Fanciful Felted Curly-Toe Stocking!

Ravelry.com

(Extra-Fanciful Felted Curly-Toe Stocking available 11/3/13)

11/02/12 Let me present a few photo details for knitting a heel flap, turning a heel, and picking up stitches for the gusset.

We'll just start at the beginning! 
This will look and feel as though you are knitting a hat.
[Notes for longer stocking will be in brackets] 

This is a great next-step beginner project because knitting a stocking is simply knitting a really long hat with a heel. You'll be using worsted weight wool yarn and big needles.  The best part of the project is tossing the stocking into a top-loading washer to felt away any minor errors, and to be amazed with the results!

Finished size:

Knit, not felted: 20” circumference, height cuff to toe 40[48]”

(If you happen to use superwash wool or acrylic yarn, the stocking will remain this size.)

Felted, for 30 minutes: 11” circumference, height cuff to toe 23[27]”

Materials:

Yarn: 3 (210 yards) skeins worsted weight wool in contrasting colors

Color C for cuff, heel, stripes and toe, Colors A and B for stripes

Photo: Galway worsted weight colors red, green, and gold

Needles: Size US#11, 16” circular needles, set size US#11 double pointed needles

Notions: 2 stitch markers, tapestry needle, sewing thread (Color C) and needle to tack curly-toe

Abbreviations: CO = cast on      K=knit      p=purl
k2tog= knit 2 stitches together       p2tog=purl 2 stitches together    pm=place marker
sm=slip marker      Rnd/s=round/s     st/s=stitch/es

The directions are for shorter stocking with [longer stocking in brackets]. (Notes written in italic.)

 
To begin: Cuff and leg:

Cast on 90 stitches, with Color C, using the long-tail cast-on method, with #11, 16” circular needles. Place marker & join together by knitting first stitch being careful not to twist.

Rounds 1 – 5: Knit

Rnd 6: *Knit 1, k2tog; repeat from * to end of round (60 stitches)

Rnds 7 - 18: Knit, continuing with color C. Cut yarn, and join in Color A

Rnds 19 - 27: Knit 9 rounds with Color A

Rnds 28 - 36: Knit 9 rounds with Color B

Continue striping with Colors C, A, and B until there are the cuff and 7[8] stripes.
Now we'll get ready for the heel.

While working the last round of Color A, knit 30 stitches, let stitches rest on the circular needle, knit 30 stitches onto a double pointed needle.

Heel:

Using Color C, and working on the double pointed needle, and the wrong side of heel stitches,

Row 1: Slip 1 st, purl to the end of row. Turn.

Row 2: Slip 1 st, knit to the end of row. Turn.

Repeat rows 1 - 2 seven more times, ending with a purl row (16 rows in Color C).

 

 I am sorry.  I was concentrating and counting so there are no photos of the series of stitches used to create the cup of heel called the Turn heel.  
 11/03/12 I am finishing a pair of socks, I will show you the highlights on that turn heel.

You will be starting on a knit row.

You'll be knitting to the center, k2tog, and k1, then you'll turn the work around ready to purl.

After the turn, you'll slip this first stitch, so the yarn is coming from the right needle, as it should, ready to purl(or knit) this next row.

You'll knit (or purl) to a wider/smile in the stitches, and k2tog (or p2tog).  I have a difficulty consistently seeing this location. That is why I mark, count, and really follow the directions.

You'll keep following the pattern, and notice there are fewer stitches remaining on the left before each turn.

As you reach rows 12, 13, and 14 just keep following the directions to be sure you're ready for the gusset!

 My friend tells me, "Read the directions, and do exactly what it says."  I must do that every time I turn a heel.  If the pattern says,"Cont to dec in same way, working 1 more between decs on each row until 16 stitches remain", I find a pattern with all the rows stated in detail, and follow that pattern.  I tried to give you all the details.

Turn heel:

Row 1: Slip 1 st, k14, k2tog, k1. Turn (12 sts remain on left needle)

Row 2: Slip 1 st, p3, p2tog, p1.  Turn (10 sts remain on left needle)

Row 3: Slip 1 st, k4, k2tog, k1.  Turn (10 sts remain on left needle)

Row 4: Slip 1 st, p5, p2tog, p1.  Turn   (8 sts remain on left needle)

Row 5: Slip 1 st, k6, k2tog, k1.  Turn   (8 sts remain on left needle)

Row 6: Slip 1 st, p7, p2tog, p1.  Turn  (6 sts remain on left needle)

Row 7: Slip 1 st, k8, k2tog, k1.  Turn   (6 sts remain on left needle)

Row 8: Slip 1 st, p9, p2tog, p1.  Turn   (4 sts remain on left needle)

Row 9: Slip 1 st, k10, k2tog, k1. Turn   (4 sts remain on left needle)

Row10: Slip 1 st, p11, p2tog, p1.Turn  (2 sts remain on left needle)

Row11: Slip 1 st, k12, k2tog, k1.Turn  (2 sts remain on left needle)

