07-28-2016

First sock was mostly knit during the June camping trip that started at Black Sheep Gathering.

Second sock started on day 3 of the Democratic National Convention. Have watched both conventions almost gavel to gavel.

08-02-2016

Second sock is knitted! He tried it on this morning just to check and it does fit. Don’t know why it wouldn’t--I did exactly the same thing as the first sock. :-)

So now I just have to weave in the ends, wash, and then photograph them.

Pattern notes:
When doing a contrast heel, make the first row of the heel a wrong side row. That way you don’t have to break the main yarn and can just pick it back up when the heel turn is done. First set of picked up stitches after heel turn will be in heel color yarn, knit across instep in main color and knit the second set of picked up stitches in the main color. Now just keep going with the main color and the only ends are the heel yarn.

When doing the heel, instead of “running” the heel with a reinforcing thread, I used slip stitch. SL1, knit across. SL1 P1 on the reverse side. It took some getting used to, since I am in the habit of slipping on the knit side. But if you don’t like purling, this gives you fewer purl stitches and would probably be a little faster.

When doing this toe, the pattern just says “cast off.” In my reading I learned that this was to thread the yarn through all the stitches and pull tight (like a hat top). I thought that would make a really weird toe, but it doesn’t. I then ran the yarn through some of the stitches and then some in reverse direction to secure it. Not too many or it might get lumpy at the end. Then I will weave in.