KAL: Moving onto the foot of your sock!

Once you are done with the toe increases, it's time to start the foot of your sock.

Now, you've got a decision to make! Are you starting your cuff patterning the top of your foot? If so, what pattern are you using?

NOTE: Remember you only pattern the TOP of your foot, leaving the bottom 1/2 of the sock foot plain stockinette. (....rolling eyes...remembering the time I start to K2P2 rib the bottom of a sock because I wasn't paying attention...)

KAL: We're off and knitting!

Ok, so you have your sock yarn, your long cabled needle, your stitch markers and your CTH book, right? (The KAL is assuming that you already know how to knit socks on two circulars using the method explained in the CTH book and have experience in knitting socks. It's not going to teach MAB's method step by step but will give some basics on Magic Loop.)

Well, then what are we waiting for?

• Cast on sock on using the aloha cast on method in the book. You're just casting on the initial stitches for sock one using both ends of your long cabled needle.
  
  
• Gently schooch those cast on stitches down towards the cable -- you're still holding the two needle ends together of the one long needle so the you can cast on the initial stitches in the aloha method for sock two. Now you're either using a second ball of yarn or the other end of one large ball of yarn, just like when you are using two circulars in the book!
  
  
• Hold the needle in your left hand with the yarn hanging in the back and the needle ends parallel and one on top of the other, but with the pointy ends even pointing to the right. Now gently push the stitches for sock number one back up the cable towards the second sock that you cast on and is sitting on the needle edges.
  
  Now you have two socks cast onto the one needle right? 1/2 the stitches of each sock are on each needle side so that they are divided in a similar way to when they are on two circulars -- so instead of pointy needle ends hanging off to the left of your cast on socks, you have the long loop of your cable needle!
  
  
• Carefully pull on the pointy end of the lower needle (yes, there are stitches on it, they'll start to slid onto the cable) and use that end of the needle to start knitting your stitches on the upper needle using the standard aloha CTH method with both the yarn end and the ball of yarn. Go across the first sock, drop the yarns and do the same thing on the second sock -- just like with the two circulars.
  
  
• As you are knitting across the socks the long length of cable will be pulled across the back stitches of each sock and start to appear looped out on the right side as the loop on the left side gets smaller. This is the "magic loop" part.
  
  There are various online tutorials, one with some good photos is:
  http://www.purlwise.com/circular_knitting_on_one_needle.
  
  Another good link is: http://webdesignsbybarb.com/tostetoes/twosocksoneneedletoeup.htm
  

So, if you have questions or better yet great photos, post 'em on here! Now, let's get moving on our toe increases!

KAL -- Set up & Materials Needed for January 19th Cast On

Here's the materials that you'll need to get started:

• Sock Yarn: either two balls of 50 grams each, or one 100 gram ball *which will require you to work from both ends of the yarn* Be aware that using a self striping yarn and knitting from both ends will make the socks "fraternal" and the striping will be upside down on one sock.
  
  
• Needle: Your favorite size needle in a 47" to 60" cable length. Some people use a shorter cable, if that works for you then go for it, but for two socks at the same time, it's helpful to have lots of cable to move everything around on. I prefer my Addi Turbo, but I also use the KnitPicks or Denise needles with the long cable when I am using a larger needle size, like a 4 or 5. Your needle size will be up to you and your yarn. :)
  
  
• Other materials: Standard stitch markers and double loop markers for CTH method.
  
  
• Pattern: We're going to make this up as we go! wooo-hoooo! You can use your favorite leg/cuff pattern once we get cast on.
  

Get your materials together and we can cast on Friday, January 19th -- this should give everyone enough time to get their materials together, ok?