Finished – blue & white socks
I finished these socks a couple of weeks ago. They’re toe-up socks, and for fun I worked two different kinds of backwards heels, which is why they don’t match exactly.
Close-up of heels:
The left sock shows an ordinary Dutch/German heel (my favorite heel) worked just as usual, but of course starting on the bottom of the foot. You can see how the heel flap ends up under the heel.
The right sock shows a much more elegant solution — “Denise’s Reverse Dutch Heel” — a heel worked literally backwards. First, work instep INCREASES, then work a tiny flap which represents the bit you get when you turn a heel, then pick up stitches around the sides of the little flap and work the heel flap, getting rid of a foot stitch at the end of every row. Then meet up with the rest of the foot stitches and continue the leg. Sweet! Better instructions here: http://www.socknitters.com/toe-up/lessonfour.htm
I probably won’t make cotton socks again. I prefer the resiliency of wool, and when it’s barely cool enough to wear socks at all, thin wool socks are more comfy than cotton anyway.