MASH-UP MAGIC TOE-UP SOCKS (MUMTUS)

Compiled By Zhenya Lavy Published June 2008

A customizable recipe to make great-fitting, toe-up socks for any size

foot and with any weight yarnknitting two at a time, using magic
loop technique, and featuring a gusset and heel flap with Eye of
Partridge cushion stitch. I combined my favorite bits from several
freely available patterns and re-wrote them into a comprehensive
pattern for magic loop construction. I draw most heavily on Barbara
Tollesons Knitting Basic Toe-Up Socks Using the Magic Loop
Circular Method and Judy Gibsons Youre Putting Me On Socks.

An expanded workshop/pictorial version is online at Aesthetic

Entanglementz (http://aestheticentanglementz.blogspot.com/
2008/07/mash-up-magic-toe-up-socks-workshop.html).

ITEMS NEEDED:
Yarn: 100g will make a pair of childs socks or ankle-
length socks for a woman. For larger feet or mens socks
150 grams is better. Wind into 2 center-pull balls.
Reinforcing thread (recommended, not required)
40 circular needle in a size for desired fabric density
and gauge. Make a gauge swatch.
Tape measure Tapestry needle

STITCHES USED:
Knit, Purl, K2tog, P2tog
SSK: Slip 1 as if to knit, slip another as if to knit, knit these together through back loop.
M1R (Make 1 Right): Insert left needle, back to front, under the horizontal strand between
the last stitch worked and the first stitch on the left needle. This forms a loop on the needle.
Knit through the front of this loop.
M1L (Make 1 Left): Insert the left needle, front to back, under the horizontal strand between
last stitch worked and first stitch on left needle. Knit through back loop.

Measurements Needed
A. width around ball of foot
B. length of foot from toe to back of heel
C. Optional: length of foot from tip of toe to the point on the sole
corresponding with the line where the leg meets the top of the foot. (If you
dont take this measurement, see Chart 2 for standard measurements.)
D. Optional: desired height of sock (standard rule of thumb: sock height equals
length of foot.)

PRIMARY STITCH COUNT

________ your gauge (#stitches per inch)

x ________ width around ball of foot
= ________ Subtotal 1
- ________ 10% of Subtotal 1
= ________ Subtotal 2
** ________ PRIMARY STITCH COUNT: Subtotal 2 adjusted to nearest multiple of 4.
 MUMTU Socks page 2 of 5

CAST ON

If you are packing your sock project in a single bag for greater portability and neatness, as described in
Aesthetic Entanglementz (http://aestheticentanglementz.blogspot.com/2008/03/how-to-prep-tidy-sock-
project-coffee.html), cast on using the left skein first (for Sock 2) and the right skein second (for Sock 1).

Using your favorite toe-up method, cast on _____ stitches per sock (Chart 1, Row A) each needle
will have _____ stitches per sock (Chart 1, Row B).

I recommend Judy Beckers Magic Cast-On. Knitty published a pictorial at

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring06/FEATmagiccaston.html. Remember on your first round to
knit normally off Needle 1 but through the back loop off Needle 2.

ORIENTATION & GLOSSARY FOR THESE DIRECTIONS

Neutral Position: Turn the needles and place them into your left hand, tips pointing to the right.
Needle 1 (bottom/sole of foot) is in front and will be held in your left hand when knitting.
Needle 2 (top/instep of foot) is in back and will be pulled around and held in your right hand to
knit.
The working yarn hangs off the right-hand side of Needle 2 for each sock.
Round: all the way around both needles.
Row: used in the heel directions, when youre only working back and forth on one needle.

TOES

Round 1: Needle 1: *K2, M1L, Knit to 2 stitches before end of sock, M1R, K2.*
Repeat for Needle 2.
Round 2: Knit all.

Repeat these two rounds until the total number of stitches for each sock equals your primary stitch
count. (Half on each needle.) Cut the reinforcing thread.

FOOT

Knit until the sock reaches the point on your foot where the leg meets the top of the foot. (Or until the
sock measures the length determined by Measurement C [above] or Chart 2 [at end].)

***If you want to put knit a decorative stitch pattern on the top of the foot, knit 3 rounds and then start
the new stitch pattern. Knit the decorative pattern across the stitches on Needle 2 only.
 MUMTU Socks page 3 of 5

GUSSET

Round 1
Needle 1 (bottom of foot/sole): K1, M1L, K to 1 stitch from end, M1R, K1
Needle 2 (top of foot/instep): Knit all.

Round 2: Knit all.

Repeat these two rounds _____ times (Chart 1, Row C) altogether until
Needle 1 has _____ stitches (Chart 1, Row D) per sock.
Needle 2 has _____ stitches (Chart 1, Row E) per sock.
There are _____ stitches (Chart 1, Row F) altogether per sock.

HEEL EXTENSION

!!!Let Sock 2 hang on the cable while you work the entire heel extension and heel flap back and forth on
Sock 1. Then you will work the heel extension and flap on Sock 2 while Sock 1 waits!!!

Preparation Row:
Knit _____ stitches (Chart 1, Row G)
Add reinforcing thread (or place marker if you prefer no
reinforcing thread)
SSK
Knit _____ stitches (Chart 1, Row H) + _____ (Chart 1,
Row I) stitches. (If you are not using reinforcing thread,
place second marker here)

_____ stitches (Chart 1, Row J) remain unworked.

(The H+I stitches will be worked back and forth in short rows
until the heel flap. The G and J stitches on either side just hang
out and wait.)