Row12: Slip 1 st, p13, p2tog, p1.Turn  (0 sts remain on left needle)

Row13: Slip 1 st, k14, k2tog, k1.Turn  (0sts remain on left needle)

Row14: Slip 1 st, p14, p2tog.  Turn          (16 stitches)

To be very honest, I use a crochet hook as my "knitting" tool to pick up and knit the stitches along the heel flap. Then I slip them, through the back loop, off the handle of the crochet hook onto the knitting needle. (My friend will grab a spare needle, and knit the stitches.) You are picking up & knitting the 8 bigger stitches along the heel flap and 2 in the corner, knitting the instep then picking up more stitches so that you are again knitting in the round.  The next 4 photos try to illustrate the set up round. 
Gusset:

Continuing (for a moment) with Color C and the double pointed needle,

G.Rnd 1: Slip 1 st, k15, pick up and knit 10 sts along heel flap, cut [continue C] color C. (26 sts Color C are on the double pointed needle)

Using the circular needle, replace marker and join Color B[continue C], knit 30sts for instep, place a second marker, pick up and knit 10sts along heel flap, and continuing with the circular needle, knit the 26sts on the double pointed needle. (30sts for instep, 36sts for heel)

 

You'll be decreasing every other round, making the sock 60 stitches total again.
G.Rnds 2, 4, 6: Knit

G.Rnds 3, 5, 7: Knit 30, sm, k2tog, knit to last 2sts before marker, k2tog. (2 sts decreased on heel)

G.Rnds 8, 9: Knit (60sts) 

 

Now just knit in the round as if you were knitting the leg or a hat.

Foot:

Continue maintaining stripes with Colors C, A, and B through the gusset and foot (remove the second marker) of the sock until there are 4 stripes total from the heel.

I've include the toe decreases to complete the stocking.  
These are the same decreases used in a small (stocking) pointed hat. 

Decreasing for the curly-toe:

Using Color C, [B]

Rnd 1: *K8, k2tog; repeat from * to end (54 sts)

Rnds 2, 3: Knit

Rnd 4: *K7, k2tog; repeat from * to end (48 sts)

Rnds 5, 6: Knit

Rnd 7: *K6, k2tog; repeat from * to end (42 sts)

Rnds 8, 9: Knit
[Using Color C]

Rnd 10: *K5, k2tog; repeat from * to end (36 sts)

Rnds 11, 12: Knit

Rnd 13: Using double pointed needles, *K4, k2tog; repeat from * to end (30 sts)

Rnds 14-17: Knit

Rnd 18: *K3, k2tog; repeat from * to end (24 sts)

Rnds 19-22: Knit

Rnd 23: *K2, k2tog; repeat from * to end (18 sts)

Rnds 24-27: Knit

Rnd 28: *K1, k2tog; repeat from * to end (12 sts)

Rnds 29-32: Knit

Rnd 33: *K2tog; repeat from * to end. Slip the 6 remaining stitches to one needle.

Rnds 34-37: Knit I-cord (for 4 rounds). 

Rnd 38: *K2tog; repeat from * to end.      (3 sts)
Knit I-cord for 8”to create the length for the curl.
K2tog, and bind off.

Because I had used most of the skein of yarn, I was able to knit the I-cord for the toe and hanging loop at the same time.  I was careful to use the two different tails of yarns.

 Cut 6” tail, thread through and tie off neatly.

 Finishing:

To hang the stocking, knit a 8” I-cord and attach to cuff before felting.

Turn stocking inside-out and weave tails.

The before and after felting photos of the stocking are always my favorite!  I'm not sure they help with the perspective because I am only/almost 5' tall.

 

Felting:

Place stocking in a zippered bag. Using a top-loading washer, machine wash in hot, slightly soapy water for 20 minutes, checking every 10 minutes to see if felted to desired size. As necessary, shape stocking, reset the machine, and continue washing until stocking is completely felted. DO NOT SPIN. When stocking is completely felted, blot with towels and shape (curling the toe). Lay flat to dry.

Finishing: Use sewing thread (Color C) and needle to tack curly-toe into place.

The pattern pdf  for Fanciful Felted Curly-Toe Stocking is available
on Ravelry.com; login needed

Copyright 2012, Marilynn Blacketer. All rights reserved. 11/26/12

For pattern support please contact: marilynnblacketer@gmail.com

Fanciful Felted Curly-Toe Stocking!

10/31/2012 I printed and (scribble) modified the curly-toe stocking pattern.  
I knitted, knitted, read, and knitted.

I'm reading a YA fantasy, The Trees They Grow, by B.R. Sawrey.  It's written by a young author, and  the cover was illustrated by her auntie (a member of the LYS knitting group).

I took a few photos,  and tossed it into the top loading washer. 

The stocking is finished and felted. The photo to the left was taken after 20 minutes in the washer, where as the photo to the right, after 30 minutes.  I am ready to type the pattern for the Fanciful Felted Curly-Toe Stocking!

11/02/12 The pattern pdf is available at Ravelry.com; login needed      

My user name is MarilynnsGarden.