That, my friends, is a provisional cast-on with a short-rowed wrap-toe sock in worsted weight wool. It's HUGE! However, I am glad I experimented first. There was swearing at the beginning. There were 2 attempts (or was it 3?) at the provisional cast on. But the swearing dwindled away and the loose crochet worked better for the cast on and I was off to the races! Hopefully today I will be trying this with fiddly sock yarn. Also hopefully, there will be an absence of bad words.
Ciao