Heel Flap Machine Socks

Upated 15 Mar 09:
I've made a second pair, rotating a quarter turn, as per Dresda's Pictorial, picking up the 24 stitches, putting back onto the machine. I used coins as weights in between the beds on the heel flap to keep the stitches in place. It was a lot more fiddling - perhaps it was because it was black and difficult to see (?) Anyway here is it's picture:

Updated 7 Mar 09:

Firstly, my friend Stephanie has an excellent tutorial of doing Dresda's Heel Flap Socks which I'm basing mine on. My daughter prefers heel flap style and I'm using the above as a template. (I also have three to make for my BIL Dave) I'll only expand on where mine vary (so if anything's not clear, check the tutorial for explanation):

Cuff:
Cast on 60, L30, R30, 2:2 Industrial rib = 1rack to left, T1, N/N, 1 R; T5 CX/CX 2R; rack 1 to right, T5, N/N 1R; Reset RC000; 20R.
Trans to back bed. 2 rows GX/N, divide and put 15 from each end onto front bed. RC 000

Legs:
T5, CX/CX 140R.

Heel flap. 30/30

Row 1: T5, GX/BX right arrow; alt pushers = 1xWP, 1xRP. END pushers are always in WP.
Row 2: T5, GX/N (end of this row, reset end pushers to WP and flip lever.)
Repeat these 2 rows 24 times (48 RC)
Heel turn:
T5, GX/BX (REMEMBER to reset the arrow to 0) turn the heel using pushers and moving stitches inwards as per tutorial:
Heel turn numbers for this pair:
Work17, 2tog, work 1, turn (19 stitches worked),
work 6, 2tog, work 1 (slip 1, work 5, 2tog, work 1 = 7 stitches worked, bring slip pusher back into work)
K7, k2tog, k1 turn (slip 1, work 6, 2tog, work 1 = 8 stitches worked, bring slip pusher back into work)
P8, as before, then, K9, P10, K11, until 18 sts remain.

Reposition for gusset decreases:
Take off the machine with 4 x decker combs at halfway point for each quarter eg, back bed = 9 on each comb; front bed = 15 on each comb.

ROTATE 180 and rehang, so it's easier to do gusset decreases. 24 stitches each side must be added for the gusset. (96 total, 48 each bed, 24 each quarter).

THIS DID NOT WORK - there is fabric is too tight to stretch across the beds: pick up 15 each side for the back bed and 9 sts from heel flap for the front bed combs on each side)

Some things that do:
e-wrap 24 sts each side and continue (my machine wont knit ewrap so I had to manually knit 4 rows before it would cooperate). I liked the finished edge, smooth and will graft easily onto the gusset.

Crochet 24 sts each side, either on scrap to undo and kitchener later or in same yarn and continue.

I am going to Different e-wrap shown in the Hand Manipulated Stitches book p37 - knitted back double epwrap cast on - This worked really well. ewrap first needle, wrap around the next bringing the thread back over the original needle and knit off one stitch; then move onto the next. Check that all stitches knit properly on the first CX row, much easier.

(You may have to HAND KNIT added stitches for first row - not with the double knit ewrap it knitted). Put some weights on the sides and on the added stitches. RC 000

Gusset decreases:
Place a marker (pusher in RP works well) at the 15 st mark each side FB:
T5, CX/CX, knit 2 rows = RC 4,
dec 1 st each side; at the 15 stitch mark, TAKE it off the needle and put it onto needle 16 now move stitches along to empty needle as per tutorial,
alternating: racking left then right, moving one stitch to the front bed REMEMBERING to ROTATE it instead of flipping FROM BACK TO FRONT (or you will have these cute little purl stitches interupting the lovely flow of sock AND undo the back bed right end stitch before transferring).
Repeat 26 times, (RC 56), then every round until 60 sts remain (RC64) no reset.

Feet:
T5, CX/CX to row 134 (DAVE 124)

Toes:
Dec 1 st each end (on second needle - leaving the outside stitch running up to the toe) all beds, 4 in total on next then on row 142, 148, 154, 158, 162, 144, then every round till 8 sts remain.

