefully I’ll be back soon with real knitting content!

All of you are going to point and laugh when you hear this.

So when I started my socks, my gauge was a little off. You know where this is going. They were a little snug around the ball of the foot, but I was so eager to get to the heel shaping, I pressed on. I had this stupid idea in my head that Lorna’s Laces is so springy, that somehow it would overcome a whole extra stitch per inch. Ha.

The socks are in time-out until after Christmas, At which point I will rip them out (sob! I had already turned both heels!) And start over on size 1s.

Everybody and their cousin had this issue. It’s not like I didn’t see it coming, I knew my gauge was off. Anyway, the next time you see my jaywalkers, there will be much less of them.

I am really amazed that there is so much interest in my toe-up adaptation (And I am really happy Grumperina was ok with me putting it up for you guys) If you have any questions about anything in the pattern, please feel free to leave a comment.

Also, if anyone finishes them toe-up from my directions, drop me a line, and I’ll put up a link to your socks.

You know what else, I’m happy that over the course of this knit-along, I have introduced people to the idea of a toe-up heel flap. The method I’ve described still involves picking up stitches, but I think it’s in a less noticeable spot. Anyway, it’s a clever technique.

I definately think cuff-down/toe-up, and dpn/2 circs/magic loop are nothing more than personal preference kind of things. There are arguments for any combination of the above, and I hate the “my way is the one true sockknitting way!” pronouncements that occationally turn up on mailing lists. That said, I suspect there are people who have entirely dismissed toe-up knitting because they dislike short-row heels.

Though, if we’re counting cool things from the toe-up camp, I’ve noticed is that lace patterns in cuff down socks will be viewed upside-down from the direction you are knitting them. But the lace patterns in most stitch dictionaries are photographed right side up, as if you were to put them on a sweater knit from the bottom up. Toe-up knitting shows off your stitch pattern right side up. Good to know.

I really enjoyed doing the interweave preview play-by-play. I think I’m going to do the same for the Winter ‘05 Knitty.

First of all, I really, really liked this update. Yes, some of the items are a little off, but so are plenty of the thinks that turn up in IK or VK. I call an issue of any magazine, online or print, a success if there are at least a couple of things I might want to knit, or a couple of technique descriptions I find useful.

The Patterns:

• Kate - She’s a cute toy. I don’t really see myself making one, but she has nice shaping, and would make a charming gift.

• Pocket Creatures - Last winter, I wouldn’t have cared, but now that I live somewhere where bellow-freezing temperatures are an integral part of winter… warm and cute are a great combination.
• Boogie time - it could be a cute way to use self-striping sock yarn, but I don’t like big chunky-banded watches regardless of what they’re made out of.
• Knecklace - I think it would look really beautiful in a glossy cotton or rayon yarn, not so excited about it in rustic wool.
• Bamboozelle - The last thing I need is another little basket for collecting junk. That said, the pattern makes very good use of bamboo yarn’s texture and shine.
• Namaste - Yes, there are already patterns for yoga mat bags, but the cable pattern reminds me of moving water, and I think it is a very artful choice for a yoga accessory.
• Best Friend - I am glad to see the pattern includes instructions for lining the bag. It isn’t a style of bag I would ever carry, but that’s ok.
• Forecast - I am not a fan of the bobbles. The sweater has a beautiful retro-couteur kind of shape that will probably look best of figure’s similar to the designer’s. It will look distorted on women whose chests are large compared to their waist, and over-done on flat-chested figures.
• Tempting II - Nicer than the original tempting, but the really broad neckline is an issue for anyone who needs to wear a bra.
• Festive - There’s something funny about the sleeve caps… But I like the smaller needle button band trick, and I like the instructions for how to make frog closures. I may not make the sweater, but it’s nice to learn a little something.
• Tubey - Oh, I am desperately in love with this sweater. I’m going to make it in solid black, with maybe some maroon or charcoal accents, not striped all over, but necklines that cut straight across like that are super-flattering for those of us with long faces. I hope I can bring the front edges in far enough to hide a bra… but for a sweater this potentially flattering, I would go strapless.
• Blanche Neige - Not my style at all.
• Bristow - Couldn’t you see that second photograph in IK? This is a 100% classic sweater. The shaping is great. I love that the stitch pattern isn’t being wasted on a boxy shapeless cardigan.
• Cheesy Puffs - It took me a moment to look past the color, but the sweater itself is a great classic men’s sweater. The modified drop sleeves look fine on men, are a good compromise between the fit of set in shoulders, and the easiness of drop shoulders, while making a pattern that would be simple for a beginner.
• Bobblicious - Enough with the bobbles! But I bet it would be comfy to curl up in on a cold weekend afternoon. Though I would splurge on something nicer than Lion brand, just to make the curling up even comfier.
• Chaos - I’ve swatched with the idea of rolling dice to determine cable twists. I abandoned the project when I didn’t like the resulting design. I used a different way of assigning stitches to rolls, but the outcome was simmilar. It’s cute for a baby garment, but would drive me nuts on an adult sweater.
• Blu - Cute! I don’t have a baby around to knit for, but I almost wish I did.
• Pomatomus - Like everyone else, I am amused by the manequin leg model. It think these will be quite easy to re-work toe up. Mirror-imaging the pattern should be pretty easy, though. Patterning on every row! That’s cool.
• Thuja - Two socks in one issue! Sock knitting seems to be really catching on! I like the seed stitch ribbing, it’s simple, but has a really nice look.
• Marley’s Ghost - Cute, I’m impressed that the links don’t felt together. It doesn’t look too warm, but it looks attractive on the model.
• Danica - The scarf is pleasant enough, but the entrelac instructions look really clear, and I have one skein of kureyon that has just been begging to help me learn entrelac.
• Spike - Somehow reminiscent of playing cards. It’s nice, but not my style.
• Urban Rustic - Gloves in anything heavier than fingering are just too thick for me. Also, although I replace DPN’s with two circs, I still think small-diameter circular knitting no matter how you do it, is easier than this sideways short-rowed, picking-up-stitches method.
• a Real Stocking Cap - This made me giggle.It is knitty, after all, there should be a little something silly or impractical.
• Mrs. Beeton - The red ones are pretty!

