How to not have POINTY SOCKS? ! I hate them

#1

I’m on my 4th pair of socks which I do love to make. I’ve been making them from that Knit Socks! book. Has anyone found they always want you to bind off til you have like 3 stitches on each needle and then sew them up, but they are so pointy rather than nicely rounded. I’ve begun ignoring the instructions and just keep trying them on… and I think,

well you have to do that right? Like leaving 5 or 6 stitches on each needle is better. Or maybe I need better patterns? Maybe blocking will help. I just want a nice rounded toe. (I think I saw a picture of one of Kelly’s that was very nicely rounded).

#2

Hi Victoise,

Most of the sock pattern that I have, have you decreasing down until there are bewteen 10 and 6 stitches left on the instep and sole of the sock, then Kitchner stitching the toe closed. I really like this toe - not pointy or bulky. Amy has a really good video on Kitchner stitch if you’ve never done it.

I haven’t tried toe up socks yet, but I know that’s another way to get a nice toe.

I always thought pointy toed socks should only go in pointy toed elf shoes!!! :roflhard:

Happy Sock Knitting :XX: :XX:

Mary

#3

Yes, I do that too. I graft the toes when I have almost double what most patterns recommend.

#4

Oh, me, too! I almost never go down as to the # most patterns recommend. You can find different toes, heels, etc @ www.socknitters.com There’s lots of great info there :wink:

#5

My basic sock knitting pattern has you decrease down to 16 stitches total (8 on needle 2 and 4 on each of needles 1 and 2) and then graft the toe. Turns out really nice. A while back I dreamt about casting off alternating the stitches and did try it on a pair of baby socks, but I ended up with a bulky seam that I did not like. I’ll keep grafting. It isn’t difficult once you figure it out and give a nice finish.

#6

You have to try toe up socks! I made a pair for my son and there was no point at all. In fact, the whoe toe shaping was a nice arc.

When I saw my mom this summer and showed the socks to her, she hounded me for the instructions. She makes her socks this way too now.

#7

Yep, have to agree with beld. Toe ups are great although you can get them to be pointy too if you wanted. The nice thing about toe up though is you can decide right from the beginning how many stitches you’d like the toe to be…you can also try it on as you go so if you get a couple rows into it and it seems to pointy you can easily start over.

Or just do what everyone else said! No rule that you have to do the toe like the pattern says. :slight_smile:

#8

Oh, good stuff. Omg, I never thought of trying the toe up socks yet! I will have to do that soon.

Here is what it looked like this morning. Then I RIPPED ALL the toe OUT! I love this little blue sock, it’s the prettiest I’ve done so far, so I want a nicer toe. Perfectionist here today.

oh, I just got my computer back AGAIN after losing ALL THE HARD DRIVE so my pic isn’t sized down coz I haven’t got all the software installed.

Yes, I thought having only 3 stitches left on each needle, total of 12 sounded way too little. Oh Rebecca, nice sock site… going to look around in there a lot. I do do Kitchener stitch. I just think they’re wacky sometimes when they tell you to decrease so much, but it’s taken me a few pairs of socks to figure that out. like everything I guess
(except eating GREAT FOOD)

Thanks..... !!!!!
#9

That is awfully pointy…are you doing the decreases every round or every other round? Try every other–the difference is remarkable.

Also, don’t go lower than half the number of stitches on your needles. My first pair of socks also looked like elf socks b/c I decreased to 6 stitches! :shock: I’ve actually started knitting to within about 3/4 of an inch of the end (as opposed to 1.5, which is the standard I’ve seen) and then decreasing only slightly. It makes for a longer grafting session, but the look is worth it.

I haven’t tried toe-up yet…the beginning squiggle on the dpns makes me nervous! :smiley:

#10

I used Silver’s sock site to do mine and they are not pointy. I’ve only made three socks, though. :rollseyes: I STARTED the second for the pink pair, but…Hehe.
I wore my first pair of socks at work for 17 hours with no problems and then wore them to go shopping for ONE hour and popped a hole through the toe. :frowning:

#11

That was some serious shopping! :roflhard: :roflhard:

#12

It WAS yarn shopping. :stuck_out_tongue:

#13

Hey! KNIT THAT OTHER SOCK! It won’t take THAT LONG!

Well that pointy toe is gone coz I ripped it out, but yes, I was doing a decrease round then a regular round. I’m just gonna watch it this time and make sure I got what I want. Also, the pattern wants you to knit the toe instead of keeping with the ribbing on the top and I want the RIBBING ON TOP so I am going my own way. We’ll see…

oh, I have to look at Silver’s sock thingy. :lol:

#14

I agree with the crowd… that IS a weird looking sock. Who has pointy feet like that?
When I actually finish socks, I stop when I have 16 in the round, arrange all sts on 2 needles and do the kitchener thing. And, I talk to myself the WHOLE time. In as if to knit…hehe.

#15

[size=2]Whew…thought I was the only one![/size] :shifty:

#16

You have to to get it right…

#17

Knit, slip, purl…
Purl, slip, knit…
repeat until you run out of stitches or patience…whichever comes first.

Mary

#18

that’s so cute…

“knit purl purl knit knit purl purl knit knit purl purl knit
knit purl purl knit knit purl purl knit knit purl…”

:thumbsup:

#19

[size=2]Whew…thought I was the only one![/size] :shifty:[/quote]
I do too. And I wrote a tutorial on grafting the toes. :mrgreen:

#20

[size=2]Whew…thought I was the only one![/size] :shifty:[/quote]
I do too. And I wrote a tutorial on grafting the toes. :mrgreen:[/quote]

I can practically recite your tutorial by heart, Silver! The first few times I grafted toes, I practically broke my mousey scrolling back and forth, back and forth! :smiley:

I know I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating: that tutorial is a lifesaver, Silver! Thanks!