There's a first for everything!

In the spirit of "A Year of Techniques", I am attempting July's technique, the heel-flap and gusset.  This requires me to knit my first pair of socks.  I've been knitting for over 30 years, on and off.  I've knit garments of all kinds, hats, shawls, lace, cables.... I can cable without a needle, read lace charts, and am not intimidated by most things knitterly.  Except socks.

My hesitation to knit socks is related to technique, mostly.  And style.  I knit loosely.  I often have to go down at least 2 needle sizes to get stitch gauge (and then adjust for row gauge as needed).  For socks, this means knitting on VERY tiny needles.  I'm using 2mm needles for my current project, but if my LYS had smaller DPNs I'd likely be one size smaller.

So far, I'm done one repeat of the chart, and realize that cables, twisted stitches and a heel-flap all in one might not be the best combination for one's first pair of socks.  I'm not a beginner, so other than the heel-flap these are not new skills.... but socks are knitting much more slowly than I'd like them to be.  I feel a strong case of "second sock syndrome" coming on in my near future!

Pattern - Festoon by Rachel Coopey
Yarn - Viola Sock by Emily Foden