Sock Innovation - Cauchy

This is the second time I am doing the "Cauchy" sock.  The first pair was for a sock swap I had participated in.  I had modified the pattern of the that sock, but in the spirit of following Cookie A's patterns to the letter, I attempted the picot cuff.  

I started out with the provisional cast on method that was illustrated in the book, but I kept having trouble with the uniformity of the stitches.  I switched to a different cast on that worked much better.  I'm not sure of the proper name, but I used a crochet hook a couple sizes larger than my needles.  I did a chain stitch for about 20 more stitches than I needed, then proceeded to cast on a stitch in the "bump" of the chain.  Once I was ready to join the stitches, I just pulled out the chain and the live stitches were there.  I would advise using a heaver weight yarn in a contrasting color to make this process easier.

These socks for my Dad were made with Knit Picks Gloss Fingering in a silk/merino blend.  I loved the caramel color of the yarn.  While it is a neutral color, the pattern really popped, resulting in a very elegant pair of men's socks.

I'm very happy that I am knitting the patterns in order of the book.  I find that in every pattern Cookie A teaches a new skill.  I also took advantage of her sizing tutorial to make these bigger than what for the pattern called for.  On to the next challenge..............................