slisen.blogspot.com
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I’m trying to get caught up with a few
things on my blog, which has been woefully neglected the last little
while. Knitters ask about my socks so
thought I’d focus on some of my favorite techniques. The first thing that comes to mind is how I
shortrow for the heels and toes. I know
that some don’t like shortrowed heels and toes but I hope those who do will find
this helpful.
Some complain that shortrowed
heels/toes are too rounded and not form fitting. The shortrow standard is to decrease down to
1/3 of the total number of stitches. For
example if I have a total of 36 stitches in the heel/toe, the standard 1/3
calculation would tell you to leave 12 sts in the center with 12 sts on each
side during the decreasing. This is merely a guideline and
doesn’t have to be etched in stone. If I’m
knitting for a narrower heel or toe, I generally decrease down 2 more stitches than
the 1/3 calculation. For example, I’ll shortrow down
to 10 sts, leaving 13 sts on each side.
By the same token, if I’m knitting for a squattier heel/toe, I’ll
shortrow down to only 14 sts with 11 sts on each side. Shortrowing can be as form fitting as you want
with these simple adjustments, just remember to have the same number of
stitches in the sections on both side of the center stitches.
I like this method of shortrowing
because it gives a firmer ‘seam’ line than the standard shortrow method and it
does a nice automatic wrap of that first needle to prevent pesky holes along the seam line. I certainly didn’t ‘invent’
this method but I’ve been using it for just forever.
My pictures show a sock knit in the
round but this shortrow method works equally well with a flat sock. If knitting circularly and your heel/toe is to be formed on the main bed, make sure that the
last row knitted is on the main bed so that the yarn is coming off the main
bed.
1. To decrease, lower
the ribber one notch, change to main carriage arm and put on hold, hang weights on front of work, at carriage side pull 1 ndl into hold position
for automatic wrap and knit across. Hang weights as needed on the main bed
work.
2. Continue til there are desired number of sts
in working position. (The general standard is that 1/3 sts remain in work, however this
is not necessary. Stay as close as you can to 1/3, but it is important that you have
the same number of sts in hold on each side before beginning the increase
work).
3. When you have the desired number of needles
in work and the needle closest to the carriage pulled to hold position AND the
same number of sts in hold on each side, do NOT knit across…immediately increase
back out by putting 2 ndls opposite the carriage back into working position and
then knit across.
4. On subsequent rows, pull one needle at beg of
each row on the carriage side into hold position AND two needles opposite the
carriage into working position each row til all needles except a set of two
needles on each side are again in working position.
5. When increased back out to one group of sts
left on each side, put both sets back into work at the same time. Unwrap the first needle on the carriage side and knit
across.
6. There are several finishing techniques to
prevent holes from forming on the sides of shortrowing but I’ll discuss my favorites
in another post.
This photo shows a toe from the top side as it would appear on the foot. Again the pointiness can be altered by adjusting the number of stitches left in the center during the decreasing process of shortrowing.