The Sewing Place

Cast off for socks

Ellabella

Cast off for socks
« on: May 30, 2017, 10:50:51 AM »
Can anyone suggest their favourite cast off for toe up socks please?

I am nearing the end of my toe up socks.  I have managed to master knitting two at once on Magic Loop, rather pleased with myself but the last time I did toe up I was disappointed with the look of my cast off.

I can recommend Brenda P's stash buster pattern, thanks Brenda, though I didn't do stripes, just used a lovely variegated yarn. I tried to knit two at once with that pattern but think the method is more successful toe up.

Maximum

Re: Cast off for socks
« Reply #1 on: May 30, 2017, 11:16:02 AM »
I used Jeny's surprisingly stretchy bind off. It looks quite bulky when you do it but the socks stay up and the cast off is comfortable with no hard edge.
I tried two at a time on magic loop but got in a pickle - did you find an easy to follow tutorial or was it just trial and error?

Ellabella

Re: Cast off for socks
« Reply #2 on: May 30, 2017, 14:07:54 PM »
I used Jeny's surprisingly stretchy bind off. It looks quite bulky when you do it but the socks stay up and the cast off is comfortable with no hard edge.
I tried two at a time on magic loop but got in a pickle - did you find an easy to follow tutorial or was it just trial and error?

I did watch a Youtube video but I was well used to Magic Loop before I started two at once.

I'll try and find a link to the one I watched and let you know Maximum.

BrendaP

Re: Cast off for socks
« Reply #3 on: May 30, 2017, 18:11:27 PM »
If I make toe-up socks my choice of cast off is the Elizabeth Zimmermann sewn bind off.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-Fy4GkpjPg

BTW my Stashbuster socks are cuff down but the twisted rib would work on toe-up as well.
I've got about a dozen pairs of them, striped, varigated yarn and plain.
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

Bogwoppit

Re: Cast off for socks
« Reply #4 on: June 01, 2017, 22:54:05 PM »
I used Wendy Johnsons book Socks from the Toe Up when I started knitting socks and use the Russian bind off method.  I find it very neat and once entered a pair in the village show where the judge couldn't work out which way they had been made.

Here's a link to the page in the book.

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=tY-z1MgN2eIC&pg=PA27&lpg=PA27&dq=russian+bind+off+socks+wendy&source=bl&ots=0o29yznQuM&sig=qcNGl39QTIoYAem5sdORXhmCEUE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiBlMbwz53UAhWKthQKHf36BbkQ6AEIWTAI#v=onepage&q=russian%20bind%20off%20socks%20wendy&f=false
Lurking in Lancashire, improving my sewing when life gives me time.

Ellabella

Re: Cast off for socks
« Reply #5 on: June 02, 2017, 20:38:42 PM »
Turkish cast on - Russian bind off, I never realised how cosmopolitan my socks could be, thanks ladies.

Ellabella

Re: Cast off for socks
« Reply #6 on: June 09, 2017, 00:09:47 AM »
Just want to say the Russian cast off worked wonderfully.

Easy to do and a lovely neat edge.