by Lesley Allen

Created on: January 19, 2008

When you've gone to the trouble of knitting most of a beautiful sock you need to finish it just as beautifully with an appropriately shaped toe. This isn't as silly as it might sound to a non-knitter because there are indeed quite a few different shapes that you can achieve for the toe by varying the lengths or the widths or the number of stitches worked between the decreases. The following three variations assume that you are using four, or perhaps five, needles.

ROUND TOE

A round toe is formed by working the decreases evenly spaced all around the toe, rather than just at the sides, pretty much as you would do if you were decreasing to the centre of a woolly hat. The following one is worked over a number of stitches divisible by 8. Begin the round (as usual) at the centre of the heel.

Round 1: *k6, k2 tog, repeat from * all round.
Round 2: *k5, k2 tog, repeat from * all around
Round 3: *k4, k2 tog, repeat from * all around.
Work 4 rounds plain.
Continue in this way working one less stitch between each decrease and one fewer plain round until you work just one plain round. K2 tog all around.
Using a tapestry needle, pass the yarn through the remaining sts and pull them tight.

WEDGE TOE

This toe produces a seam line', much as you will find on many shop-bought pairs of socks.

Round 1: Work to 3 sts from the end of needle#1, k2 tog, k1. K1, SSK at the beginning of needle#2, knit to 3 sts away from the end of needle#2, k2 tog, k1. K1, SSK at the beginning of needle#3, knit to the end of the round.
Round 2: Work plain.
Repeat these two rounds until you have reduced the number of stitches by half on each needle. Now work the decrease round only until you have 8 stitches left. Divide the stitches on to two needles only. Graft the two set of sts together or thread yarn through and pull tight.

STAR TOE

This toe uses five needles. Divide the stitches equally on four needles.

Round 1: Knit tog the last 2 sts on every needle.
Round 2: Work even without decreasing.
Work these two rounds 6 times, then work Round 1 until there are 8 sts remaining. Using a tapestry needle, draw the yarn through the stitches and pull tight.
This toe can be lengthened by adding more plain rounds between the decrease rounds or made shorter by leaving out the plain rounds.

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