This would be where I show you all sorts of pretty pictures of my new pair of socks. Alas for my lack of camera. In lieu of pictures, you’re just going to have to take it from me that the socks — both of them! — are finished.
The fact that I have two socks finished is most definitely the very best part of this whole thing. Hooray for no chance of catching Second Sock Syndrome! I found the Magic Loop method to be really easy once I got the swing of it, and it was certainly fun to watch the various facial expressions of friends and passers-by as they tried to figure out just what I was doing with the wonky knitting needle and two balls of yarn.
Oh yeah, how the socks were knit: I used the “figure 8 cast-on” toe-up method, and was knitting two socks at the same time, side-by-side: I have yet to fully grok the double-knitting, one-inside-the-other method (and since JenLa dubbed this style “Tobasco Douche” socks, I’m not really in a hurry to learn it, either). As for the rest of the sock, I just knit ’till it seemed like I should do the next thing: double-increase tow cap, St. st. foot, short-row heel, a whole lot of 2×2 ribbing, and about an inch of 1×1 ribbing at the top. I cast off using a new method I’ve been reading about lately (p1, p2tog, *pass st. back to L. needle, P2tog* to end) and am quite pleased with its stretchiness.
The second fact, that the yarn was of the self-patterning variety, was the second-best part of the project. (I also have lots left over, but probably not enough for another pair of socks.) Watching the sock look extra-spiffy with no expended effort on my behalf almost justifies the price of self-patterning sock yarn. I’ll most likely splurge on pattern yarns again, but not for a while.
Finally, now that I have learned a method of knitting socks two-at-once, and have a finished pair of my own, I think I may be over my “I don’t knit socks” thing. Sock knitting is pretty good for a small, portable project, and knit socks are pretty darned comfy (I put mine on as soon as I’d cast off!). As soon as more sock yarn comes my way, I’ll be casting on another pair — two at once! — of socks for travel knitting.
Question: anyone know of different ways to turn a heel going toe-up?
