The first months combo of my self-imposed sock club. 

Yarn: Handkraft "The sock who loved me" in Mangrove (70% Merino, 30% silk. Yummy.)  Pattern: Sleepy Hollow.

Verdict:  I love these socks.  Love them. 

I love the stripes up the backs of the legs (probably a throwback to some bizarre stocking seam association I’m making) and I love – no, not love… I am deeply satisfied by the heel.

This sock is knit from the top down, and when you get to the time for the heel, you begin to work it in the traditional slipped stitch pattern, but you don’t work it by itself, back and forth. 

Instead you keep working in lovely fulfilling rounds, increasing for the gussets as you go.  When the whole business is the right length and size, you work a short row turn, then work back and forth, uniting and consuming the gusset stitches into the heel and sole.  After a little, when you have the right number of stitches, you increase as you consume… so that stitch count stays constant. 

The result is a nice fitting heel, but as is so often the point in knitting… that’s not it’s charm.

The charm is, somehow – that the resulting heel is charmingly foot shaped, and almost seems fitted.  Narrow where heels are, wider where the foot is. I’m thrillingly enchanted.  It’s like matching increases or a perfect bobble, or bang on symmetry in a paired decrease.  The attention to detail is just.  Well.  It’s sexy. 

And no.  I don’t mind that I’ve said that about a sock.  I bet you think it’s hot too.