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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.
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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!