Wendy D. Johnson - Socks from the Toe Up: Essential Techniques and Patterns from Wendy Knits

This book would not have been possible without the help of a number of generous people.

Thank you to Blue Moon Fiber Arts, the Loopy Ewe, and Lisa Souza Knitwear and Dyeworks for their generosity in donating the yarn for the socks in this book.

A special thank-you to my friend Sheri Berger at the Loopy Ewe for helping me choose colors and yarns for a number of these projects and for listening to me patiently and offering advice and support whenever I phoned her and rambled on and on about all things socks.

Thank you to Judy Becker for giving me permission to document in this book her marvelous technique for starting toe-up socks: Judys Magic Cast-On.

Thank you to Ian Ories, who patiently and meticulously took the photographs used to create the illustrations of the techniques demonstrated in this book. Thanks also to Ian for wearing and enjoying the socks I knit for him.

Many thanks to my test knitters: Alice Coppa, Sharon Hart, Lindsey-Brooke Hessa, Hariamrit Khalsa, Laura Linneman, Gail Marracci, Daisy Olsen, Jill Smith, and Margaret H. Velard. Not only did these talented women knit the socks in this book beautifully, but they did a great job of troubleshooting the patterns and clarifying the instructions.

Last but most definitely not least, I offer heartfelt thanks to my technical editor, dear friend, and sister-in-socks, Lindsey-Brooke Hessa. L-B scrutinized the patterns closely, asked questions, made suggestions, knit swatches, and, always on the job, telephoned me from restaurants, airports, moving vehicles, and other remote locations with questions and comments. She listened patiently while I ranted and raved, gently guided me back to the proper path when I went off on tangents best not explored, and responded with tact when I made suggestions too ludicrous to repeat here. She never laughed at me. Well, truthfully, she did laugh, but she did it kindly. And at the end of it all, we remain friends. Thanks, L-B!

Wendy D. Johnson is the blogger and knitter extraordinaire behind the popular blog WendyKnits.net, which has twice been nominated for the Bloggers Choice Awards Best Hobby Blog. She is frequently quoted in major knitting magazines and is the author of Wendy Knits and Toe-Up Socks for Every Body. She lives in Alexandria, Virginia.

k knit

k2tog knit two together

kf&b knit in the front and back of the next stitch

m1 make one

p purl

p2tog purl two together

pf&b purl in the front and back of the next stitch

psso pass slipped stitch over

RS right side

sl slip

ssk Slip one stitch; then slip the next. Insert the left needle into the front loops of the slipped stitches and knit them together from this position (through the back loops)

tbl through back loops

w&t Wrap and turn. Bring yarn to the front of the work between the needles, slip the next stitch onto the right-hand needle, bring the yarn around this stitch to the back of the work, slip the stitch back to the left-hand needle, and turn the work to begin working back in the other direction.

yo yarnover

Bind off. Finish off live stitches at the end of a knitted piece so that the knitted work does not unravel. To bind off in pattern, knit or purl as directed by the pattern and slip the finished stitches over each other until you have only one stitch left. The final stitch is finished by pulling the tail end of the yarn through the last stitch.

Block. Finish a knitted fabric and even out the stitches by moistening with water or steam and shaping to the final measurements. A sock can be blocked by laying the damp piece flat on a towel and manually shaping it to the proper size, or by slipping the damp sock over a sock blocker of the proper size and allowing it to dry.

Cable. A twisted design within the knitted fabric made by crossing a stitch or group of stitches in front or behind each other.

Cable Needle. A small, double-pointed needle, either straight or curved, used to temporarily hold stitches off the work when creating a cable pattern.

Cast off. See Bind off.

Circular needle. A knitting needle that consists of short, straight, or slightly bent rigid needles attached to a flexible cord. You can knit socks on two circular needles or, using the , on one longer circular needle.

Decrease. To reduce the number of stitches in a row. You can decrease one stitch by working two stitches together in a variety of ways. You can decrease two stitches by working three stitches together in a variety of ways: by slipping 1, knitting 2 together, and passing the slipped stitch over the knit 2 together; by slipping 2 knitwise, knitting 1, and passing the 2 slipped stitches over the knit 1; by knitting 3 together (either normally or through the back loops); or by purling 3 together.

Double-pointed needles. Straight needles with a point at each end that are used for knitting socks and other small circular items. Double-pointed needles are usually sold in sets of five.

Gauge. The number of stitches and rows in a set measured area (usually 4" [10cm] square). Knit a swatch to check your gauge to make sure that your finished project will have the correct measurements.

Grafting. A method used to join two active rows of knitting so that seaming will resemble a row of knitting stitches; also known as Kitchener stitch. Socks knitted from the top down will usually require grafting to close up the toe. Toe-up socks need no grafting.

Increase. Add a stitch or stitches to make the knitted piece wider. Common increases are m1 (make one) and yo (yarn over).

Knitwise. Insert the right needle into the front of a stitch from left to right.

Live stitch. A stitch that is being worked on a needle and has not yet been bound off.

Make one. A technique used for increasing stitches.

Marker. A device used to mark a pattern change. Among other things, you can use a ring (metal, plastic, rubber, and so forth) or a loop made from a strand of yarn as a marker.

Purlwise. Insert the right needle into the front of a stitch from right to left.

Ribbing. A combination of knit and purl stitches that creates a stretchy fabric with vertical ridges. Ribbing is commonly found at the beginning and end of sweaters, hats, mittens, and socks.

Right side. The side of fabric shown on the outside (or public side) of a project.

Short rows. A shaping method used to add curves, fullness, and shape to a knitted piece. You can use short rows to create toes and heels for socks.

Slip stitch. To move a stitch from one needle to another without working it. You can slip a stitch knitwise or purlwise.

Stitch holder. A tool used to temporarily hold stitches not being worked to prevent them from unraveling. A piece of waste yarn or a circular needle with point protectors on the ends can be used as a stitch holder.

Work even. Work in the established pattern without increasing or decreasing stitches. Also known as working straight.

Wrong side. The side of the fabric shown on the inside (or private side) of a project.

Yarn over. To make a new stitch by wrapping yarn over the right needle but not working itsometimes called yarn forward. Working a yarn over will create a small hole in the work, so it is used in lace patterns.

All of the projects in this book call for materials that are readily available either at yarn stores near you or online. The following list of suppliers will help you find all the materials you need to complete the projects in the book. If you have trouble finding a product, consult the websites listed to locate a distributor near you.

Blue Moon Fiber Arts: