The Great Sock-a-long: A Guild Challenge

My knitting guild is sponsoring a Sock-a-long. This is like a knit-a-long only we are all doing different patterns of socks. Some of the group are first time sock knitters and we have put them in touch with some web tutorials and some appropriate patterns. We veterans of sock knitting are available for help as needed. The veterans, some of whom are true nut cases (Harriet), will be tackling different patterns which will offer us a chance to do something new. The Jaywalker pattern will be a choice of several, I think. I am looking at some new techniques.

My socks have a tubular cast-on that I discovered online. My Fashionable Life. I've played with tubular cast ons and cast offs before, but they didn't really stick in my brain.

I've complete the cast on for both socks and I like them.

Second challenge is an Austrian Twisted St pattern on the cuff.

It went really well on the first cuff, but it is a thick pattern. I decided that I didn't want the bulk in my clog so I decreased stitches and went to a smaller needle and continued in a K2, P2 pattern to knit the gusset. The heel botton and the entire sole will be st st. I'm very pleased with them so far. The Euroflax Gem Merino yarn is wonderful; practically knits itself and it's machine washable.

Final challenge is to use the new heel technique I discovered online where you knit the gusset first and then just turn the heel and continue. None of that nasty picking up stitches. I've completed one and it was effortless. I first saw this technique on A Time to Knit.

I used my old standard method of turning the heel which does not require a wrap before the turn. When I knitted her sample, I followed her directions and liked the effect that leaving the wrap made. It was a nice textural detail. I did use her lifted increases instead of my standard M1's and thought them excellent. This may become my preferred heel because you never slow down.