Cranky Socks

When I post my fresh-off-the-machine socks with the waste yarn still on the toe I often get asked interesting questions like "I'm so confused!🤦🏻‍♀️ How do these work?" Part of this is because some people don't know how machine knit socks are constructed. Here is a quick overview of the finishing process, which isn't very different from hand-knit socks.

The heels and toes of machine knit socks are constructed with short-rows on the machine by working half the stitches. After I remove the sock from the machine, I put the live stitches onto a pair of short circulars (I use Knit Picks 16" circulars, size 1). There are many circular sock machine knitters that don't do this. They just do the Kitchener stitch with the waste yarn still on the live stitches. I still haven't learned how to do it that way, and I'm pretty good at doing it this way so it is how I do it. 

Then I remove the waste yarn and pull out the long tail left for closing the toe.

Thread that tail onto a needle and close up the toe using the Kitchener stitch.

Finally, push the needle through one of the last stitches and weave through the short rows towards the toe and then back up. This locks in that tail so it doesn't come undone. I have close to 10 pair of socks finished this way that I wear daily (when the weather will allow). I have yet to have a toe fail.

Two finished toes.

Making a finished pair of socks. So much sock yarn, so little time. If you would like a pair of socks machine knit just for you, stop by my Etsy shop and send me a note. I'm sure we could work together to create your new favorite pair of socks. If you have some socks yarn and you don't have the time to knit it up, maybe a sock tube is something you would like to try. Send me a message through Etsy for that, too!

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):

Knitter's Pride Aqua Sock Blockers, Medium

Fiskars 7 Inch Softgrip Student Scissors (snipping yarn)
5 Pieces 5 Different Size Bent Latch Hook Crochet Needle Hook (picking up dropped stitches)
Cable Clamp PRO Cable Management 4 Pack (used in place of weight buckle)
Brightech Lightview Pro Flex - Hands Free, Magnifying Glass Desk Lamp for Close Work (lens removed)
Zibra PB100LZR Grip-n-Glide 1-Inch Round Trim Paint Brush (to clean lint/dust from machine)
24 Pack Metal Rectangular Empty Hinged Tins (hold extra machine needles)
addi Express Hook (picking up dropped stitches, hanging setup bonnet, finishing missed stitches)
Do4U Drinking Home Office Table Desk Side Huge Clip (I use it to hold the ball/cake of yarn while I crank but it could hold your drink, too)
BLACK+DECKER WM225-A Portable Project Center and Vise (this is my machine stand, slightly modified for a larger work surface)
RuMe Bags Baggie All (Aspen) (to hold my hand-finishing supplies: yarn needle, needle threader, scissors, Kitchener directions, stitch markers, etc)