Good Sock

I finished one sock from the "Manos" yarn - it's a good one. (Nothing like a long day waiting in the doctor's office to get some quality knitting done - but that's another story...) This pic is before I closed the toe - kitchener stitch just eludes me, but I finally got a handle on it, I think. This reference at Knitty is the best one I've found to walk a person through that crazy stitch. When it's good, it's really good, though. You can't even tell where it is - just blends in exactly with the stitches around it.
I liked that little rib pattern I did on the top of one of my non-matching socks, so I did that again. I think it sort of gives some flex to the foot and allows it to conform a little more nicely. Also gives a little interest to the foot. Maybe one of these days I'll do one with a little Fair Isle color work down the top of the foot like that.
In this one you can see that the leg is a little goofy. I didn't do my guage right somehow and ended up with way too many stitches. I tried switching to smaller needles, but ended up having to decrease substantially down the leg. I probably should have ripped it, but I decided to pretend that it's supposed to be one of those "slouchy" socks. I'll make the other one the same and nobody will know. (Don't tell!!) I really like the slip stitch pattern on the heel - I think gusset heels really fit the nicest of all they types I've tried. I'm not sure I turned the heel right, though - I only decreased on the short rows, and didn't do any increasing, but it seemed to work out all right. I'd like to find a pattern for a toe up sock with a gusset heel. That way you could just keep knitting until the yarn was gone on the leg. I sure like the yarn. It's hard to photograph, but it's really got a nice loft and sheen. I'm a little worried how it will wear, but I need a good excuse to learn to darn.