My socks are almost perfect.
They fit. There are no holes at the edge of the short row toes. The rounded fit of the heel is terrific.
But. . . look at that little hole at the top of the gusset! Ick!
Will I rip? Nope!
That hole not bad enough to make me rip back socks I’m knitting for myself. Still, I think directions should tell you how to avoid these little holes. So, I’ll be modifying the gusset directions when I knit the next sock.
I have two ideas for eliminating the hole (singular; there is no hole on the other side). The first method is the fiddly, but quite common, “pick up an extra stitch then decrease it away” technique; that’s certain to work. The second method is shifting the location of the gusset by 1 stitch so I can “seal” the spot that tends to draw apart when I knit-seam the flap; it might work.
Actually, I think the second method will probably work because, the tendency to form holes seems fairly weak. I could give a theory of hole formation, but it would be long winded, boring and possibly wrong.
So, let’s just say I know I will experiment triumph over the hole. Until I experiment, I can’t describe exactly how to work a decent gusset. That means the next sockulator is a few days off.
Meanwhile, the distractions of the holidays are over; I think I can start more complex project. I’m pondering yarn for an Aran for me. Shall mine be slightly darker or lighter than Jim’s? Hhmm…
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I just finished my first short row heel sock and got the same hole. I posted about it and got similar answers from great sock knitters in blogland on how to eliminate the pesky critter. So, how are you eliminating yours? Please let me know. Thanks!
Comment by Kimberly (7 comments.) — 1/4/2006 @ 10:21 am
The dread holes!
What yarn did you use for Jim’s aran?
Comment by Barb (0 comments.) — 1/4/2006 @ 11:54 am
Kimberly, My method of avoiding holes after short rows depends on whether I double or single wrap the short rows. If I single wrap, I use the method I describe here:
http://www.thedietdiary.com/blog/lucia/558
If I double wrap, then, when working the second part of the short row (the part where you knit more and more stitches) I wrap an *extra* stitch. See the end of the article here;
http://www.thedietdiary.com/blog/lucia/558
Comment by lucia — 1/4/2006 @ 1:15 pm
eagerly awaiting the results of your research here! as this has been a great annoyance to me lately.
Comment by Jussi (4 comments.) — 1/4/2006 @ 4:39 pm
Oooh, I’d go darker.
I’m seriously contemplating Annie’s (heart heart) Bi-Colored Cables jacket in the current IK myself. I just have to stash dive, but I think I remember 20 balls of Jo Sharp DK, 10 in each color. I wonder if that’ll be enough
Comment by La (25 comments.) — 1/4/2006 @ 5:32 pm
Maybe I should go Chianti collored to not show stains?
I can estimate yardages for simple shaped sweaters based on the schematic– provided the sweater is knit in stockinette. Cable sweaters take up more and it’s difficult to predict. So, you just need to trust the yardage in the pattern! Does Annie’s pattern give yardage? Or is it the usual “X balls of Brand Y yarn” and you need to hunt that down?
Comment by lucia — 1/4/2006 @ 6:02 pm
Lucia, twisting that stitch can also minimize the size of the hole too. Since I started picking up the entire stitch and not just one side of it when I work the gusset I really do not notice this “hole” problem any longer.
Comment by Dee (79 comments.) — 1/4/2006 @ 6:28 pm
After knitting several pair of socks I noticed that I didn’t make that hole any longer. I finally figured out why and there were several reasons: A. I tended to snug up more on the stitches at the hole 2. I knit into the back of all the stitches picked up along the heel flap - both sides of it. This makes ALL the stitches snugger and less likely to gap anywhere and finally III) sheer knitting talent. Honest. Once we get a few pair off our needles, it just ALL gets better - the turning of the heel, the picking up of gusset stitches, kitchener without a written instruction on my lap…
Comment by Rebecca (0 comments.) — 1/4/2006 @ 6:43 pm
I recently acquired the book Sensational Socks, and she has a gret tip on how to fix that pesky little hole. It goes along with your first idea, except she picks up 2 extra stitches at each side of the gusset, so 4 extra stitches in total.
Comment by Isela (2 comments.) — 1/5/2006 @ 2:45 am
Picking up extra stitches works. I’m just hoping the other cure I envision will work. Dee is going to show me her way at our Barnes and Nobles meeting tonight!
(I may need to force her to do a cast on that requires two hands so I can photograph while she does it!)
Comment by lucia — 1/5/2006 @ 9:14 am