A recent post on Ravelry asked for links to Estonian Round Toe instructions and I could not find any in English. So I decided to write them up and post as a response. Then I started thinking that even though Ravelry has almost 7 million registered users, the forum posts are still not readable by Internet at large.
And then I decided to make this post so that the instructions would be accessible, and linkable in the future.
The Estonian Round Toe
To make Estonian Round Toe you need your number of stitches to be evenly divisible by 8.
The principle is that on the decrease round you decrease 8 times evenly, and then knit as many rounds plain as you had between the decreases. Work like that until you get to 8 stitches, break the yarn, weave the tail through the stitches, draw shut and you are done.
For my socks, this is what i do:
*K5, k2tog* 8 times. Knit 5 rounds.
*K4, k2tog* 8 times. Knit 4 rounds.
*K3, k2tog* 8 times. Knit 3 rounds.
*K2, k2tog* 8 times. Knit 2 rounds.
*K1, k2tog* 8 times. Knit 1 round.
*K2tog* 8 times. 8 sts left.
Finish off.
It is very easy to adjust. If you had 64 stitch sock, you’d have 6 sts between decreases, and knit 6 rounds first, then 5, and 4, and so on.
I knit 60 sts socks for myself because I like the fit and the heel math of 60. But 60 is not evenly divisible by 8, so I decrease 4 sts on the round before I start the toe to get to 56, which is divisible by 8. This makes a nice oval toe for my narrow feet.
There is also a variant for a more rounded shorter toe where you knit one fewer round plain as you had between the decreases.
The Rounder Estonian Round Toe
*K5, k2tog* 8 times. Knit 4 rounds.
*K4, k2tog* 8 times. Knit 3 rounds.
*K3, k2tog* 8 times. Knit 2 rounds.
*K2, k2tog* 8 times. Knit 1 round.
*K1, k2tog* 8 times.
*K2tog* 8 times. 8 sts left.
Finish off.
This is equally as easy to adjust for different stitch counts, as long as they are divisible by 8.
I prefer the first variant for my socks, but people with wider feet will find that the rounder toe will fit them better.
And the best thing about this toe is that there is no grafting, no dog ears, no fiddly bind offs. It is so easy to memorise, and it's so beautiful in its simplicity.