No Flap Top Down Heel and Gusset

In green above are pictures of a no flap heel and gusset from Gerdine Crawford-Strong for cuff down socks. To quote the Ravelry entry:

This technique is ideal for self-patterning Fair Isle or striped yarn. You can continue with one skein of yarn without creating any distortion of the yarn pattern at the ankle or heel without switching to another skein.

Hence, the photo of the Tucson Socks which show massive pooling around the ankle and heel using the traditional heel-flap and gusset method.

As I knit the sample, I realized immediately how this prevents pooling and eliminates the need to switch skeins. The only thing for it was to frog the Tucson sock back to just before the heel flap. So in went the lifeline and the ripping began. There is still some pooling, but nothing like the great gobs of colour I had before.

The pumpkin socks are coming along. I've completed the heel on sock one and am now knitting the leg. It is slow going with the 00 needles because my fingers get tired.

April 7 begins the top down KAL. I'm doing the Gansey Sock. I will be doing the Strong heel and probably a three-needle bind-off for the toe. I haven't decided on the yarn.

I am trying a new recipe for curied cauliflower. If it works, it will post it.

Like a lot of people, events in the world so far this year have kept me glued to the news. What I have most appreciated is the ability to see and hear via the Internet events from the viewpoint of peoples in the region instead relying on the reporting from the national networks or CNN. Al-Jazeera has been incredible covering events in the North Africa and the Middle East.