I just finished making these for me, and attempted to incorporate all my special needs:
Thick, as I wear a lot of Birkenstocks
Big, for my size 11 (women's) feet
VERY loose and short ribbing section on the leg
Long (or is it deep?) heel flap
Narrow toe
The extra-girly colorway I used for these may not have been physically necessary, but it was a psychological balm to compensate for years of winter socks in neutral, "manly" colors.
And yes, I love knitting books, and having access lots of information! I used four resources to find out what I needed to knit these simple socks.
1. Sally Melville's The Knitting Experience: The Purl Stitch
2. The Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook by Lynn Vogel
3. Getting Started Knitting Socks by Ann Budd;
4. Mary in South Beach Oregon's Easy Worsted Socks pattern
http://mary4169.tripod.com/Easy_Worsted_Socks.pdf
I'm glad I finished these, but I feel that I am still trying to find my sock knitting groove. This is actually my second pair of socks, but I have not yet been bitten by the sock-making bug. I have tried every way of making them: magic loop; two circulars; extra-short circulars with flexible cables; doublepoints. Even in worsted weight with size three needles I think the sock-making process may be just be too fiddly for me.
