Mistakes were made.

 So I went back to the sock to try and figure out how to do the contrast color heel. I 'thought' I knew what I was doing.

I wanted the classic round heel contrast and, being impatient, didn't realize I was using a different kind of heel. I made another mistake in cutting the main color to start the heel color. Halfway through that color the yarn had a thin spot so had to work back so I could join that and only after getting to the last row of the Fleegle Heel did I realize it was  not what I was looking for.

 I didn't get a picture before but that is what I ended up with. I ripped back the orange, then everything got tangled and I cut the mess loose and then researched what I needed. Which was a short row heel and I found a good video on doing a German Short Row.

I just happened to have a stitch holder thing (can't remember what it's called) and successfully threaded it on the row before the gusset increases. I was only five stitches off from the row I had done so that was an easy fix and then just slipped the stitches back onto my circular. I felt so accomplished doing that because I've tried that in the past and had failed with split stitches, wrong ones picked up and all that.

So if you aren't familiar with a German Short Row, instead of doing a wrap & turn you do the equivalent of a yarn over but by slipping the first stitch and pulling the yarn to the back so the previous stitch creates two stitches. You know, the one mistake a lot of new knitters (me included) used to do at the end of a row.

The important thing is to not drop that double stitch. Which I did. Twice. So had to back the rows up and restart but that wasn't nearly as bad.

So here I am, just buzzing along about five rows in and realize I had skipped a stitch. Only have to back off that last row thankfully but it's par for the course on this sock right now. I think I'm going to keep the black marker and put another one on the other side to mark the last double stitch so I don't forget to go that far and can count the stitches easier. 

Once  you get to the point where you have as many stitches unworked as you have in the toe on one side (for me it's 14) and have an even number of double stitches on either side then you work back again. 

It's rather exciting and frustrating working a new technique and I think I 'm going to add in the directions for a German short row heel into my Hybrid Sock pattern. This is the video I found and I think I'm going to find the pattern she's using with the ribbing on the top of the foot as well.

German Short Row Heel w/circular needle

This is the video I found and I think I'm going to find the pattern she's using with the ribbing on the top of the foot as well. Really looking forward to getting this one done so I can start the next one and know what NOT to do. Should go a lot faster.

All my other projects are worked on sporadically. The blanket is one or two rows a day, haven't picked up the shawls in a few but that's hyperfocus for you. Go until it gets frustrating and pick up another project. When you end up with only projects that have mistakes, then you start fixing the simplest one.

Go figure.