Provisionally Speaking: In Which Count Sockula Continues To Heel

Question: What’s both top-down and toe-up and easy all over?

Answer: The Provisional Cast-on.
　
Count Sockula did not invent the Provisional Cast-On. Whoever did that was a genius.
　
However, CS is calling this the Providential Cast-On, because this is what we hit upon in restlessly, feverishly, frantically searching for a method so we could GET TO THE HEEL RIGHT AWAY.
　
Studying toes and heels has been one of CS’s primary Sock Goals. And last time, two new Frontiers were explored: an afterthought Garter Stitch Heel (it worked!) and a conventional, short-row, wrapped heel. Which did NOT work, but that was Operator Error.
　
This time, however, the short-row heel worked. Beautifully. Thanks to Knit Purl Hunter’s excellent blog and video ‘lessons.’ (Last time CS forgot to slip the first stitch on the second half of the heel). KPH likes to use a counter to keep track of stitches. CS uses markers. Whichever way you like.
　
Wow. Short-row heels. Cooool. Not at all scary.
　
So you cast on your total number of sock stitches, which means you make a crochet chain with a thickish, smooth yarn in a standout color (CS used white). Then pick up loops in the back of each crochet stitch with your sock yarn and knitting needles. Lots of sock books teach how to do a provisional cast-on. Blogs, too.
　
Then you blithely commence to knit the sock as if toe-up. Work the heel and finish off the cuff as if working a regular toe-up sock. The only difference is that you are starting in the middle, right before the heel. You can knit as many or as few rows before you work the heel as you want; for this test pair CS probably knitted an inch of fabric before starting in on the heel.
　
Once the cuff is finished, you pick up the stitches from the provisional cast-on (by turning over the crocheted chain and picking up stitches in the little bumps on the back of the chain) - simply work the rest of the sock as if top-down: knitting toward the toe. Use your favorite method for completing the toe. Sometimes CS likes the star toe. Sometimes not.
　
　
Now if you don’t like the heel, you don’t have much to frog. If you do, finish the cuff and then pick up the foot stitches and finish the sock! Socks seem to go faster for the Count this way. That’s the beauty of the Count Sockula Providential Cast-on Method. There. I’ve named it.
　
Then, for the second sock, the Count tried to work a Japanese Pick heel, loving all things Japanese. But again, Operator Error crept in. As in, there were gaping holes because CS foolishly tried to follow two different sets of instructions. When CS gave up this dualism and went to the simplest set of instructions, the holes stopped appearing and all was right with the world. We left that heel as was, and completed the sock anyway. No one will ever know, unless they examine CS’s feet, and If You Can See That, You’re Too Close.
　
　
Maybe this Count Sockula Providential Cast-on method won’t work if you are knitting a sock with a complicated pattern and maybe it will.
　
　
　
Yarn: Moda Dea Sassy Stripes, ‘Vintage,’ which would not be one of my favorite colorways, because it looks faded, except that the black keeps it from looking elegantly faded, if you know what CS means. But the ball of yarn was sitting in a carrier all ready to tackle.
　
Needles: Size 4. Different ones, short woodens for the pick-up and toes, Clover bamboos at some point, Prym circs for the rest.
　
It was a learning experience. I would size down at least one needle to # 3 for the heel next time. I stole, ahh, borrowed, two instep stitches for each end of the heel needle to make the heel deep enough. CS might even want to size the needles down to 3 altogether next time and laboriously cast on more stitches than the mere 40 this test sock was worked on.  Here is one sock with the heel and cuff (just a simple K1, P1 rib) completed, and the second just started.  Just a couple of unassuming little socklets:

　
　
If, like Count Sockula, you are a can’t-wait-to-get-to-the-heel type, give this method a try.

As The Heel Turns: In Which Count Sockula Rides Again

Count Sockula is seeing daylight for the first time in, well, forever and a half.  Not seeing daylight, exactly, because as we all know CS is a creature of the night, muahahaaa.


But the author of this blog tends to run hot and cold.  One week,, it's just too much to drag out the fountain pens and ink.  Another, sock-knitting seems like rolling boulders uphill.


But recently I had BURNING IDEAS about heels.  As in wanting to re-attempt a certain heel Which Shall Remain Forevermore Nameless---and wanting to attempt my first short-row heel with wraps.  (Which, face it---is scary!!!)


It should be noted that the Count's go-to heels are the Garter Stitch (a la Knitpurl Hunter) and Afterthought.


The Heel That Shall Remain Nameless took for EVER to knit.   And.  It.  Came. Out. Phail.


(Oh, right.  The fountain pens.  Just a reminder that Dr. inkenstein waits in the wings.)


Both pair were done on size 7 needles and Red Heart scraps because this had to be fast.  The blue pair were done from the toe up.


Sock pair One.  Nameless Heel Attempt That Phailed.

Nameless Heel was awful.  As awful as the first couple times it was attempted.  The worst heel ever.  Just an ugly little bump, and I even stole stitches from the instep so it wouldn't be just an ugly little bump but a real heel.

And the socks were TOO SHORT.  That was a first. 

So I tinked it back RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A PARTY.  And just tossed in an Afterthought Heel!  How's that for socksmanship?  

The other sock in the pair got an Afterthought in the first place.  As it should have.


Sock Rescue One.  Success. 


Now onto the second pair.  This was bee-in-bonnet time.  The Count wanted to see if an Afterthought could be done with Garter Stitch.  And it can!  As you can see here.


Sock Pair Two, each sock with different heel type:

GS Afterthought on the left.  Short-row wrap on right. 

But you know, it's SOOO much trouble to knit.  The whole.  Sock.  When you are just really burning to try that heel. 

So I did a provisional cast-on.   Muahahaaaaa!   And it worked.  Knitted a few rounds, then dove right into the heel.  So basically the heel of each sock was worked as if toe-up.  And then, the provisional cast-on was removed, stitches picked up, and the foot and toe worked as if top-down.

Simple!  Kinda sorta. 


OK, got into a little trouble with the short-row in that I forgot to slip the first stitch and then had to get myself out of it using a double-wrap technique.  But it's a sock.  It worked.  It fits.

Unlike Certain Heels We Could Mention!

Got a heel type you want to try but don't want to wait forever to get to the good part?  Attempt a provisional cast-on.  If you like how the heel comes out, go ahead and work the rest of the foot.

Maybe this Tragic Tail of Sock Phail will help you in some way.  In any case if you ever have a Heel Idea burning a hole in your pocket, try a provisional cast-on.

Coming soon:  Dr. Inkenstein returns with Three Jolly Sailormen.