Comments on: Fanatical Details on Turkish Socks

By: Bob

Bob — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 19:06:18 +0000

On the “twisted” toe – It’s very simple actually. Use your favorite cast-on (Turkish, Judy’s – here some of them do what amounts to a long-tail cast on over two DPNs, then pick up the stitches on the bottom edge and start working. I’m looking at a pair of socks made by women from Balıkesir they start with 8 stitches.

Knit halfway along one side, start with a new needle and finish the row, and add a loop. Do the same on the other side (or keep it on 3 needles if you like, it’s up to you). On the instep and sole side you just add one loop every time. The “ridge” you see is composed of the increases. The increased stitches on one of the two needles will build up; you can just knit one onto the first needle every other round to keep them even.

Depending on whether you’re knitting English/continental or round-the-neck, you’ll make the loop towards or away; whatever works so that when you come around next time and knit the stitch, it will not untwist. (Most village women knit round the neck and everything’s done from the reverse side; i.e. it’s all purled, with knit stitches being used mostly for ribbing.) Continue this way until you’ve reached your desired width and then take off up the body.

You don’t have to use loop increases; you can actually use any one you want. I’m doing it with M1 (yarn up); you just do it on one side, every round, until you reach the desired stitch count.

By: Bob

Bob — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 15:42:39 +0000

I am assuming that those who are knitters here know about Ravelry.com – there are several people there doing this kind of work.

I live in Istanbul, and have friends whose mothers do it. Here are pictures of a rather worn pair done in a Hemshin (E. Black Sea) pattern:

https://picasaweb.google.com/dolichos/HemshinSocksBootiesFromThrace#

My next door neighbor also has a collection of old socks from all over the country. The last pair with the “spiral” stitch on the toe is also crocheted with a simple slip stitch.

Enjoy!

By: Mikki

Mikki — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 15:11:56 +0000

Wonderful hand work .. beautiful in composition. My question is how costly are they? if that is not being to nosie.. you can email me the answer is you dont want it published.. thanks
revrun4him2@yahoo.com

By: knancy

knancy — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 01:52:54 +0000

I love the Red Magnificent socks from Turkey. I knit socks with Turkish colorwork….. more satisfying for me than self striping yarn.

By: jellybelly

jellybelly — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:06:47 +0000

we love ur socks and we say hi to them :P
love jellybelly x

By: Jilly

Jilly — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 19:22:18 +0000

Hi Sarah, I can hardly believe it! I have just been to Turkey & have bought some beautiful pairs of antique Turkish socks & one divine pair in cotton, very old and with intricate patterns. I have ordered more books on Turkish socks online & was looking for anything I could find on the internet about Turkish socks & came across this posting. Lo and behold I found my question written to you over a year ago! I had forgotten that I had asked you a question & am so grateful for your answer! Thankyou very much. I will gladly photograph my socks. I think you will drool over the cotton pair, they are expertly knitted, just AMAZING. I will gladly send you photos of my socks if you give mne your email address. I am going to start knitting mittens in traditional Turkish designs as I think they will be easier than the socks, no heels! Very many thanks, Jilly.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 23:15:06 +0000

I realise I rather garbled the instructions for grafting the pieces together above. After crocheting a single row around each piece, you then use those rows, putting the hook through a stitch on one piece, drawing the yarn through, then putting the hook through the second piece and draw the yarn through and finally draw the yarn through the 3 loops on the hook to create one joining stitch. It gives less of a ridge along the side than doing the stitch through both pieces at the same time.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 18:53:57 +0000

Jilly, you can always cheat, as I did with Anna Zilboorg’s Turkish sock patterns. I am a machine knitter rather than hand knitter, but you could use the same technique with hand knitting. I knitted the socks in 3 flat pieces, 1 piece to go over the front of the foot with a point at the toe, 1 piece down the back of the leg with point finishing at the point of the heel and a lozenge shaped piece with a point at each end for the sole. I then crocheted around all the pieces with a row of what you call single crochet in the US (in the UK it is double crochet), where I put the hook through the stitch on front piece, drew a loop of wool through, then put the hook through stich on back piece, drew the wool though and finally drew yarn through the 3 loops on the hook, and s on. I finished off the top with more crochet. It took longer to join the pieces than knit them!
In case hand-knitting purists are horrified at the thought of using a machine, Anna Zilboorg does suggest using the patterns with a knitting machine for other garments.

By: Jilly

Jilly — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 12:00:05 +0000

Hi, I have the Anna Zilbourg Turkish socks knitting pattern book and would LOVE to make a pair but cannot make head nor tail of how to make the pattern as described in the book! Do you have a pattern that will give me a blow by blow account of each stage? If so do you have a telephone number so that I could order it over the phone and pay by card. If not I will gladly send the cash. Please help I am desperately drooling over the wonderful pictures in my book and feel very frustrated!
Very many thanks, Jilly

By: Ketutar

Ketutar — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 10:52:18 +0000

About the red socks.
Yes, the cuff is crocheted – not only the picot, but the blue and red striping too. They use quite a lot crocheting in the socks. I had a pair of socks with all crocheted heel.

About how one can sell family heirlooms… Of course, I can’t know the situation, but I can think of several reasons – other than money.

Firstly, they are socks. She might have dozens of pairs, and perhaps doesn’t use them herself, and here we have this “crazy American” who’s ready to pay for a pair of old socks… Some decades ago old quilts were thrown away, used as animal blankets and stuffed inside walls to work as insulation. Now we pay fortune for these same quilts.

Secondly, she sold them to a collector, someone who will appreciate them and love them and honor them… had she kept the socks, no-one would ever have seen them. Now her family heirloom is in USA and appreciated by the whole world through internet… I’d love my grandmother’s crafts to be elevated to that kind of status :-)

Thirdly, perhaps she didn’t have children and there was family heirs…

We never know. :-) All I know is that I’m glad the socks found a nice home and an owner who will love them as long as she lives :-)