T's Sock

T's first sock is finished. Do all variegated socks turn out like this? Will the second look the same? I'm sure it has something to do with my knitting or picking up 18 stitches instead of 17 but could it be something else?

I was looking at the Girl on the Rocks blog and saw her set of stitch markers that she made so that she can learn the kitchener stitch by the time she gets to the toe graft because she is always looking up how to do it.

I thought that that is a great idea and I'm going to try it too, but I was thinking of doing words I have trouble spelling. My first marker will be for a Finnish word I'm always having trouble saying. Why do we stumble over some words? I remember someone who couldn't say 'chicken' and never used the word.

I redid the starting knot on T's second sock about 10 times so I could try to get it at the same point as sock number one. I'm sure that there is an easier way to do it. I don't mind if the ribbings are different but I would like the insteps to be at least similar.