As I was working on my second Nordic Rose stocking I decided to experiment with some Armenian knitting in the sole area. Below are the results.
The first picture is of the area I constructed by “stacking the floats.” What’s that? I make sure that I weave the alternate yarn in at the same place( vertically) every round. The result is a ridge of stacked stitches that are slightly raised above the stitches on either side.
As you can see the ridges are quite visible. Now, this could be a problem if you want a smooth finish, but it could also be used to form a ridged textured fabric if so desired.
The second method, or alternate floats, give you a much more even texture. This requires that you recognize how to set up the first stitch of the round to off set the floats. I will see if I can draw up an illustration soon, but for now, the results are in the photo below.
You can see in this (not quite so clear) photo that it is much smoother than the one above. The alternate floats eliminate the ridges.
Now compare the above methods with using Fair Isle with long floats. Not as sturdy, but definitely the smoothest.
Why did I use Armenian knitting on the sole? Simple. It makes a very sturdy fabric. It provides a way for you to construct your socks so that the areas that have the most wear are reinforced.
Just passing this on-
Happy Knitting!
KT
Creative Knitting - Beyond Knit and Purl 
Were all three swatches soaked and blocked or steamed?
I love your stacked floats and can’t wait to try them.
Jane in Boston
Excellent! We can always be inspired by you! Thanks!
Jane- The photos were taken in the “raw.” Nothing has been done to the knitting.
J