Greenhorn (plus giveaway)
Published On: May 16, 2017

So if you’ve been here any length of time at all, you know I’m a firm believer in top down socks with a heel flap.  But…every once and a while, the urge to do something a little (but let’s be real…only a little) bit different strikes me.  Greenhorn was one of those times!

These are actually a very mellow way to depart from traditional top down heel flap socks.  The leg is the same, the foot is the same, just the heel and gusset are handled a bit differently.  Instead of working flat over half the stitches to make a heel flap, then picking up stitches to make a gusset, you keep working in the round, increasing on each side of the foot to make the heel flap, gusset, and top of your foot all at once.  It’s kind of nifty!

The fit is similar, there’s just a bit more working in the round (which I generally prefer) and a bit less picking up stitches (which may not be my very favorite knitting task ever).  And if you’re using a striping yarn, you get a bit less of a break in the pattern than you do with a heel flap (let’s be fair…it’s not no break in the pattern, just less).  Plus, you know, it’s fun to try something new!

Though just in case you’re Really Quite Set on doing a traditional heel flap, there are instructions in the pattern for that too.  I promise I don’t mind if you’re feeling traditional!

These are made in Space Cadet’s Oriana in the color Fizz.  As far as I can tell, it’s the world’s most perfect yarn for tiny cables.  The stitch definition is so sharp you’ll stab yourself.  And when a yarn has teeny tiny plies like this, it’s super round, and you don’t get distracted by the shadows you sometimes see on a 2 or 3 ply yarn (one of these days we’ll have a very dorky discussion about this…but for now just trust me, this type of yarn makes tiny cables pop).

When they sent the yarn for these (they’re nice…they send me yarn…it makes me swoony), they very kindly sent along an extra skein, so I’m going to make one of you very very happy and send it your way.  Just leave a comment telling me how you feel about sock construction.  Why mess with tradition?  The weirder the better? A little variation is fine but nothing too crazy?  There’s no right or wrong answer, I just like to know what you guys like!

And for everyone I can’t send yarn to (I’m just not cool enough to get yarn to everyone, sorry!), I’ve got a coupon for this pattern.  You can use the code SHARP to get 10% off the hat between now and Friday.  Just put Greenhorn in your ravelry cart, click on the ‘use a coupon code’ button, and type in the code SHARP.  You’ll see the change in price reflected right away.

Comments left between now and the end of the day (eastern time) Friday, May 19, 2017 will be entered to win.  I’ll pick a winner, contact them to get their addresses, and arrange to send yarn their way.  Be sure to use a real email address so I can contact you if you’ve won (I won’t do anything with those email addresses besides notify the winners).  If I do email you, I need to hear back from you within 72 hours or I will pick a new winner and contact them. Sorry, but I can only ship physical prizes to US addresses.

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