Row 1: Turn, P2tog, P across only those stitches knit with

reinforcing thread (between the markers)
Row 2: Turn, SSK, K across reinforced stitches (between the markers)

Repeat Rows 1 & 2 until _____ stitches (Chart 1, Row K) remain that are being knit with reinforcing
thread (between the markers), ending with a wrong side row.

HEEL FLAP

Preparation Row 1: Turn, place marker, sl 1 knitwise, K across heel, pick up _____ stitches (Chart 1,
Row L) by knitting along the decrease edge

Preparation Row 2: Turn, place marker, sl 1 purlwise, P back across heel, pick up _____ stitches
(Chart 1, Row L) by purling along the other decrease edge

At this point, _____ stitches (Chart 1, Row M) have been worked with reinforcing thread (are between
the markers).
 MUMTU Socks page 4 of 5

This is where you start incorporating the G and J stitches from the sides: You will knit the heel flap
upward in the Eye of Partridge stitch, incorporating 1 stitch from G or J each time you turn, as follows:

Eye of Partridge Stitch:

Row 1: Turn; sl 1 knitwise; K1 sl 1 across reinforcing thread. On the final reinforced stitch,
which you would be working as a K (not a slip), work a SSK, incorporating the first
unreinforced stitch from the side. (Place marker if you wish.)
Rows 2 & 4: Turn, sl 1 stitch purlwise, P across to last stitch worked with reinforcing thread,
P2tog (the last reinforced stitch and 1 unreinforced stitch shifting marker as necessary)
Row 3: Turn, slip first 2 stitches knitwise; K1, sl 1 across. You knit the 2nd to last reinforced
stitch and then SSK the last reinforced stitch with the first unreinforced stitch from the side.
Repeat these 4 rows until all G and J stitches have been worked, ending with a purl row.

Note: If you prefer the columnar slip/knit heel stitch, omit rows 3 & 4 from the Eye of Partridge.

At this point, you have _____ (Chart 1, Row N) stitches altogether for each sock: _____ stitches
(Chart 1, Row O) on Needle 1 and _____ stitches (Chart 1, Row P) on Needle 2.

Heel Completion Row: Turn, sl 1 knitwise, K to end, M1 by knitting into stitch below the first stitch on
the left needle (creating a new stitch so that when you start knitting in the round again there wont be a
hole between the heel and instep stitches). Twist the new stitch, if necessary, to close gaps.
You have just completed the heel extension and flap for Sock 1.
Work the HEEL EXTENSION and HEEL FLAP for Sock 2.

When you have completed both heels and are at the point where you have just made a new stitch at the
end of the heel on Sock 2, cut the reinforcing threads for both socks.

Finish the 2nd Half of the Round: Knit the instep of Sock 2. Knit the instep of Sock 1.
If you used a special stitch pattern for the top of the foot, continue in pattern.

Heel Completion Round: Turn the work so youre ready to knit the heel stitches. M1 between the heel
and instep stitches. (Knit into the stitch below the first stitch on the left needle. Twist if needed to close
any gap.)
You now have the primary stitch count (Chart 1, Row A) for each sock again.

LEG & CUFF

Pick one of these four options, or do whatever else you want!

1. Continue in stockinette until the socks measure 2 inches shorter than the desired length from
bottom of foot to top of sock. Switch to K2 P2 ribbing for the final two inches of cuff.
2. -OR- Knit a few rounds of stockinette and then switch to a ribbing pattern of your choice all the
way up the leg.
3. -OR- Knit a few rounds of stockinette and then switch to a special design pattern all the way up
the leg. (If you think you might take this option, you will need to have swatched in the special
pattern. You may find it necessary to switch needle sizes to make sure your gauge in the special
stitch matches the stockinette gauge used on the foot.)
4. -OR- If you already were using a special design stitch on the top of the foot, simply continue
that design up the leg.
 MUMTU Socks page 5 of 5

BIND OFF

Use your favorite stretchy bind-off. I recommend Elizabeth Zimmermann's Sewn Cast Off (from
Knitting Without Tears) or the Russian Bind Off used by Wendy Johnson.

REFERENCE CHARTS

These charts, by Peggy Pignato, are from Judy Gibsons "Putting Me On Socks. Chart 2 appears as
first published. Chart 1 has been modified, but the calculations follow Pignatos original proportions.

Chart 1:

Primary 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80
Stitch
Count
A 12 16 16 16 20 20 24 24 24 28 28 32 32
B 6 8 8 8 10 10 12 12 12 14 14 16 16
C 5 5 6 6 7 8 8 9 10 10 11 11 12
D 26 28 32 34 38 42 44 48 52 54 58 60 64
E 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40
F 42 46 52 56 62 68 72 78 84 88 94 98 104
G 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
H 3 3 4 4 5 6 6 7 8 8 9 9 10
I 5 5 6 6 7 8 8 9 10 10 11 11 12
J 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
K 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 8 8 8 8 8
L 5 6 7 8 8 9 10 11 11 12 13 14 15
M 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38
N 30 34 38 42 46 50 54 58 62 66 70 74 78
O 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38
P 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40

Chart 2: Best Guess for Length to Gusset

Number of inches around ball of 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

foot
Number of inches from total 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5
length of foot to start of gusset
increases (approximate)