The articles:

• Cool Stuff! - I think I’m going to order a copy of spin-spin

• Techniques with Theresa - I had read people mentioning twinned knitting, but I didn’t know what it actually was. It’s cool to learn a new technique.
• Thinking Beyond the Pattern - Jenna’s sleeve series is such a fantastic resource!
• Watch this Space - knitting aside, the nature of the contemporary art scene baffles me.
• Knit Like a Man - He seems to be pretty insightful. Is this a regular column?
• I wish someone had told me - When she talks about knitting from the skein instead of winding into a ball, I think she means knitting from a hank like the one in the photo with the cat. Ouch. That advice is a recipe for disaster.
• The Knitting - I’m sad for her loss, so I feel like kind of a bitch when I say it seems like a weird piece for Knitty to publish. I would have preferred to see a more expository, maybe journalistic, article about how knitting helped her through her loss. This unfocused, third-person emotional outpouring may make others feel like they are not alone, but the piece had the potential to really be a whole lot more.
• Scarf Psychology - Cute fluff
• With bows, curled ribbon and bells on - I’m sure there’s a law that all knitting magazines have to have something like this in their winter issues. But ti’s still cute.
• Eating my words - Wow, I’m getting interested in spinning now. I totally do not need a new hobby.
• Handy plying - If I spun, I would probably be fery happy for this.
• Spinning silk hankies - Oh no. I have some silk hankies. A friend gave me them to knit with, un-spun. But now I really want to get a spindle. Ooof. I do not need a new hobby.

Since there now seem to be a handful of people doing the Jaywalker pattern toe-up, I am going to summarize the basic method for knitting them with the “you’re putting me on” heel and a short row toe. Please note, I am writing this from the point of view of knitting on two circulars or magic loop. If you knit on DPN’s, the “you’re putting me on” instructions talk about what happens on which needle.

Pattern is now updated for all 4 sizes!

References:
Jaywalker pattern - please note, Magnits is no longer available, but the pattern is currently available as a direct download on Ravelry
Jaywalker in extended sizes
Judy Gibson’s “You’re putting me on” heels

Toe
Using your prefered provisional method, cast on 32 (36, 38, 42) st. Using your prefered short-row method, short row down to 10 (10, 12, 12) stitches, and back up to 32 (36, 38, 42). Pick up your provisional cast on. Don’t forget to pick up a stitch at one of the sides to make up for the fact that you lose a stitch with the provisional cast on.

