Bob Socks!
The Bob socks are done! The Bob socks are done!
These are knitted from 2 skeins of Regia sock yarn in color #5166 using my Generic Toe Up Sock Pattern, US 0 (2mm needles), and a total of 72 stitches. They are for a man’s foot (size 10 shoe) and I used all but a few yards of the yarn.
That’s one of the things I really like about knitting socks toe-up: you can knit til you run out of yarn to make the leg as long as possible.
I did a pretty good job of matching the stripes on these babies. Here are the toes:
And here are the cuffs:
New Sock!
I started a new sock on my morning commute today. Said morning commute was just long enough to complete a toe:
The yarn is the wonderful Socks That Rock from Blue Moon Fiber Arts. The colorway I’m using is Azure Malachite (I don’t think it’s currently available), and the yarn was sent to me by the lovely and wonderfully generous Cara last December.
I divided my skein of Socks that Rock into two (hopefully) equal balls, so that I could, as I mentioned above, knit til I run out of yarn. I first wound the entire skein on my ballwinder into a ball. I weighed the ball.
Then I started winding a second ball from the first ball on my ballwinder, stopping to weigh the first ball from time to time.
When the first ball weighed half of its original weight, I stopped and cut the yarn, thusly ending up with two balls. Their weight is off by just a hair, so I started the first sock using the ever-so-slightly smaller ball.
I’m making the foot plain on this sock, but I’m thinking I’ll do a feather and fan pattern on the leg. I don’t want the pattern extended down on the instep, because k2togethers in my shoes can irritate me. Yes, I am a delicate flower.
Yeah, these socks are for me. I have 64 stitches around at 8 stitches/inch. When I get to the leg, I’ll increase to 72 stitches so that I have the proper multiples for the feather and fan stitch pattern. And because I have fat legs.
So there you have it.
While working the short row toe on the train this morning, I paid attention to how I actually pick up and work my double wraps so I could describe it here.
On the knit side, I slide the wrapped stitch, unworked, from the left to right needle. Then with the tip of my left needle, I pick up the 2 wraps around that unworked stitch and place them on the right needle along with the unworked stitch. Then I slide the tip of my left needle through the 3 unworked loops on the right needle (the stitch and the 2 picked-up wraps) so that the needles are positioned for me to knit 3 together through the back loops, and I work it thusly.
I do the same thing on the purl side, except that when I slide the left needle through the 3 loops on the right needle, it is set up to purl normally. So I do. Purl 3 together normally, that is.
The short rows look pretty much identical on each side of the sock when I do it this way.
Flash Your Stash?
Laura asked:
Wendy…could you possibly show us your knitting stash? In terms of what it’s in, how it’s organized, etc.
That request is based on the supposition that my stash is organized and in something. 
My stash is not organized, and it is in a series of boxes, bags, and well, heck, some of it ain’t in anything at all.
Bear Alert!
These are my two bears that I’m sending off tomorrow in support of Phyl’s Bear Drive. I think they are pretty cute!
Lucy Sez:
“I’m cuter.”
__DIRECTORY__ Listen to this post 
{ 32 comments… read them below or add one }
Wendy, you are making me want to attempt socks again! Believe it or not I hadn’t heard of toe up socks before (because sock knitting has been something of a mystery to me).Those colors are awesome. And I’ve got to say those bears are pretty cute. Yes Lucy, you are very cute too :o)
YAY! So glad to see you using the yarn - and for socks too! What a shocker!
Glad you’re enjoying it and I look forward to seeing the finished pair.
The bears are adorable, but yes, Lucy is cuter. hehe
Bears! So cute! And Lucy is lovely as always!
The Bob Socks are terrific. I read your Knitty article on toes, and am absolutely captivated by the figure-8 method - I must try it! When you knit from the toe up, is a short-row heel totally necessary, or are there other ways to do it? I’ve only ever knit socks from the cuff down. I sense a new knitting adventure in my near future.
Thanks for the detail on the toe-up wraps. All my socks so far are cuff-down, but I would like to learn the other way (for that very good reason of working ’til you run out of yarn).
On that note: Anyone got any good ideas for all those dibs and dabs of sock yarn I’m accumulating? I rarely use up an entire skein, but I refuse to throw away perfectly good sock yarn!
I may just make myself some ‘junkyard’ socks - start with one skein and keep going ’til I run out, then randomly tie on another one and continue.
Lucy - you are definitely cuter than any bear could ever be.
I’m going to have to go with Lucy on this one, though those bears are pretty darn cute.
Question: What kind of scale do you use for weighing yarn? Most of the options I’ve seen (admittedly, I haven’t done that much research) are mind-bogglingly expensive.
