Signature Needle Arts

A lot of really great sock patterns are written specifically for the Magic Loop technique. The funny thing is that the type of needles you’re using to knit the sock isn’t actually relevant to the pattern instructions.  It’s sort of like specifying what type of spoon you use to mix the cookie dough – although it’s helpful, it’s doesn’t make a difference to the final product, or more importantly, the way you work it.

I’m a confirmed fan of double-pointed needles – Signatures, of course! – for working socks, so it frustrates me when I see a pattern written for magic loop.  (My friends who use magic loop also get annoyed when they see patterns written for double-pointed needles. And there are knitters who like working with two circulars – it seems like fewer patterns take their preference into account.)

Since at Signature, we’re all about double-pointed needles, we want you to be able to work any sock pattern, no matter how it’s written.

Here are a few tips for converting magic loop (or indeed two-circulars) patterns for working on double-pointed needles.

Distributing The Stitches On Your Needles

In a magic loop pattern, the stitches are divided onto two needles – most often evenly. Therefore, if working on DPNs, you can simply divide the stitches up one step further: if you’re working with 4 DPNs, just take the stitches from one of the two magic loop needles and divide across two of your DPNs; if you’re working with 5 DPNs, divide up the stitches from each of the two magic loop needles onto two DPNs.

Pay attention to how you divide them up.  If there’s a pattern stitch, you’ll want to make sure you divide them up at the end of a pattern repeat, for easier working and keeping track.  For example, if the leg uses a 7-stitch pattern repeat, make sure that each DPN has a multiple of 7 stitches on it.

Remember, you can always rearrange your stitches as you’re working – slip them purlwise from one needle to another. When you’re sliding them around, make sure you keep track of the start of the round – I usually stick a safety pin in the sock.  (You can’t place a marker at the beginning or end of a needle, it will just fall off!)

Working The Leg

Whether cuff-down or toe-up, the leg is the easiest section to convert.  To some extent, it doesn’t matter how the stitches are divided up, just make sure you have the right number, and you know where the round starts.

The Heel

The heel is the only bit that might be a bit tricky.  It’s usually worked on half the stitches – sometimes a few  more or less, depending on whether there’s a pattern  to be accommodated. For ease of working, make sure your heel stitches are all on one needle. The other stitches will just wait until the heel is finished – they can be divided up however you want, or even put on a holder if that’s easier.

You’ll be working back and forth, on two needles – just like normal flat knitting.  Once the heel turn is complete, all the stitches will be on one needle.

The general convention for magic loop patterns for the gusset, foot and toe is that  the instep sts are one one needle, and the sole stitches are on the second. To work on DPNs, therefore, all you need to do is divide up the sole stitches onto two DPNs (and of course, you can also divide up the instep stitches, too, if you like working with five DPNs).  The start of round can be in one of two places: the center of heel or start of instep stitches. If it’s at the center of the heel – and you can tell that because you need to place a marker in the middle of one of the magic loop needles – it provides a nice dividing point for the sole stitches.

The Gusset Decreases

A cuff-down sock will often have a gusset & corresponding decrease. The decreases are worked at the edges of the sole stitches; sometimes right at the edge, sometimes one stitch in. As long as you know which are the sole stitches, you’re good.

Working The Foot & Setting Up for Toe:

Simple! Keep the instep stitches grouped together on one or two needles, and the sole stitches divided across two needles, and keep a safety pin in place to mark the start of the round.

The Cuff-Down Toe:

In most cases, the decreases for the toe are worked at the sides of the foot – one each at the beginning and end of the instep stitches, and one each and the beginning and end of the sole stitches. This gives pairs of increases on the sides of the foot. Typically, the decreases are worked one stitch in from the edge – so that there are two stitches between the decreases. This creates a classic wedge toe.

Here’s a filthy secret: unless the designer has done something tricky like worked a patterned toe – and this is pretty rare – you can actually do what you want with the toe. When you’re ready to start decreasing – typically about 2 inches short of the full foot length – just arrange the stitches so you’ve got half for the instep and half for the sole, and then just start working decreases.  It doesn’t even matter where the start of the round is!

The standard decrease round: On both the instep and the sole stitches, work [k1, ssk, k to last three stitches of instep, k2tog, k1].

Consult the pattern to see how often you work a decrease. Some patterns have you working a decrease every other round to a certain number of stitches, other have a different rhythm.

The Toe-Up Toe:

Instead of decreases as in the Cuff-Down Toe, you’re doing increases at the edges of the instep and sole.  They’re usually positioned one stitch in from the edge, so you’ve got a two-stitch wedge on each side.  Again, just divide up as you feel comfortable – on three or four needles.  As long as you know where the instep stitches end and the sole stitches start, and where the beginning of your round is, you’re good.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 at 8:34 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.