I love playing with new tools, so when Clover sent me the new, Oval Sock Loom I dove right in. I found it to be a fun (and speedy!) alternative to knitting socks on traditional needles, and quickly altered the sock directions from the package into an ankle sock for Spring. To tighten up the looser strands created from a loom cast-on, I added a crocheted picot edging which also gives the sock a feminine touch.
Here’s a recipe to make your own ankle socks. Loom on, twinkle toes! —Vickie
Finished Measurements
9″ circumference x desired length
Directions (Make 2) Following the manufacturer instructions, cast-on stitches to all 24 pegs.
Cuff: Work on all 24 pegs. Rounds 1-8: *Knit 2, purl 2; rep from * around. See demo of this stitch pattern from this week’s live, Facebook video below.
Rounds 9-14: Knit.
Heel (Work as for Knit Sock instructions in package as follows):
Knit on peg 1-12 only.
Decrease stitches:
Decrease one stitch on each side of peg 1 and peg 12.
Simply bring the working yarn loosely across the front of peg 1 (no loop), then knit from peg 2-11.
Without knitting peg 12, bring the strand around the peg from back to front, and across the front of peg 11. Remove as well.
Change knitting direction and proceed counter-clockwise. Knit Stitch peg 11-3.
Without knitting peg 2, bring the strand around the peg from back to front, and across the front of peg 3. Remove as well. Change knitting direction and Knit Stitch from peg 3-10.
Without knitting peg 11, bring the strand around the peg from back to front and across the front of peg 10. (same method of Step 7). Change knitting direction and stitch from peg 10-4.
Continue decreasing in this manner on both sides until you decrease peg 9. Knit Stitch peg 8-5 to complete the decreases.
Increase stitches. Firmly wrap the working yarn around peg 4 from front to back, use the hook to scoop up 2 strands from the peg and Knit Stitch both loops together. (”Knit Two Together”)
Change knitting direction, wrap the working yarn around peg 4 clockwise, and then knit stitch. Next stitch from peg 5-8.
Firmly wrap the working yarn around peg 9 from front to back, use the hook to scoop up 2 strands from the peg and knit stitch both loops together.
Change knitting direction, wrap the working yarn around peg 9 clockwise, and then Knit Stitch. Next, Knit Stitch from peg 8-4.
Increase both sides, as described above, with the Knit Two Together and knit stitches. Knit from peg 1-12. After stitching one each of the knit two together and knit stitches on peg 12, change directions, and knit back to peg 1 to complete the increases.
Top and bottom view of heeled worked.
Foot:
Knit on all pegs for approx. 8 1/2″/21.5 cm OR 1 1/2″/4 cm shorter than your foot.
Toe:
Work as same for heel. Cut yarn, leaving tail.
Finishing With a length of yarn (shown in a contrasting color in photos) and tapestry needle, thread through loops from bottom to top on pegs 1-12, then from top to bottom on pegs 13-24. Remove loops from loom; loosely tie knot. This yarn is simply to hold stitches from dropping while you graft.
Graft toe using Kitchener Stitch instructions from manufacturer. For the traditional knitters reading this, you’ll treat the waste yarn as you would needles and proceed with Kitchener Stitch as normal. Here’s a demo video as a refresher! Remove waste yarn when finished.
Using contrasting color yarn, decoratively whip stitch a seam over the toe grafting.
Picot edging:
With crochet hook, join contrasting yarn to cuff edge with a slip stitch.
Ch 4, slip stitch (sl st) in 3rd chain (ch) from hook. Single crochet (sc) in next st, *ch 3, sl st in 2rd ch from hook, sc in next st; repeat from * around. Join round with a slip stitch.
