A Toe-Up Cast-On Week-End

So I've been knitting socks for years, and my strongly preferred approach has been cuff-down.  Mostly because that's how I learned to knit socks, and frankly most of the sock patterns I acquired early on were cuff-down as well.  I had attempted toe-up socks before, with disastrous results, and have since avoided them like the plague - even re-jiggering the pattern to be cuff-down, rather than mess with that fidgety toe.  Give me Kitchener Stitch any day!

But this weekend I decided that enough was enough - no more cowering in the corner from toe-up patterns, especially since there were two that I have been wanting to make and that could not be made without starting at the toe.  I inhaled deeply, and braced myself to attempt Judy's Magic Cast-On.  Being of a certain age, I keep forgetting that others have often gone before me.  Thank goodness for Judy, Cat Bordhi, and YouTube.  10 minutes later, I was off and running (well - knitting).

This first sock is Scylla, made with the Zombie BBQ yarn that Neuro brought when she visited in June.  You can see some pooling near the heel, but otherwise this is a terrific yarn and a super fun and easy pattern.  Note the lovely toe!!  (Of course, having spent years knitting cuff-down, I'm completely bamboozled by the process of making the gusset and heel in the other direction!).



This second sock is the beginning of Firebird.  Once again, note the cute little toe.  I'm sure this part of this sock won't be the most challenging anymore- there is needlework involved later on, and that still makes me cower in the corner.  I'll probably need another weekend and a whole lot of scotch to get through that part!!


I do have a few other finished items to show, but I'm so stupidly happy about conquering the toe-up cast-on that I wanted to post this right away!

Comments

neuroknitter said…
So that's what Zombie BBQ is supposed to look like. Nice! It does not appear that you found the backwards heel gusset too much trouble, and you are in danger of forgetting how to do a kitchener stitch toe. Excellent progress Oogy!

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