Creative Knitting – Beyond Knit and Purl

Short  Row Toe Shaping for Toe-up Socks

The short row tutorial I presented in “Short Row Heel with a Tweak,”  describes a method that can be used for toes as well. The original chart for the heel in the tutorial can be used to form the toe of the same sock.  The ONLY difference is that if you are working from the cuff down, you will need to close the opening between the instep and toe section, or the sole and toe section with the Kitchener Stitch.

Below is a picture of  standard short row heel shaping.  Normally, if you are doing a cuff down sock and you can use this shaping for your toe also.  You simply work the foot section down to within about * two inches, and (having made you decision on what side you will make the closure) you will begin to work the chart as before.  When finished, you simply use the Kitchener Stitch to join the live stitches on your sole or instep section, to the live stitches on you toe section.

Did I say NORMALLY?  Well, one day as I was  practicing one of those “normal” heel patterns (having started it on a crocheted chain, so I could pull it out), it suddenly dawned on me that if I just picked those stitches off the chain I could use it as a toe and start knitting the instep portion of a toe-up sock.  Wow!! That meant no more winding yarn around two needles, or some other funny little cast on.  I was all for that!

Now, since I don’t consider myself  NORMAL, I found myself immediately thinking, Hummmmm…., what if……???”

From that moment on I was on a mission to discover how many other shapes  I could make with those little short rows.  I actually found myself beginning to think of toe shapes in the middle of the night. Yikes!!! Now I know I’m losing it!  But it has not been for naught.  I have been having fun designing new shapes for toe-up socks and hope to share them with you as they are developed.

Here is the beginning tutorial- More toes tutorial

Have fun!