Heels of the Common Sort

I finished up the first sock of the current OTN pair. I'm calling them the Mickey & Friends Socks. And I tried out a new heel.

It's from Folk Socks by Nancy Bush. The heel flap is divided as usual, but knitted in st st (although you could do a design or eye of partridge if you liked). The usual number of rows are knitted and then ten more, made up of a knit row with two decreases, one on each side of the exact center of the heel flap, followed by a purl row back. Then one knits to the center of the heel flap, folds the heel flap, right sides together, and grafts the remaining sts.

Sts are picked up from the end of the graft up the side to the instep, work across the instep and then pick up sts back to the graft. Heel decreases are the same as always. It makes a deep heel, which I don't need, so on the second sock, I'll cut back on the number of additional rows to make the heel fit better. The black and white yarns in my sock are KnitPicks which does shrink if machine washed and dried, so I'm hoping that will full up the heel a bit so it looks better. I don't wear my socks with shoes, (Birks and Crocs only) so I don't need reinforced heels.

This sock has a strand of black throughout the sock and is paired with white at the cuff, heel and toe and the Rodentia for the leg and foot. The second sock (already CO and about three inches into it) will have a strand of white throughout, paired with black at the cuff, heel and toe and Rodentia for the leg and foot. Yes, I do like fraternal socks that are the same but different! :)

Youngest Son, Eldest Granddaughter and Youngest Daughter had great fun playing with the Wii yesterday. I am so amazed at how advanced this game system is. Youngest Daughter said she heard an good reason why the games are hard to get hold of. It seems physical therapists are using them to help patients enjoy therapy more. I can see why. There is quite a bit of range of motion when playing the sports games. One actually has to stand up, hold the controller like a bowling ball, swing the arm back and and forth and release. The amount of speed during this motion determines the speed of the bowling ball on the screen. Same with tennis, golf, baseball.... It certainly gets one off the couch and moving around!


Check out these socks on Auntie Ann Knits! Here is the pattern for the Conservative Socks.