Toe-up sock
Cast on 24 stitches total using Turkish cast on

Increase every other round using backward loop L and backward loop R increases until there were 80 72 stitches total,40 36 on the instep, 40 36 on the sole.

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These socks have been nothing but trouble. After getting about half the foot of each sock done--TAAT ML--I realized that I had screwed up the spiral eyelet pattern that I decided to use on the instep and leg in such a way that made the socks want to twist, and I really hated the wedge toe. I need to remember that when I knit a toe-up sock starting with a Turkish cast on or JMCO, I need to increase every row for 4 rows to flatten out the top of the toe, and I also need to use the mirrored kfb increase (kfb, knit till 2 stitches remain on needle, kfb, k1, repeat on other side of the foot) because the standard wedge toe just doesn’t work for me.

Anyway, I took one sock off the needle I was using to knit both of the socks, ripped it back to the first increase row of the toe, and knitted a shaped round toe a la Crissy Gradiner. (It’s not really a round toe, it’s a modified wedge toe.) Then I did the same on the second socks, and once both toes were reknitted, I put the socks back on a single circular needle and continued working TAAT ML

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I originally increased to 80 stitches, but after finishing the toe and about an inch of the foot, I realized that the sock was going to be way too big, so I ripped back and then tinked back to 36 stitches on each needle and started over again. I didn’t change needle size.

This yarn has been in my stash for years because I have no clue what to do with it. I didn’t pick it out. I would never buy yarn in these colors. I got it in a sock club. The base is very nice although it is also very splitty. Also, the yarn is super wash Merino with no Nylon, so it really isn’t suitable for socks. So, naturally, I’m making socks with it. LOL

Since I hate this color way, I decided to use this yarn to try a new-to-me technique--knitting two socks at a time using Magic Loop. I tried two socks at a time on two circs many years ago and found it awkward and fiddly, but since then I have learned a lot of different techniques and become an experienced and confident sock knitter. The biggest disadvantage to knitting both socks at the same time on the same needle(s) is that if you make a mistake, you have to tink or rip back twice as many stitches. UGH. So I am keeping the pattern simple on these socks.

This also seems like the perfect project to give the Fleegle heel a try. I haven’t tried this heel technique before for a couple of reason, the main one being I don’t really care much for how it looks. But I often knit a FLK heel, and let’s face it, it isn’t particularly attractive, but it fits great and is fun and easy to work. So I decided the Fleegle heel was worth a go. Who knows, I may fall in love with it.

Um, no. I realized that the Fleegle heel is just the Strong heel knit from the toe up. I made a sock once with the Strong heel and I really didn’t love it. I think maybe I will make a regular W&T short row heel. I haven’t made one of those for a while.