Closing Japanese short rows on toe up sock

How-to Questions
1

[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]I am trying to follow the Japanese Short Row method described by Nona. The short rows are for the start of some toe up socks (I used a provisional cast on).[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]I have 12 stitches for practice. I knit 12 and then purled back 12. Now to start my first short row, I knit 11. Turn to ws. [COLOR=#993366]I slip stitch from left needle to right purlwise[/COLOR]. (10 sts on L and 2 on R).[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]P 9sts. Turn. Slip sts purlwise from L to R. pin.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]K 8 sts. Turn. Slip L to R. Pin.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]P 7 sts. Turn. Slip. Pin.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]K 6. Turn. Slip. Pin.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]P5. Turn. Slip. Pin.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Now I want to close my short rows.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]K 5.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3](Look at picture with 2 blue arrows. At this point it looks like I have 2 pins in my gap. According to Nona, the “pin will be under the right needle” which would seem to be write when looking at the right side).[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Pull pin. K2tog. Turn.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]P7. Slip. Pull pin. Slip back. P2tog. Turn.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Knit 8. Pull pin. K2tog. Turn.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]P9. Slip. Pull pin. Slip back. P2tog. Turn.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]K10. Pull pin. K2tog. (these are last 2 sts on needle). Turn.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]P11. Slip. Pull pin. Slip back. P2tog. (these are last 2 sts on needle). Turn.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]K12. Pick up live sts.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]----------------------------------------------------------------------------[/FONT][/SIZE]

[FONT=Times New Roman]I have a feeling that I am overshooting the pins from looking at the numbers and also looking at the completed project. I have some long diagonal threads on the inside of the toe where the rows were closed and I don’t think that looks right. I had a friend close the gaps for me and she got it to look right, but we didn’t have time to discuss what she did different from me and now she has moved.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman]I would greatly appreciate some help here. On the outside, it looks okay, but on the inside it looks bulky and has those long diagonal threads which definitely does not look okay.[/FONT]

2

I put a lot of extra work into developing this smaller project and breaking it down in hopes that someone could “read” what I was doing wrong or even so that anyone could try it out themselves to find my mistake.

Could someone please help me with my struggles or at the very least give me some reassurance that you’re looking into this? I did a lot of searching on the internet and at this site before posting my question. I really am stuck :shrug:

3

I’m sure someone will answer you soon. I’ve never made a sock so I wouldn’t have a clue. Sorry.

4

My JSRs sometimes look a bit sloppy til I get past them into the following few rows (usually more sloppy on the purl side ones).

A few thoughts on your dilemma though:

Are you perhaps pulling the pinned loop too hard/too far? I try to get the tip of the needle right by it so I can just slip it (mounted correctly) on the L needle without stretching it too much.

When you’re slipping, is the yarn in it’s place to be knitted? If I’m on a purl row, I have the yarn in front to slip, if I’m on a knit row, I slip with yarn in back.

You may want to try “pinning” with something smaller - small safety pins (with no coil) or just a piece of contrasting waste yarn/crochet cotton. I find if my pin is too big, it causes me to stretch the loop out more and it gets in my way too much so my stitches are wonkier. And there’s less bulk if you remove the pins along the way, especially on purl rows.

Lastly, you may want to practice by putting some space in between the short rows - instead of turning each row right at your last pin, turn a couple of stitches before it. It’s easier to work them if they’re not right on top of each other.

ETA: OH, YIPES! I just reread the original post - totally missing the “turn” part on closing the gaps. When you close your gaps, it is all in the same 2 rows, you don’t keep turning. So on a knit row, knit across til your pins, close ALL the gaps, TURN then, purl back and close those gaps. Sorry! (although my other tips work, too, LOL!)