Well, maybe not from hell, that could be stretching the truth a bit but definitely not well thought-out on my part. Just finished the Crystal Socklets from Knitty last night and while I’m pleased with how they turned out, I don’t think I’ll be doing another afterthought heel in a hurry. This was my first time trying that technique, as is called for in the pattern, and I shouldn’t have tried it in the dark gray Kroy I used for the main color. Trying to pick up 28 stitches on either side of a partial row of waste yarn is not the easiest thing to do in low light. I knit the first one in the gallery where the shades are drawn to prevent excess glare on the artwork and the second at home with similarly low light. I did the first heel the way the pattern intended by picking up stitches on either side of the waste yarn by threading a spare needle across the row, then using a second needle to pick up the stitches on the other side, then crossing my fingers and removing the waste yarn. By the time the second sock heel came around I gave the usual method a go then said screw it, I’m going for it, and picked out the waste yarn, leaving the surrounding stitches wide and free, crossed my fingers, and picked them up from there.
They turned out pretty well, I think. The cuffs are a little loose, but there’s no ribbing to keep them close to the ankle. The yarn I used for the heel, cuff, and patterned sections was Cascade Heritage Prints in colorway heck if I remember, and according to some reviews it shrinks a little easier than it should, so we’ll see how it turns out when I give these their first wash. Hindsight would say maybe I should have tested the yarn out before I knit something that gets frequently washed, but sometimes (lots of times, really) I throw caution to the wind and just do it!