Pattern Summary: Toe-up, reinforced heel sock.

Cable Pattern Gauge: 41 sts/38 rows = 4 inches in cabled rib

Description from Knitty.com:

These mild-mannered socks may look ordinary, but they're secretly worked in reverse!

I liked the idea of toe-up socks, especially when I'm not sure how much yarn I have available, but prefer the extra cushion of the standard top-down sock's slipped stitch heel flap.

This pattern combines the flexibility of toe-up design with a reversed round heel shaping to place that panel of heel stitching right where it belongs.