How to make a sock toe from a flat piece of knitting

I have found a new way to start socks from the toe up. Try this method and let me know if my directions are understandable. I will make and post a video of this technique when I get the head camera.

Here goes:

This technique requires a set of four or five double pointed needles. You will use only two needles until you finish turning the toe of the sock.
You will need a piece of scrap yarn in a color contrasting the color to your sock yarn. The scrap should be the same weight as the sock yarn.

Use the scrap yarn to cast on 1/2 the number of stitches needed for the body of the sock. For example, if you are making a 48 stitch heavy weight sock, cast on 24 stitches in the scrap yarn. Pick up the stitches with the yarn you are using for the socks. Knit across the row with your sock yarn. Turn. Slip one stitch and purl to the end of the row. Turn. Slip one stitch as if to purl and knit to the stitch slipped on the previous row. Turn. Slip the fist stitch (two slipped stitches on the left needle and one slipped stitch on the right needle). Purl to the slipped stitch. Turn. Slip one stitch and knit to the slipped stitch at the end of the row. Turn. Continue until you have completed 20 rows. The last row is a purl row. You will have the same number of slipped stitches at both ends of the needle.

Turn the toe, still using the two needles and working back and forth along the flat rows.
Slip one stitch and knit across to the most recently slipped stitch. (For a 24 stitch toe you will knit five stitches.) Slip the next stitch as if to knit. Pick up the loop at the base of the next stitch. Move the slipped stitch to the left hand needle and knit the slipped stitch and the loop together in the back stitch. Turn. Slip one stitch as if to purl. Purl the number of knit stitches plus one. For 24 stitches you will knit 6 stitches. Slip the next stitch as if to purl and pick up the loop at the base of the next stitch. Purl these two stitches together. Continue in this way until you have picked up all the stitches. (You will have the number of stitches on your needle that you originally cast on.)

Using a third needle, knit across half the stitches. Using a fourth needle, knit across the second half of the stitches. This will give you the bottom of the sock.

Using a third and a fourth (free) needle, knit across the cast on row. Remove the scrap yarn as you go, knitting in the loops of the sock yarn. This is your instep. Discard the scrap yarn and continue with the foot of your sock.

This gives you a finished tow without having to make Kitchener stitches or working on the round with very few stitches. The resulting toe is smooth and the seams are tight and even.

Have fun.