Socks help

I've knitted the first sock of a pair, for a gift, and the friend
concerned loves it, but can;t get it on. It seems to be just that my cast
on edge is too tight. Is there any way I can fix this, or should I just
have used a different cast on method or a different pattern? The pattern I
used is http://www.planetshoup.com/easy/knit/soxcomfr.shtml and the
cast-on method the two-needles one (except with more needles,
obviously; the one where you stick your right needle in a loop, and put
the yarn between the two needles, then pull it out to make a loop. I'm
pretty sure she'll be happy if I don't fix it, because it's pretty and I
made it for her (we're soppy people like that), and I've a pattern I think
will work better, I was just wondering whether I could fix it.

Kirsten
--
Kirsten Procter ghoti
Current projects; full-length dress with matching jacket, child's jumper
presents

I generally use a long-tail cast-on over two needles. Knitting on is
essentially the same as crocheting a chain; crochet is NOT flexible,
which is why your cast-on has no stretch.

You can snip the yarn a row or two below the cast-on edge then knit up
half an inch and use an I-cord bind-off, which should be more
stretchy.

On 24 Oct 2003 16:30:20 +0100 (BST), Kirsten Procter
wrote:

I've knitted the first sock of a pair, for a gift, and the friend
concerned loves it, but can;t get it on. It seems to be just that my cast
on edge is too tight. Is there any way I can fix this, or should I just
have used a different cast on method or a different pattern? The pattern I
used is http://www.planetshoup.com/easy/knit/soxcomfr.shtml and the
cast-on method the two-needles one (except with more needles,
obviously; the one where you stick your right needle in a loop, and put
the yarn between the two needles, then pull it out to make a loop. I'm
pretty sure she'll be happy if I don't fix it, because it's pretty and I
made it for her (we're soppy people like that), and I've a pattern I think
will work better, I was just wondering whether I could fix it.

Kirsten

Maybe try casting on with larger needles, like maybe a size or two larger?
Also, I think the tubular cast-on has a little more give to it -- that's
what I used with the ribbed edge of a hat that I made.


"Kirsten Procter" wrote in message
...
I've knitted the first sock of a pair, for a gift, and the friend
concerned loves it, but can;t get it on. It seems to be just that my cast
on edge is too tight. Is there any way I can fix this, or should I just
have used a different cast on method or a different pattern? The pattern I
used is http://www.planetshoup.com/easy/knit/soxcomfr.shtml and the
cast-on method the two-needles one (except with more needles,
obviously; the one where you stick your right needle in a loop, and put
the yarn between the two needles, then pull it out to make a loop. I'm
pretty sure she'll be happy if I don't fix it, because it's pretty and I
made it for her (we're soppy people like that), and I've a pattern I think
will work better, I was just wondering whether I could fix it.

Kirsten
--
Kirsten Procter ghoti
Current projects; full-length dress with matching jacket, child's jumper
presents

It is possible to find your end and laboriously unpick the cast on, one
stitch at a time, rather like unpicking sewing. You'll be pulling the yarn
through each time, very different from unraveling from the other end. Then
I would suggest doing a very loose back stitch through the open stitches,
or if they're in 1/1 rib doing a very loose approximation of kitchener
grafting as if the knits and purls were two layers of knit. Key word is
loose, of course. In future I'd do a different cast-on. I do the so-called
invisible cast on, which is basically half-hitches, but knitting-on or
cable cast-on work well, too.

If you want really a loose edge and it's 1/1 rib, just unpick the cast-on
completely, then trim and bury the tail. Believe it or knot, 1/1 rib will
not ravel in that direction. This is only true of 1/1 rib, though.

| On 24 Oct 2003 16:30:20 +0100 (BST), Kirsten Procter wrote:

I've knitted the first sock of a pair, for a gift, and the friend
concerned loves it, but can;t get it on. It seems to be just that my cast
on edge is too tight. Is there any way I can fix this, or should I just
have used a different cast on method or a different pattern? The pattern I
used is http://www.planetshoup.com/easy/knit/soxcomfr.shtml and the
cast-on method the two-needles one (except with more needles,
obviously; the one where you stick your right needle in a loop, and put
the yarn between the two needles, then pull it out to make a loop. I'm
pretty sure she'll be happy if I don't fix it, because it's pretty and I
made it for her (we're soppy people like that), and I've a pattern I think
will work better, I was just wondering whether I could fix it.

Kirsten


Helen "Halla" Fleischer,
Fantasy & Fiber Artist in Fairland, MD USA
http://home.covad.net/~drgandalf/halla/

Kirsten Procter wrote:
I've knitted the first sock of a pair, for a gift, and the friend
concerned loves it, but can;t get it on. It seems to be just that my cast
on edge is too tight. Is there any way I can fix this, or should I just
have used a different cast on method or a different pattern? The pattern I
used is http://www.planetshoup.com/easy/knit/soxcomfr.shtml and the
cast-on method the two-needles one (except with more needles,
obviously; the one where you stick your right needle in a loop, and put
the yarn between the two needles, then pull it out to make a loop. I'm
pretty sure she'll be happy if I don't fix it, because it's pretty and I
made it for her (we're soppy people like that), and I've a pattern I think
will work better, I was just wondering whether I could fix it.

Kirsten

That's the cast-on method I use for socks, and while it seems tight, I
find giving it a firm pull stretches it nicely. Have you already tried
that?

In article , spampot wrote:

That's the cast-on method I use for socks, and while it seems tight, I
find giving it a firm pull stretches it nicely. Have you already tried
that?

I hadn't tried that. I have now, and it fits me, but not my friend So,
I'll try a different pattern, I think.

thankyou,

Kirsten

Kirsten wrote:
I hadn't tried that. I have now, and it fits me, but not my friend So,
I'll try a different pattern, I think.


Kirsten

Sorry this reply is rather delayed. When i found that i didn't like the rib at
the top of my sock i snipped a bit off and reknited up and then used EZ's
casting on cast off - it's a sewn cast off where you use a blunt needle and go
through the first 2 stitches from R to L, go back through the 1st st from left
to right, pull the wook through and slip the st off the needle. Then go
through the next 2 sts and so on. (p. 184 Knitting Around). The result was
very stretchy

Regards
Sarah