New year, new techniques, new pattern

Do not worry I am going to finish the sweater! But I am already thinking of what I am to knit next. And I have come up with a project that I find really exciting, because, one, it is very, very easy, two, it involves a bunch of new techniques that I have never used before. And, of course, all of these techniques are also very easy to learn, otherwise the project would not be easy, right?

The project is a pair of socks. Nothing better than a small project like socks to learn a new technique (or several). Here is the list of techniques we will learn:

1. Pinhole (aka Emily Ocker's) cast-on, the best cast-on to start knitting from a centre point.
2. Star toe, easier than the standard toe, and promising a great fit.
3. Spiral ribbing knitting, which is a very old technique that allows to knit heelless socks (which means we will not be learning a new technique for heels, but that is what makes this project so easy).
4. Helix knitting, a clever way of obtaining jogless stripes. Unfortunately it only works with very thin stripes.
5. Tubular bind-off for 2x2 rib. Tubular bind-off is my favourite bind-off for 1x1 rib, but I have never used it for 2x2.

Here is the pattern in short, but in the near future (after finishing the sweater), I will add a separate post for each technique and with more details for each of these steps:

1. Use your chosen colour for the toe and cast-on 8 stitches using the pinhole cast-on;
2. Work the star toe until you have the desired number of stitches (this depend on your size and gauge);
3. Add new colour and start using helix knitting to work the stripes;
4. Continue working the stripes, while, at the same time, working 2x2 spiral ribbing until is time to work the cuff or bind-off (whatever you prefer);
5. (Optional) use your chosen colour for the cuff and work about 1in of straight 2x2 ribbing;
6. Bind-off using tubular bind-off for 2x2 rib.