I wanted to use a pattern with a short-row heel because I read somewhere that they show off self-striping yarn to best advantage.

CO 30 stitches (provisionally), short-row toe, st st 7” (~8.5” from toe tip), short-row heel, st st 4.5”, continue st inc 2 every 4th row (6x) then every 3rd row (9x), BO.

4/2/10: Done & I adore them beyond measure!

3/28/10: Ha! Lesson learned about increasing on the fly: don’t forget to do them on opposite sides, or your heel is uncentered! (See photo)

3/27/10: Added 4 extra stitches to ankle (just after heel). Now 3” past heel.

3/25/10: Ready to knit the heel.

3/21/10: Cast on sock #2, knit the toe.

SOCK #1 DONE!

3/20/10: Decided to knit the sock taller, so doing increases more frequently to accommodate my giant calf. Realized I shouldn’t do the inc on a color-change row ‘cuz you’re pulling from row beneath & it shows. Total of 15 increases (90 sts). Bound off on US3 needles to keep it loose.

3/18/10: At approx. 4.5” above top of heel, commenced calf shaping as follows: inc 2 sts every 4 rows at back of sock using TECHknitter’s Nearly Invisible Increase.

3/15/10: Turned heel.

3/13/10: Power is out today, what better way to spend a Saturday than knitting a sock, first by sunlight, then by candlelight?

Abandoned the magic-loop pattern I was going to use, thought I’d try Judy’s Magic Cast-on & bailed on that too : both are waaay too fussy! Returned to Sock Formula & it works like a charm.