FAVORITE SOCK PATTERN

Wendy's Generic Toe Up Sock Pattern.  It's the one that I adapt to use with just about all other sock patterns.  I guess I'm just too lazy to bother trying anything else.  It's a matter of "don't mess with what works".

Until recently I used to go up several size needles for the cast off to ensure that it is stretchy enough not to be a tourniquet, and then still using a suspended cast off, after discovering Jeny's surprisingly stretchy bind off, which allows you to use the same size needle you've been using to do the casting off.

Comments

[Pamela Riffle]

I spent some time in Dupuyer Mt & made friends with some Huderite ladies & watched them making socks, they used they Knit something into the toe's & heels to reinforce them,Could you please tell me what it was.I would appreciate it very much.
P Riffle

[Siri]

There is something called "reinforcing yarn" that is sold for adding to heels and toes for socks. It is often the same yarn as the sock yarn but with fewer plies. It just doesn't seem worth the money charged for them, so I stock up on 50 gram balls of solid colored sock yarns in colors similar to those with which I tend to knit the main parts of socks and just use that either doubled itself, or single strand held together with the main sock yarn, for the heels and toes. I've also heard of holding just one single strand of sewing thread (the standard mercerized cotton around a poly core, such as Coat's and Clark's) along with a strand of sock yarn, and that even just that one extra thread adds durability to the heels and toes. I've never tried, it though.
Doubling the yarn certainly does add some bulk to the heels and toes. It's fine for fingering, or even sport weight yarns, but I don't think I'd do it with a heavier yarn than that.
As for what those Hutterite women were using, I can't really be sure.

[Janey]

Pamela;

The extra bit in the sock toes and heels IS for reinforcement. In Canada it is usually nylon, so a single strand does not add much bulk. (Ask for nylon yarn at your LYS to check it out.)

Janey
(My apologies for hijacking your Comments, Siri.)