Using diagonal lace stitch pattern with purl columns for stretch, as appears in lace chart for size medium in Wendy Johnson’s Diagonal Lace Socks from her book Socks from the Toe Up. Calculating custom sock using skills from Donna Druchunas’s Knit Original Toe-Up Socks Craftsy class.
• short-row toe
• short-row heel

{Beware: this provisional CO technique resulted in a stretched-out row of stitches when i removed the provisional (circular needle cable). At least it’s on the bottom of the foot. I used regular crochet provisional CO for the second sock.} Instead of casting on with crochet provisional CO, I wanted to use this technique from KnittingHelp.com, onto a circular/cable needle (shown at 2:16 into the video). But when I tried it, I couldn’t keep the stitch at the end of the needle straight (kept wanting to fall off). I almost gave up but found some tips about this method in Cap Sease’s book Cast On, Bind Off: 211 Ways to Begin and End Your Knitting. Start with a slipknot on the needle (the working needle, not the circular cable being used as waste yarn), and don’t count it when counting/working the sts. At the end of the CO, turn the work and wrap the yarn clockwise around the cable/waste yarn, to secure the stitch before knitting it. Working the short row toe with a 47” cable needle dangling was a bit finicky and may have stretched out the provisional sts. I will know if it’s okay when I work back and knit the provisional sts off the dangling needle. {YES it DID STRETCH the stitches.}

I made a tiny (one pattern repeat) swatch.
Before blocking: 23sts/2.36” (9.75sts/1”)
After blocking: same.

So for 10” circumference, stitch # will be 97.5. Less 10% for negative ease (snug fit) = 87.75.
OR aim for 1” less, so 9” would be 87.75. I would round down to 87, but the diagonal lace stitch pattern is 8-stitch repeat, so I’ll round up (just 1/4 stitch) to 88 (11 repeats).

Cast on half to start the short row toe: 44 sts. Worked 13 short rows (safety pins) on each side.

FRACK! As i was finishing up the short rows and joining to begin working in the round, i realized that while 88 may be divisible by an 8-st rep, that’s 11 reps all the way around, which is 5.5 for the top half of the foot (the bottom half is to be stockinette). PLUS I need to have a purl column on both sides of the foot (even though it is the first st in each row of the rep). SO i tried on the toe, and it is a bit snug. I could handle an extra stitch or two, so instead of the 8-st rep for the size medium as in the pattern i mentioned above, i will use the 9-st rep for size large and simply inc 2 sts st on my first round for a total of 90 instead of the planned 88. That will give me 45 for 5 full reps of the 9-st rep on the top of the foot + a purl ridge at the other side of start of the round.

Short row heel: worked 13 short rows (safety pins) on each side of 44 (not 45, which is half) sts since I did the toe on 44.

Leg: switched to 2.25 mm needle after 16 lace reps total (9 reps on the leg, after finishing the heel). Worked 3 repeats then switched to 2.5 mm for the calf (after 19 total reps). Used 2.25 mm for ribbing (11 rnds of k2, p1). BO using Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off with 2.25 mm.

Update January 2015: The socks tend to not stay up, so I’ll rework the ribbing with 2 mm needles, 12 rounds. JSSBO with 2.25 mm.