Posture

I received a voice mail yesterday that my latest socks safely reached their recipient, in time for cramming and finals and graduation, oh my.  They were mailed out with several chocolate bars, because contrary to rumor, it wasn’t really that long ago that I was in college, myself.

Photography by Jacob… not bad for a 3-year-old

I wanted a design that was comparatively versatile – not to the point of a Thneed, I only wanted them to be socks – but which could be sort of ’80s-slouchy or preppy-folded over or just standing up straight.  Hence the name.  I started with a stitch pattern from Knitting Vintage Socks, and then adapted for a more traditional turned heel and stockinette sole.  So…

Posture
Materials
Plymouth Happy Feet, gray-rose colorway, 2 skeins
Circular needle, US size 3, 32″ or so for Magic Loop method, change size as needed for gauge… though this pattern is very forgiving that way.
Darning needle

Gauge
8 sts per inch in stockinette, knitted in the round

Stitch Pattern
Rounds 1-3: (p3, k3) around
Round 4: (p3, yo, k3tog, yo) around

Directions
Leg
Loosely CO 60 sts, arrange 30 sts each on front and back needles.
Work in Stitch Pattern, above, for approximately 6″ (17 repeats).

Heel Flap
Rearrange stitches: Move last 3 (knit) stitches from front needle to back: 27 stitches on front (top of foot), 33 on back (sole). Work back and forth on back needle only.
Set-up row (RS): (k1, k2tog, k1) across to last two sts, k2tog. (24 sts remain)

Honeycomb Slip Stitch

Row 1: *(sl 1, k1), repeat from * across.

Rows 2 and 4: sl1, p across.

Row 3: sl1, *(sl 1, k1), repeat from * to last st, k1.

Repeat Rows 1-4 for ~2″ (four repeats).

Turn Heel
RS: k13, ssk, k1, turn.
WS: sl1, p3, p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 1: sl1, k to 1 before gap, ssk, k1, turn.
Row 2: sl1, p to 1 before gap, p2tog, p1, turn.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until all stitches used; 14 sts remain.

Gusset
On back needle, k across. PU 12 sts along side of heel flap.
On front needle, resume Stitch Pattern.
On back needle, or – my preferred method – Slide front needle stitches onto cable but don’t slide the heel flap stitches onto left-hand needle yet (two bare needles, with two separate sections of stitches on the circular cable). PU 12 sts along side of heel flap, then continue knitting across heel flap and other picked-up stitches. Rearrange if necessary, to keep 27 stitches on front needle and 38 stitches on back needle.

Round 1: Front needle – continue Stitch Pattern as established, Back needle – k across.
Round 2: Front needle – Stitch Pattern, Back needle – k1, ssk, k to 3 from end, k2tog, k1.
Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 until 24 stitches remain on back needle.

Repeat Round 1 only (no more decreases) until sock measures ~5 1/2″ from heel turn (30 total repeats of Stitch Pattern from cast-on, about 1 1/2 – 2″ short of total desired foot length).

Toe Set-up
K around once.

Next round: Front needle – k1, ssk, k10, k2tog, k9, k2tog, k1 (24 sts remain on front needle); back needle – k across.

K two rounds even.

Toe decrease
Round 1: Front needle – k1, ssk, k to 3 from end, k2tog, k1. Back needle – k1, ssk, k to 3 from end, k2tog, k1 (4 sts decreased).
Round 2: K around.

Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 until 24 stitches remain, then repeat Round 1 only until 12 stitches remain.

Cut yarn and Kitchener stitch remaining live stitches. Slouch or stand up straight as desired.