Atypical construction: Squircle
I love wearing a sock that was knit top-down with a long heel flap and gusset. It is what feels best on my feet. At the same time, I am also captivated by patterns with unique construction - it is fascinating to be able to make a sock shape in many different ways.
However... knitting socks takes a considerable amount of time, and I want a comfortable and wearable object in the end. Enter, Squircle! (Rav pattern page)
Before I started this pattern, I was assured by many who loved it that the unusual construction did not affect the joy of how the sock fits your foot. I was still skeptical, but they were right! After knitting these wonky socks, I am a convert and can recommend this free pattern to anyone who wants to try something slightly atypical, and doesn't mind doing the smallest amount of math.
The thing that makes this pattern different is the long, thin heel strap, which creates a very square-shaped path that you knit, and eventually round out into the circle on your foot (hence, the pattern name, square+circle=squircle).
Look at this wacky strap!
The strap is really long! It makes the leg of the sock look tiny, but both the strap and leg of the sock are 60+rounds/rows, each! After you create the strap, you join your new yarn. I used stripes (a summer yarn club colorway called Baby Goats Asleep in the Pasture), but the original pattern uses scraps. I think stripes highlight the shape of the square really well, and you only need a few repeats (or scraps).
After you pick up a zillion stitches, you'll start decreasing to round off your square. This part of the sock is actually still the "leg" of the sock. In the photo above, my ankle is near the first brown stripes. So, think about that as where a standard gusset starts. The first repeat of the stripe pattern essentially forms a heel flap. Keep this in mind as you're knitting the leg of the sock. Mine ended up quite tall because I extended the pattern, not realizing that the heel strap wasn't really the start of the heel. (But, yo, I love tall socks. No complaints!!)
When you're knitting, it is a bit surprising that the pattern works, but I promise it's amazing!
After you finish rounding off the square (the first brown stripes in my socks), you're back to a typical gusset situation. The pattern is really flexible for how long you use your stripes or scraps, so it's perfect for leftovers. I used six total repeats of my stripe - intentionally ending on the brown stripe of the first sock so that I could start the second sock on the green without wasting yarn.
You could easily combine multiple leftovers of stripes, too. There are so many fun possibilities. What do you think? Will you give them a try?
