Toe-Up Socks: The Middle Eastern Cast-On

re: Toe-Up Socks: The Middle Eastern Cast-On

barbarayvette — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:43:35 GMT

weavelady: if you are knitting with a set dpn's, the heel is made on needle 2 with short row shaping.

re: Toe-Up Socks: The Middle Eastern Cast-On

barbarayvette — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:40:02 GMT

I have made one pair of socks from the top down. The rest have all been toe-up with the Middle Eastern cast-on using dpns. For me the advantage has been the ability to make a fully customized pair of socks. I have legs that seem to be more curvaceous than the ones socks are generally made for, so most socks are tight around my calves. I can try out the socks at various stages to make sure they fit me or the child for whom I am making the sock. I have been able to customize the circumferences of the leg by adding increases and decreases. For me, the toe up method also makes it easier add design elements, such as cables and eyelets. For the bind off I use larger needles and k2tog across (k2tog, return stitch made to left hand needle until only one stitch remains on right hand needle, cut working yarn, draw up through loop, weave in tail. This tends to give a more elastic bind off) The toe- up method also lets me use the leftover yarn from other projects to make anklets and/or "house socks" (for house socks, the bulkier the yarn the better. Just add some silicon caulk to the bottoms to make them non-slip.)

re: Toe-Up Socks: The Middle Eastern Cast-On

weavelady — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:35:26 GMT

how would the gusset work from knitting toe up?

re: Toe-Up Socks: The Middle Eastern Cast-On

CarolC — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:17:22 GMT

I actually do use the Middle Eastern cast on with DPN's. It's a little fiddly, and there has been the odd time, when I've been tired, or the light very poor, that I haven't been able to manage it, but on the whole, I can do it without much trouble. I've even done it at a hockey game. Okay, during intermission, because I'm the gal who stands up and cheers, loudly, at every brilliant play her team makes, but I was at the game. I had the whole toe nearly done by the time third period was done and our team victorious.

re: Toe-Up Socks: The Middle Eastern Cast-On

CaroleM@7 — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:25:57 GMT

This is a terrific cast on taught to me by Priscilla Gibson-Roberts years and years ago. I have used nothing since for my toe up socks and always use double pointed needles. Never had a problem. I do, however knit a strip for a toe box and after picking up the stitches all around, shape my toes right and left so that they fit my foot.

Once you get the hang of it, the cast on is not difficult.

re: Toe-Up Socks: The Middle Eastern Cast-On

Purrcat — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:56:07 GMT

I was going to say that this is also known as the Turkish Cast On, but I see someone else did. I love this one!

re: Toe-Up Socks: The Middle Eastern Cast-On

ElizabethG@3 — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:05:12 GMT

Kathleen,

I've been trying to figure out how make my socks less pointy at the toe, and noticed that the toe on your sock looks like it might work for me. Would you be willing to share your toe-shaping numbers with me?

Thanks,

Liz

re: Toe-Up Socks: The Middle Eastern Cast-On

AndreaW — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 02:08:27 GMT

Hi....I agree with all who say they use dpns for this cast on. I have made countless prs of socks. While I don't really care for toe-up socks....I have done them + used this cast on...w/ dpns always. Over time I frequently replace heels + sometimes entire feet on homemade socks. For this reason I prefer top down. And also I do prefer my cast on @ the top compared to any cast off I've tried.

I'de like to add that I was so pleased to see the free shipping offer on sock books in tonite's newsletter. Goodie...a great excuse to add 1-2 more books to my collection!!! Then I read the fine print. Nova Scotia doesn't count. We aren't exactly overseas here!?!? I have ordered fr you folks several times as well as having a subscription to both "Knits" + "Piecework". Disappointing + not really fair to make the offer with that limit. Andrea

re: Toe-Up Socks: The Middle Eastern Cast-On

LilinahA — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:37:03 GMT

I learned this cast-on using double pointed needles and this is the way i continue to do it. I don't understand why you say you don't "recommend" DPNs for this.

Perplexed,

Lilinah

re: Toe-Up Socks: The Middle Eastern Cast-On

Joann@4 — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:56:17 GMT

I am just very pleased to see toe-up be in the newsletter....Priscilla A. Gibson-Roberts has been writing books and doing research for a long time on this practical method....in the event you have a limited amount of unusual yarn, due to price or handspun...well, this is the way to make a pair of socks that will use equal amounts...start at the toe of each and go as far as it lasts....no wasted snippets...love the pictures of your lovely project...

re: Toe-Up Socks: The Middle Eastern Cast-On

helenpat — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:21:06 GMT

Actually, there is a great advantage. If you use the magic loop, you can measure it on the foot as you go and make it fit perfectly. I knit for grand children and the sizes vary a lot from the patterns I find. With the toe-up I can decide on a stitch and make it up as I go. I'm a new knitter, so my stitch patterns tend to be somewhat simple. I would love to make those pretty socks in your books though.

re: Toe-Up Socks: The Middle Eastern Cast-On

helenpat — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:14:15 GMT

I already bought a couple of your sock pattern books; however, I love the toe-up socks and I haven't been able to figure out how to convert the patterns in the books to toe up. They all seem to be top-down and with adjusting for size and length, I can't seem to figure out how to start at the other end and also adjust the very pretty patterns to toe-up. Thanks for your help.

re: Toe-Up Socks: The Middle Eastern Cast-On

Lisa@19 — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:48:57 GMT

This is one of my favorite toe-up cast ons. I do it with double points all the time!

re: Toe-Up Socks: The Middle Eastern Cast-On

JoanneS — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:14:31 GMT

This is a traditional cast-on for Turkish socks, as explained by Anna Zilboorg in her sock book. (titled differently in different editions) It's a great way to start off a sock with a complicated color pattern...it gets a lot of stitches on the needles quickly in order to facilitate stranded knitting. The traditional way to do it is with dpns--and that's how I learned! I use dpns exclusively while making socks, and I find this to be a very useful cast on for toe up socks. While Magic Loop or two circulars are entirely legitimate ways to make socks, there's no reason why the old-fashioned standard--dpns-won't work here.

It worked just fine for generations of Ottoman knitters!

re: Toe-Up Socks: The Middle Eastern Cast-On

Linny — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:06:05 GMT

I am so glad I found your sight! I am a sock fanatic - "advanced" beginner. i.e. I can knit a basic sock al day long - - but am just now starting to venture out with patterns and have friends tell me I'm crazy for not going with the 2 circular needle method (so here goes - - toe-up, too) I have most of your mail in a special folder as the "gems" are priceless. Thank-you for your availability and e-mails!! Linda Gager