November 4, 2022: Making my first toe-up sock ever. YAY!

I had some initial hiccups but I managed to figure things out especially with the aid of the helpful notes by fellow Ravelers. I usually take copious notes mostly for myself, but if they help others I will be very happy.

Nov 4, 2022: Starting with 107.6g of yarn. My yarn is thinner than called for in the pattern. My gauge is 38 sts and 52 rows to 4”. I want to make the women’s medium size and will make a 64 st sock.

The toe, including cast on is 20 rows long. Then we are asked to knit for 5” from the toe until the gusset increases. The gusset increases add 32 rows. At the pattern row gauge of 42 sts in 4”, that adds 3” to the length. So, the pattern is asking to knit for 8” before the heel turn.

I have a row gauge of 52 rows in 4”. The gusset increases (32 rows) will add about 2.5”. So, to make the foot 8” long I need to knit 8 - 2.5 = 5.5” from the toe to the beginning of the gusset increases.

Cast on 14 sts using JMCO. I used the video JMCO by Sockmatician. As with all new techniques, it is fiddly at first but brilliant once you get the hang of it. Increased to 64 sts.

Toe Increases
On the toe of the sock, the pattern uses lifted right (MR) and lifted left (ML) increases. These increases are not made on the bar between stitches. Lifted increases are made on the knit stitch one row below or on the knit stitch 2 rows below.

Right Lifted Increase on a Knit stitch
This is called MR on the toe chart. Knit until the increase stitch. The stitch on which you wish to make the increase is sitting on the tip of your left needle. With your right needle pick up, back to front, the right leg of the stitch below on the left needle. Mount the lifted stitch on the left needle, and knit it normally. Right Lifted Increase Knitwise by Suzanne Bryan.

Left Lifted Increase on a Knit stitch
This is called ML on the toe chart. Knit the stitch on which you wish to make the increase so that it is sitting on the tip of your right needle. With your left needle pick up, back to front, the left leg of the stitch two rows below and mount it on the left needle. Then knit the stitch just lifted up through the back loop. Left Lifted Increase Knitwise by Suzanne Bryan.

Gusset Increases
I knit a length of 5.5” from the toe to the behinning of the gusset increases. At the end of 10 cables, my length is 5.75”. I have decided to go with that. Starting gusset increases after the 10th cable and hoping it fits!

The gusset increases also have lifted right and lifted left increases. But this time they are made on purl sts instead of knit sts. Here’s how to do them.

Right Lifted Increase on a Purl stitch
This is called MR on Chart 3 and it is worked on purl sts. Purl to the increase stitch. The stitch on which you wish to make the increase is sitting on the tip of your left needle. With your right needle pick up the purl st on the row below, from bottom to top and mount it on the left needle. Purl this lifted stitch through the back of the loop. Right Lifted Increase, Purlwise, by Pyrrha Designs.

Left Lifted Increase on a Purl stitch
This is called ML on Chart 3a and it is worked on a purl st. Here is how. Purl the stitch on which you wish to make the increase so that it is sitting on the tip of your right needle. With your left needle pick up, bottom to top, the purl bump two rows below. Then purl the stitch. Left Lifted Increase, Purlwise, by Pyrrha Designs

I got all mixed up with how the stitches needed to be placed on each needle etc. I don’t think it matters very much as the pattern until the gusset increases is symmetrical. So as long as you do the left gusset increases in-between one set of cables and the right gusset increases in-between the other, you will be fine.

I knit using magic loop. My front needle starts with the group of 8 cable sts and has 24 more knit sts. The back needle also starts with the group of 8 cable sts and has 24 more knit sts.

I am working a Right Gusset (chart 3) on the front needle and a Left Gusset (chart 3a) on the back needle. Peek at the WS of the work and put a removable stitch marker on the spine (with 2 ktbl sts) along which the increases are worked, both on the front and back needle.

Not that this is the pattern’s fault, but, the gusset charts 3a and 3 can be terribly confusing because the left gusset chart (3a) shows sts increasing on the right and the right gusset chart (3) shows sts increasing on the left! Wait! What?

Don’t look at the way the charts are leaning.

The right gusset chart 3 uses a right increase MR. An MR is worked on the right of the increase stitch and leans right.

The left gusset chart 3a uses a left increase ML. An ML is worked on the left of the increase stitch and leans left.

Heel Turn
The heel turn is done on the 24 KNIT sts between the increases (medium size). I am doing the heel turns on my front needle.

The pattern asks you to start after the right gusset increase, but I think you could as well have made it after the left gusset increase.

The heel turn requires you to work wrap-and-turn short rows. Here is Suzanne Bryan’s video on how to do that.

Sept 10, 2026: The socks were finished except for the bind off ages ago. Picking this up to finish the bind off. I will use Grumperina’s Bind Off Method described here. Here is Very Pink Knits video showing the method around the 2.11 min mark. Following A Bee in the Bonnet’s article, I picked up an extra stitch from the BOR and k2bl for a tighter finish. Used this method for a jogless join at the end of the bind off. I had my sts on 2.25mm circulars but used a single 2.75mm dpn as a bind off needle. I am happy with the stretch.

Some bind off options for toe-up socks:
Here are some Bind off techniques for toe-up socks:
Yarnover Bind off
Elastic Bind off
EZ Sewn Bind off
Stretchy Bind off for ribbibg
10 Stretchy Bind off methods
Jeny’s Interlock Bindoff Every Which Way
Laura Nelkin’s JSSBO and mods
Tubular Bind off by Suzanne Bryan - this is appropriate for 1x1 ribbing.
Lori’s no flare stretchy bind off
Zaneteknits stretchy bind off
Flexible bind off

Techniques
Wrap-and-turn short row
Knitted Lifted Increases, MR and ML
Stretchy Bind Off

Comments
These socks don’t fit me very well because of the wedge toe. I should try some different toe options if I make a toe-up sock again. I think I prefer cuff down construction.