Oooh, that explanation for the double wraps should help a great deal when I do sock 2 of my pair.
Thanks!
I am curious as to your experience with the Socks That Rock yarn. It certainly looks gorgeous–I’m hoping that one skein can make two socks since it’s a touch pricey. (This, mind you, said by the girl using Lorna’s Laces but, well, there you go.)
I looooove that blue colorway! Thanks for the explanation on picking up the doublewrap stitch - I was doing one direction (not sure which) right but couldn’t figure out the other. All I know is my two sides don’t match. I’ll figure it out on sock#2. Lucy - you’ll always be the cutest.
I love your bears!they look so cute next to each other, and i really liked your socks. can you match the toes for all yarns? or only some are like that?
Oh, lovely STR color. And really, Lucy has a point. It’s good that the STR will match her eyes.
Swedish bears - cute!
Love the Bob socks! and what adorable little bears that some lucky little guy will receive. To bad the colorway for your new socks is no longer available. Very pretty (but of course, anything blue wins my vote):)
Thanks so much for the description of knitting and purling a stitch with two wraps. I will try, try again.
The bears are fabulous and the socks rock! Wendy’s sock mojo is back (at least for awhile);-)
Of course, Lucy is always cuter! But the bears are very cute, too. I sent off my two bears yesterday.
Oh Wendy. Those bears are . . ., gorgeous. Though not as gorgeous as Lucy, of course. I love your socks. I love socks.
Hi Wendy,
What a GREAT idea about weighing the yarn so you can divide it in half! I was just trying to figure out how to split my hand dyed yarn… I really need to be able to knit on both socks at the same time or I’ll never get them done.. and I use dpns so I needed separate balls… and then enter Wendy to the RESCUE!
I can’t wait to start my new pair
Thanks!
I found that when I tried one pair of socks with the short row toes and heels, I wasn’t a big fan of them because they didn’t look too great. Maybe your tips will help.
Two questions: I feel like the slipped stitches on a sock with a heel flap give it some strength and stability. Do the short rows hold up as well? How do you keep your bind off on the cuff stretchy enough to fit over a foot? Thanks!
Love the Bears! Super-cute but certainly not as cute as Lucy, of course. Thanks for knitting bears for the drive. And thank you for helping spread the word.You are the best.
And a HUGE thank-you for my favorite sock pattern. I am glad you shared the picking up secrets. I sometimes end up with “weird” things. I am looking forward to any helpful hints for after the heel. I end up with holes.
Wendy - I love reading your blog. I think that the tips you provide are very helpful to me as an advanced beginning-knitter. Thanks for your humor, wit and Lucy!
Great socks - finished and in progress! The bears are adorable, but Lucy’s right - she’s cuter (by a smidge).
I do not have an accurate scale at home, so I stop by the Post Office. They have a scale in the lobby that is open 24-hours. I have used it to estimate how much yarn I have already used to see if I’ll have enough, etc. It is very accurate down to .1 ounces.
Lucy is cuter by far!
why do I have the feeling that seeing your stash would be like being in Alibaba’s Cave? that I may experience temporary blindness from its brilliance??
I’ve become ADDICTED to your toe-up pattern, and also the short-row toe. I hadn’t thought about doing those wrapped stitch pick-ups by putting the stitches on the right needle and then moving them to the left and doing all three together. What a FABULOUS tip. The purl side seems to be easier … but I know I’m a tighter knitter than purler.
Thanks, Wendy!!
Yes, Lucy’s cuter, but only because she has a Lucy-Belly.
I have another question about your short row wraps: I pick up the two wraps like you do, but then I fiddle with the two picked-up wraps so that they’re not lying on top of or in front of the regular stitch. When I K the 3 together, they’re all in order on the needle. Is this just anal, or do you do the same thing and just didn’t say so?
your cat’s eyes make me laugh sometimes.
I just used your toe-up sock pattern (started it on Sunday, in fact!), and BOY is your pattern GREAT! And it’s the only one I’ve been able to understand, so double kudos!
(I also cut my cabling teeth on your cat toy last year)
peace
monstergirl
I have to say, all this talk about socks makes me want to start another pair. I can’t wait to see those STR socks done. I’ve been coveting that yarn for ages and ages. Lucky you to have some from Cara
oooooo ooooo that is a pretty blue yarn… I know it is supposed to be green with envy but this time round I think it is blue
Oh, I love the bears and their matching outfits! The scarves are totally adorable. =)
I’m so glad you’ve gotten your sock mojo back!
I love the bears, so cute!
Thanks for *trying* to comment, I’m empathetic my commentally challenged friend