Maybe you just can not stand one more gauge swatch. Maybe you bought some yarn and don't know if you have enough for a pair of tall socks. Maybe you want to try something new.

Toe-up socks are for you! I suggest you start with a bulky yarn for slipper socks, to get acquainted with the process. However, if you wish to dive in with a different yarn, you can fit as you go without a gauge swatch. To knit for someone else, a sizing graph in the appendix will help you determine their sock size.
 
This method is great for those who have never tried toe-up knitting before. I guide you carefully through the unusual features, so you will succeed with this fit-as-you go pattern. With sixteen full-color photographs to walk you through the new techniques, you will be on your way in no time, to a successful finish.

This design is unique. It uses the same structure used in most western-style sock patterns today, but executes the toe first. It has a heel flap, which falls under your heel (where reinforcement is quite useful). Heel shaping is at the back of the heel. I use a rolled-top footie as my example sock, but you can just keep knitting upward; in stockinette for a rolled edge, or in a stitch pattern/rib of your choice, if you want a more standard style.