When I finished these “Nordic Rose” knee highs, I found that they were a bit loose for me. At first, I just washed them in the washer and put them into the dryer to shrink them a mite. That helped a little but they were still a tad to big around the ankle.
To compensate, I pulled them up higher, which left me with a ribbed band that was a bit long. The fix-fold it over, encasing 1/8 th inch elastic bands to secure them around the top of the calf.
Because I had striped the ribbing, I was able to use a crochet hook to slip stitch the opposing purl bumps that formed the black strips together (top of photo) to form a casing for the joined elastic band. The next step was to slip another elastic ring over the sock in into the area just under the first casing. Using the crochet hook again, I slip stitched the top edge of the stocking to the base of the ribbing.
The real lesson here is that because the stockings are a bit looser, and they have the elastic rings in the top to pull them in, they stay up all day.
The next time I make this design, I will plan my casings in the ribbed( using #2″s) area, use the #3 needle for the calf area before the decreases, then return to the #2 to finish the stocking. That extra stitch per inch in the calf area, allows the knitting to move with you, without seeking a path of least resistance to the ankle- just like water flowing down hill. The secret is to make them long enough to have the elastic ride above the largest calf portion, so that it pulls in just below the knee.
Below are the charts for this stocking.
Nordic Rose Heel, Toe, and Border Charts
Happy Knitting-
KT
Creative Knitting - Beyond Knit and Purl 