Making socks for growing feet

#1

My grandson wants me to knit him socks. The problem is that his feet grow really fast. I typically to toe up and prefer that. This situation calls for something different in the way of doing them.

I’m thinking of working the toe then moving it to waste yarn, provisionally CO the same number of stitches and finish the sock and bind off the cuff. I could then use a contrasting yarn to knit a round on the toe and then graft the two parts together. This would serve two purposes: The contrasting yarn would make his easily distinguishable from his dad’s and when the socks are too short for him I could then cut just the contrasting yarn and take the toe off. I could add some rounds for length and graft the toe back on.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

I wouldn’t bother but he hates having things I make him get too small.

#2

that’s quite ingenuious, actually… i wonder if you could incorporate the colors somehow… like, fat stripes of 2 colors, and then just add whichever color is next in sequence if/when you had to expand the foot section?

e.g. “orange toes… blue, green, blue green, blue green stripes, orange heel, etc. oh, i need to expand the toe, it was blue, ok, i’ll add green to the front now.”

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#3

Thanks, X. One of the problems is that he wants solid colors. If you think you’re ornament averse or whatever was in the scarf description, he’s much more so when it comes to sox. I can get away with a different color stripe and if I give him multicolors he won’t complain, but he really wants solid colors.

After I posted I thought: Grafting isn’t necessary the first time. I’ll just do two or three rounds in a contrast so he can tell them from his dad’s then I’ll remove the contrast when they need to grow.

He’s 14 and has Asperger’s. I think that’s part of why he wants solid color sox. I think it also has something to do with his not wanting to outgrow anything I make for him. It makes me feel good but it’s hard. When we talked about sox yesterday I told him he was difficult and he agreed. We smiled and hugged and I told him I’d see what I can do. Because of a shortage of solid yarns and funds, he may have to have worsted weight slipper sox this time.