Dave's variation: to RC 124, then toe decreases on row, 132, 138, 1444, 148, 152, 156.

Better late than ever Post about my "new" book

I ordered "A Machine Knitter's Guide to Creating Fabrics: Jacquard, Lace, Intarsia, Ripple and More" by Susanna Lewis and Julia Weissman. It's out of print. It's old, but as luck would have it, my even older machine predates it. There is lots of excellent information and patterns for me to try out.

I did have a bit of a fiddle with one of the patterns in some Noro sock wool. It's an awful sock wool and I wouldn't make socks with it. The slub parts don't go through the machine very well, maybe I'll try it again in a couple of weeks and be patient with it going through the feeder.

Crescent Moon/Japanese Feather and Fan Shawl

I'm doing a bit happy dance. I. Have. Finished. it. Thank God! Over 1000m of it - AND some idiot felt the need to put beads on the edge rows.

I put extra repeats in, ending with 404 stitches - but who's counting?? And then one of my Canadian friends, Marlene, told me how to put beads on with a crochet hook. soooooooo on the knit row I had 67 beads (on 11 rows) and on the purl (5) rows, 131 beads .. the very next time I feel the need to put beads on someone please redirect me to this post.

I've washed and blocked it.

I'm very happy with it, a day after the horror that was putting beads on has passed. Blocked well. This photo shows the bead detail. The photo showing them shinny didn't turn out well, unfortunately, but I put it on the end.

Tucked Up Lakeside Passap Socks

26 Mar 12 Update: someone is spending a lot of time looking at this post, so I've done a little editing.


21 Oct 12
A lot of someones are spending a lot of time looking at this post, so I've done a lot more editing

19 June 13
 Someone made a pair so I'm putting it back, but it's on Ravelry as a download anyway.



I wanted to try the pattern I'm using on my Henley, so I decided to do a trial run on some Passap Socks I'm putting through the machine. It is the pattern in Passap book 11, number 1682.


I'm going to write out the pattern for my 5ply Chubby Merino sock wool, which will be too big for most. My suggestion is to do thinner yarn and reduce tension to T 5 for the DX/DX pattern and T4.5 for feet. This should fit. Use your usual sock pattern and put this pattern into it on the legs only.

Pattern repeat: 5 stitches

Cuff:

Cast on 60 sts 1:1, N/N, T2, 1R.

T4, CX/CX, 2R. RC000.

T4, N/N, 15R

transfer all stitches to back bed

T6, GX/N, 2R

transfer 15 st each end to front bed.

Leg:

Pattern set up:

Needle and Pusher set up: 1 . 1 . 11 . 1 . 1 (etc) 6 sets of 5 stitches.

The . stitches each side of the . 1 . (centre stitches) are transferred onto the 1 (centre stitches).

T6, CX/CX 2R.

RC 000

Begin pattern begins with

1 . 1 (WP) . 11 . 1 (RP) . 1 and so on.

In other words, every second centre pusher (. 1 .) is put into rest position, 3 will be up and 3 will be down on each bed, alternating every 8th row count.

T6, DX/DX. Manually exchanging centre pushers on RC 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 56, 64, 72, 80, 88, 96, 104, 112, 120, 128, 136, 144.

Work in pattern to RC144.

However if using thinner yarn and T 5, trial tucking every RC 1o or 12 to see if you like the look of it better.

R145 = bring all needles into working position. Return all pushers to RP.

Reset to CX/CX

knit to RC149, lock left. (or Knit to your preferred length, leaving a few rows in st st before heel.)

Heel:

GX/BX, T5.75, bring all pusher on front bed to working position, work short row heel down to 10 sts, and back.

Foot: RC000

CX/CX, T5.5, knit to RC 120.

Toe:

Dec each end, both beds on this RC= 120 and on 128, 134, 140, 144, 148, 152, then every circ row (2RCs) till 8 sts remain.

Sew cuff and kitchener toe.

I have updated the diagram for the pattern, the traffic indicates that someone/s is looking at this a lot

download now

Needle | · | · | | · | · | WP | | | | | RP | a Needle | · | · | | · | · | WP | | | | | RP | b 4 rows position a 4 rows position b