I love knitting socks toe up. I find my heel placement is better because I can try them on as I go. The only thing that is different (I use either a short row heel or and afterthought heel) is the cast on. Judy’s Magic Cast-on is the one I use. I am a visual learner and the YouTube videos made it easy for me to learn. I like toe up because if I have a special yarn or think I might not have enough I can knit the leg as long and I want without playing yarn chicken.

Sue

What a beautiful color for that gorgeous cowl! It looks so very soft.

I really, REALLY hope you both stay healthy. You have had more than your share of illness so far this year, and it’s only March!

I have a top-down stocking pattern I use for my boyfriend’s family stockings. I’ll email it to you – it has very easy charts for each letter that I just stand on their heads while I’m doing the names. Hey, whatever works!

Toe up socks are great – as this is a Christmas Stocking you don’t need to fit a foot so as a first toe up it will be easy. I use the Judy’s magic cast on to have the toe closed then I use the Fleegle (off her blog) heel which looks like a heel with a gusset. Cast on, increase to the width you want the foot, knit in circles till approx where the heel should go, do the Fleegle heel, then go around in circles again until the leg is as long as you want. I have made 15-20 pairs of socks this way without ever having knit socks previously. (I am whiteoak on Ravelry and there are pictures and extra information in my projects). Good luck.

Thank you for asking about the toe-up socks. I’ve been afraid to tackle that technique and these comments help me wrap my mind around the process.

Please rest as much as you can. You surely could find better excitement than sickness.

Sending a warm hug your way!

I would try toe-up IF I could just master that cast-on. So far, no luck, although I have tried several times.

I have done toe up socks quite a bit, and studied a bunch of different toes. There is no one single way you have to do it. I often just cast on (long tail!) 8 sts, and then increase into each one. I put 4 sts on one dpn, 8 sts on the second, and 4 sts on the third. I join them. I increase at the edges (beg and end of 8 sts, beg of 4 sts, end of 4 sts) until it is wide enough. You can also just increase every few sts, like you would on a hat that you did this way. Either way works.

I go towards the heel. I make short row heels, but you do whatever suits…and keep going!

I do a stretchy cast-off so that the ribbing doesn’t cut off anyone’s ankle circulation.

At the end, I use the long tail to stitch up the tiny hole at the tip of the sock.

These work great for little boy socks, my guys grow even while I am making the socks, so they are easier to knit longer this way…

I hope you stay healthy! Yow, that is scary.

Chrissy Gardiner wrote a great book called Toe Up. Several variations allow you to choose what works for you. I use Judy’s Magic CO then increase by alternating rounds with yo increases and ktbl to tighten. It’s easy to keep track of which round I’m on and leaves no visible holes. I use Lucy Neatby’s garter stitch heel on 60% of the stitches. Love toe up socks!