As promised, the Horseshoe Crab Socks pattern!
The main trickiness of this was getting the (rather wide) pattern to work out so it would be symmetrical on the instep, and also, getting the toe to work out evenly.

I have checked this pattern and I'm pretty sure it's correct (the stitch pattern especially - I wanted to be sure I had all the yo's in the right places). If there are any points that need clarification, let me know. (And if you decide to knit these, please let me know...in fact, if you send me a picture of the finished socks, I'll post it).





Horseshoe Crab Socks (using a stitch pattern from the Vogue Stitchionary, Volume 1)
Copyright "fillyjonk"

Requirements: 100 g (about 375-390 yards) fingering-weight sockyarn
Set of five double-pointed needles, size 1 (or size needed to give gauge)

Gauge: 8 sts = 1 inch (over stockinette stitch - it is very hard to count sts in the lace pattern, gauge is about 9 sts per inch in that, but the lace pattern will stretch)

Size: women’s “medium” – 8” (unstretched) leg circumference (it will stretch to 12” or more), 9” (very lightly stretched) foot circumference, 9 ¼” foot length. Can be adjusted for length by knitting more or fewer rows.

Cast on 72 sts over two needles held together. Join in a round, being careful not to twist stitches.

Abbreviations: psso = pass slipped stitch over (over previously knitted-together stitches)
Ssk = Slip, slip, knit decrease – slip two stitches and knit them together.
Directions between asterisks: repeat until end of round or end of instep.

Spread stitches evenly (I used 24-24-24) over three needles and knit in k1, p1 rib for 1 ½ inches.

Leg pattern (repeat of 12 sts). You will be ending rows 1 and 3 with a yarn over; be sure to work at least a few stitches of the next row before setting the work down so you don’t lose the yarnover.

Round 1: *k2, yo, k1, slip 1-k2tog-psso, k1, yo, k2, yo, slip 1-k2tog-psso, yo*
Round2: knit
Round 3: *K3, yo, slip 1-k2tog-psso, yo*
Round 4: knit



Knit until leg is 6 ½” or desired length. End with a row 4.

For the heel, you will be working the heel over 33 (going down to 32) stitches, and keeping 39 stitches on hold for the instep.

For the heel flap, start with the “wider” portion of the pattern (this will be the first set of stitches on needle 1). Start knitting the heel at the beginning of needle 1, knit 33 stitches onto needle 1, and transfer the rest of the stitches to two needles (it’s easier to hold the instep on two needles while you are knitting the heel; you will be transferring them back to one needle once you start knitting the instep again.)

Heel flap row 2: p 16, p2tog, p 15. You now have 32 heel stitches.

Now work the heel pattern:

Row 1: *slip 1, knit 1*
Row 2: slip 1, purl to end

Repeat these rows 16 times – you will have 32 rows in the heel pattern plus the two set-up rows.

Now, work a French heel over 32 stitches:

Row 1: knit 17, slip-slip-knit (SSK decrease), k1, turn
Row 2: slip 1, purl 5, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 3: slip 1, knit 6, ssk, k1, turn
Row 4: slip 1, purl 7, p2tog, p1, turn…

Continue on in the same way, with one more stitch worked each row, until all sts have been worked. You should have 18 sts remaining. Divide these sts over two needles, and then pick up 18 sts on each side of the heel flap.

For the instep, you will start again in the pattern, but you will be starting and ending with the “narrow” part of the pattern (the part that is always yo, slip1-k2tog-psso, yo on every odd row). You will only work this pattern over the 39 instep stitches; work in plain stockinette across bottom of foot.

Put all 39 instep stitches on a single needle.

Row 1: yo, slip1-k2tog-psso, yo, then, *k2, yo, k1, slip 1-k2tog-psso, k1, yo, k2, yo, slip 1-k2tog-psso, yo*

Row 2: knit

Row 3: yo, slip 1-k2tog-psso, yo, then *k3, yo, slip 1-k2tog-psso, yo*

Row 4: knit

While you are working this pattern, beginning with the first Row 3, work a decrease row on the gusset stitches.

Needles 1 and 3 hold the gusset stitches; needle 2 is the instep:

Decrease round:
Needle 1: knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1
Needle 2: work instep pattern
Needle 3: k1, ssk, knit to end.

Work a decrease round every odd-numbered round until 16 sts remain on each gusset needle (this will give a total of 71 stitches in a round).

Continue to work in instep pattern until foot is 7 ½ “ or 2” less than desired finished length.

Toe: you will need to rearrange the stitches. Knit one round plain and decrease three stitches evenly-spaced on the instep. This will give 36 instep stitches and 16 stitches on needles 1 and 3. Move one instep stitch to needle 1 and one to needle 3.

You will now have the stitches arranged 17-34-17, which will work evenly for decreases.

Decrease round:
Needle 1: knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1
Needle 2: k1, ssk, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1
Needle 3: k1, ssk, knit to end.

Work the decrease round, then 3 rounds plain. Then work decrease again and 2 rounds plain, decrease, 2 rounds plain, decrease, 1 round plain, decrease, 1 round plain, decrease, 1 round plain (that should be 16 rounds total). Then decrease every round until 16 stitches remain – Kitchener stitch these stitches together.