infant socks 60

Baby socks on 60/30 cylinder/dial:

 

These can be knitted with any suitable yarn, but thinner sockweight yarns will be a bit lacey in appearance.  They work best in sportweight.  Set ribber on machine; rotate dial to stopper; line up with needles; remove alternating needles that do not line up with ribber; remove ribber and set aside.  Remove all alternating needles so 30 remain and set up on scrap yarn.  It will be helpful to use a scrap yarn with a high contrast to your working yarn.  Switch every other cylinder needle to a ribber in every other slot around the dial.  Knit a few rows in scrap in 1X1 ribbing keeping stitches as small as possible for the type of yarn you are using.

 1. Attach working yarn (WY) at right side hash mark and go around dial once; switch ribber to OUT of work; go around once or twice; switch back into work.

2. Knit 20 rounds for leg.

3. With carrier at the back, remove rib needles on front of cylinder replacing with cylinder needles.  Knit 5 rounds stopping in front.  (you may want the tension sprin on for this step)

4. Remove drive pin; raise rear cylinder needles. Attach tension spring if you have not done so in step 3.

5. Work heel.  (see * for flatbed style or use whatever type you already know how to do).  You will likely work to one needle beyond the normal heel hash mark on one side.

6. Replace drive pin.  (I leave the tension spring on for the foot, but you can remove it if you can keep stitches tight enough for the foot.)

7. Knit 5 rounds for foot.

8. Work toe same as heel.  On final row after toe, you may want to set back up in ribbing to be ready for next sock.

9. Leave sufficient tail for closing toe; attach scrap yarn; knit 6-8 rounds before starting next sock.  Replace rib needles on front of cylinder if you did not do so in step 8.  Knit next sock.

10. When closing toes on small socks, double-up when doing the kitchener stitch.  If in ribbing, that would mean to go into the knit stitch, through the purl stitch and out the next knit stitch.  Repeat on other side of toe.  When you return to the beginning edge, go into the stitch where you came out, through the purl stitch and out the next knit stitch.  Continue across toe pulling a bit more snugly than you would on adult toe closings.  Work in ends.

11.The selvedge will be a bit loose (due to carrying non-knitted yarn around cylinder), so you may want to run a thin elastic through the selvedge edge and tie snugly but not tight enough to bind.  Sock can be worn up or down and will stretch easily for chubby baby legs.

 

*Flatbed-style heel: (faster than traditional heel/toe which puts needles into work at the beginning of a row instead of the end which sometimes requires putting yarn behind the first needle on each pass)

Stop with carrier in front.  (If ribber is in place, remove drive pin.)  Raise rear needles up out of work leaving one extra down in working position on each side so you end up with rear needles up LESS one from hash mark to hash mark or front needles down in work PLUS one needle behind hash mark on each side.  Knit to back  Attach tension spring.  Raise two needles on right side; knit to left.  Raise two needles on left side; knit to right.  Raise one needle on right; knit to left.  Raise one needle on left; knit to right.  Continue taking one needle out of work on each pass until you are where you want to be for the center of the heel with the carrier on the left side where you will raise up the last of the needles you will take out of work.  On that pass, also put down the needle on the right so it is back in work; knit to right.  Continue putting down ONE needle at the END of the row on each pass until all needles are back down, ending at the hash mark (not using the needle behind it).  You will have ended with the carrier at the left.  Knit to center front; put as many rear needles as possible back into work.  Replace drive pin if ribber is in place.  Optional: release tension spring.  Knit forward about 1/4 cylinder and put remaining rear needles back down into work.  Continue with foot or as needed to complete toe leaving tail for closing.