#2 The Fleegle Heel

I'm using the fancy schmancy yarn for this pair of socks. 395 yds. 100% merino.

Madeline Tosh in Mansfield's Garden Party. 

Here it is caked up and ready to make the pattern, by the book from The Sock Project. You may be aware that I rarely if ever follow a pattern but that is the way I am approaching this project so that I am semi-assured it will turn out. 

I've cast on 56 stitches and am using the Turkish cast-on which starts at the toe. This is relatively new to me, but already it has proved to be the easiest cast on ever. The toe was formed using yarn over increases, which is also new to me for socks and it is just wonderful and almost invisible. FYI, my usual cast on is 48 stitches so this will be quite a bit larger. Size 2 Addi 24" circulars, using Magin Loop technique.

Here is the Fleegle heel which is triangular and quite an ingenious design. Nothing tricky, easily memorized and quite fast to knit. And no Kitchener stitch in the whole sock!

After knitting the heel I could try on the sock. 

O dear.

At least two inches too long. I followed the directions exactly, with the minor modification of using a size 2 instead of a size 1 needle thus changing the gauge. But, but, but...it fits everywhere but the length.

(I must say that the pattern was wonderfully written and illustrated, and my goofs are simply my own.)

There is a solution of course which is one of the things I love about knitting. Rip out the heel and then rip away at least 1.5" off the foot and knit the heel again.

Second try. Much better. 

So much for following the measurements in the book. When the heel is finished, it's just the leg left to knit and I went for a 7" ribbed cuff.

Here's the finished pair. Lovely yarn to knit, just as smooth on the needles as one would want. Yay! I'm glad I got this yarn at the estate sale otherwise I might never have purchased it full price.

And a close up of the Fleegle heel. I would make these socks again, and use fewer stitches and they would fit me better. I will no doubt offer these for sale come the autumn when this sock project nears the end. 

And here is the size difference of my normal sock compared to the one from the pattern (minus my gauge mistakes.) The Fleegle Heel sock foot measures 9.75" in length and my blue sock is like 7.5" long.