I like to knit socks….like a lot. And so I have knit socks…..like a whole lot. And my favorite kind of sock to knit is a vanilla sock knit with indie dyed self striping yarn. So I’ve knit a lot of those. In knitting so many socks, I’ve had a chance to cobble together my favorite techniques to make, in my opinion, the perfect sock. Every once in a while, someone on Ravelry contacts me and asks me what I do to make my socks. I figured that I might as well put it out here for all to enjoy.

Pattern uses the Turkish Cast On and Afterthought Heel. I particularly love this heel because it’s super easy, always looks nice, and works fabulous with stripey yarn. However, it looks just as awesome if you use a contrasting heel yarn, so feel free to do that instead if you have a coordinating toe/heel skein.

While I primarily knit my stripey socks toe up, I’ve included both toe up and top down instructions. I’ve also got a not so Oscar winning video on how I do the Turkish Cast On here on YouTube.
1.23.17I have recorded and linked a new video tutorial showing how to do the Turkish Cast On. It’s much less shaky than the previous one. Hope it helps!

Enjoy, and feel free to contact me if anything isn’t clear.