Foot
Set-up rows for foot: (Two original sizes)
Row 1: Knit plain all around.
Row 2: Knit plain on sole side, k-f/b, knit 30 (34), k-f/b on instep side
Row 3: Knit plain all around
Row 4: Knit plain on sole side, [k-f/b, knit 15 (17), k-f/b] twice on instep side

Set-up rows for foot: (Two larger sizes)
Row 1: Knit plain all around.
Row 2: Knit plain on sole side, [k-f/b, knit 17 (19), k-f/b] twice on instep side
Row 3: Knit plain all around
Row 4: Knit plain on sole side, [k-f/b, knit 19 (21), k-f/b] twice on instep side

You will now have 32 (36, 38, 42) stitches on the sole side needle, and 38 (42, 46, 50) on the instep needle. Begin knitting in pattern as written in the original pattern. Please see the “heel gussets” section of the original pattern for description of slipping the edge stitches on the sole needle.

Continue knitting until you are ready to begin your gusset increases. I wear a 7.5 shoe, and for me this is usually at 4.5 - 5 inches.

Gusset
For the next 4 (4, 5, 5) pattern repeats, on every other row, increase one at both sides of the sole. (You will have completed 8 (8, 10, 10) total rows, and will now have 40 (44, 48, 52) stitches on the sole) On the last plain round, put markers in your knitting one stitch in from either side, so you will have 38 (42, 46, 50) stitches in that middle section.

Continue working your gusset increases every other row until you have 16 (18, 19, 21) stitches on each side outside of your markers. (you will have a total of 70 (78, 84, 92) stitches on the sole side of your sock.)

If you usually knit a longer or shorter heel flap when you knit cuff-down socks, then adjust your gusset the same way.

Heel Extension
This is equivalent to the “heel turn” on a cuff-down sock.

Also please note that if you are knitting your socks two-at-a time, you will have to complete one entire heel, then the other.

On the sole side of the foot, knit to the first marker. For this section, we will only be knitting between the two markers.
Row 1: SSK, knit to marker, turn.
Row 2: P2tog, purl to marker, turn.

Repeat these two rows, until you have about 8 (10, 10, 12) stitches remaining The right side should be facing.

Heel Flap
Slip the first stitch, knit across, then pick up 15 (16, 18, 19) stitches down the edge of your heel extension. Turn. Slip the first stitch, purl across, then pick up 15 (16, 18, 19) stitches down the other side of your heel extension. Turn. You now have 38 (42, 46, 50) stitches between your needles again.

Row 1: Slip the first stitch, (Knit 1, Slip 1) to one stich before the next marker. SSK the following stitch and the first stitch after the marker. Replace the marker after the just completed stitch. Turn.
Row 2: Slip the first stitch, purl to one stich before the next marker. P2tog the following stitch and the first stitch after the marker. Replace the marker after the just completed stitch. Turn.

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until you have used all of your gusset stitches. You will be left with 38 (42, 46, 50) stitches on your needle. (After the first few rows, the edges of the heel flap are obvious, and you can get rid of the markers entirely.)

Leg
Resume knitting circularly, continuing the pattern on the front of the sock. On the next pattern row, begin the pattern on the back of the sock as well.

Knit leg to desired length, then finish with 1 inch of 2×2 ribbing

It’s time for more pictures taken on my woefully un-photogenic blue desk under harsh artificial light!

Here we have my process to date: I console myself for my slow progress by reminding myself that if I was doing one sock at a time, I’d have a whole single sock by now.

Now for some random detail shots…

I have mentioned before that I am not using the k-f/b increase called for in the pattern, instead I am doing right and left leaning increases by knitting into the stitch into the row below. This causes the center part of the center two stitches to be pushed up and mirrors the centered double decrease well.

In the picture below, the left ridge is the decrease column, the right ridge in the increase column, don’t they look pretty?

Also, you remember where I said that the way I provisionally cast on over a 2nd circular left me with a row of fairly inconspicuous twisted stitches? Here it is. I think you can see where they are, but it’s not going to make an uncomfortable seam or anything.

Hey guys, I am really sad to see that this project has not had the kind of support others have… Go donate!!!

[South Asia Earthquake Donations]

This whole situation is so tragic. After a year with so many terrible tragedies, it makes me sick to think that this year will get capped off by tens of thousands of people freezing to death. How’s that for cruel fate? To survive an earthquake that killed 73,000 people, just to die for lack of warm blankets and tents.

If there is anyone out there following my vague instructions for adapting the Jaywalker pattern for toe-up gusset versions, I am going to add one more weird detail to the mix.

Although the heel flap is 38 stitches wide, it is only 32 stitches long. So when you are building up your gusset increases, you want to increase until there are 16 stitches in each gusset, and 38 stitches in the center section to work the heel flap on. Then you work up your heel flap like normal until you end up at the top of your heel, with 38 stitches ready to go into the patterning on the back side of the ankle.