Two at once, Toe up Thoughts

So, I'm working on Two at once, Toe up, Magic Loop socks... not as easy as I thought it'd be.

Starting the toes on magic loop with a figure 8 cast on is kind of a pain. Very floppy, very slippery. The best way I've found to do this is to work one toe all the way through the increases, stopping right after an increase round, then put the first one on a holder and start the second, increasing til the number of stitches matches the first toe, stopping right after an increase round. From there, just knit around, making sure to knit one half of each sock on to each side of the loop in the proper order and voila! Two socks, one needle!

Secondly, math blows. I'd love to say I became an artist so that I wouldn't have to do math, but the truth is that I do math constantly as an artist, so I really don't want any more than I absolutely must have in my knitting. Therefore, I have looked carefully at many other socks I have made and come to the conclusion that however many stitches started the toe is how many stitches should be left in the center of the heel when turning. No fancy math or anything like that, just subtract the number of stitches used for the toe-up cast on from the total number of sole stitches and divide the remainder by two!

For my current sock, this means 32 sole stitches, minus 12 starting stitches leaves 20 stitches, 10 on each side to wrap and turn in my short row heel. This would still work with a traditional heel flap in that to start the heel turn after knitting the flap I would knit across 21 stitches, SSK, turn and purl back 11, p2tog, ect. until only 12 stitches remain. What if, uh-oh!, I had 33 stitches? Easy, peasy! Make your center stitch count 13, with 10 on each side, or if you have a narrow heel 11 center with 11 on each side! Problem solved.

Finally, short rows require exceptionally tight knitting. Forgetting to pull a wrap up really tight or to knit the next stitch in the turn when picking up wraps really tight results in a funky looking little almost-hole. I'll have to see how it turns out in the wash, but right now, I'm not happy. Now, if it straightens up in the wash, I may abandon my figure 8 increasing toe and go with a figure 8 short row toe. We'll see how that goes :)

Until next time: "Follow your spirit and upon this charge cry, 'God for Harry! England and St. George!"

... for Harry! England and Saint George!

Spring Break begins today. While classes are not in session, the campus daycare is closed. In just a few short moments I will pick up my keys, drive to the daycare and collect my two older children, ages three years and twenty-three months. Before this endurance test of patience and rationality begins I am begging for everyone to send "calm" vibes my way with the hopes that they will go a long way towards preserving the peace in this house over the next ten days.

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more,
Or close the wall up with our English dead!
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility,
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger:
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favored rage;
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect:
Let it pry through the portage of the head
Like the brass cannon; let the brow o'erwhelm it
As fearfully as doth a gallèd rock
O'erhang and jutty his confounded base,
Swilled with the wild and wasteful ocean.
Now set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide,
Hold hard the breath and bend up every spirit
To his full height! On, on, you noble English,
Whose blood is fet from fathers of war-proof,
Fathers that like so many Alexanders
Have in these parts from morn till even fought
And sheathed their swords for lack of argument.
Dishonor not your mothers; now attest
That those whom you called fathers did beget you!
Be copy now to men of grosser blood
And teach them how to war! And you, good yeomen,
Whose limbs were made in England, show us here
The mettle of your pasture. Let us swear
That you are worth your breeding; which I doubt not,
For there is none of you so mean and base
That hath not noble lustre in your eyes.
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game's afoot!
Follow your spirit; and upon this charge
Cry 'God for Harry! England and Saint George!'