These socks are knitted on 2 straight needles (or use circulars as if they were regular needles, knitting back and forth). They start at the top L shape of the sock, increase around one way to the heal, and dec back the other side of the foot.
For a women size 9, I used:
1 medium ball of yarn for 2 socks, less than 240 yard
Needles #8us
One stitch Marker
Sense of adventure
Pencil to mark the rows as I knit
Gauge : 15.5st x 24r = 4" (you can skip it and just knit and see what happens)
Co 15+1+30 = 46 sts
row 1 (rs) - k29, k1f&b, place Marker, k1, k1f&b, k14
row 2 (ws) and all even # rows - knit to Marker, sl M, knit to end of the row.
row 3 - k30, kf&b, slM, k1, kf&b, k15
row 5 - k31, kf&b, slM, k1, kf&b, k16
row 7 - k32, kf&b, slM, k1, kf&b, k17
row 9 - k33, kf&b, slM, k1, kf&b, k18
row 11 - k34, kf&b, slM, k1, kf&b, k19
row 13 - k35, kf&b, slM, k1, kf&b, k20
row15 - k36, kf&b, slM, k1, kf&b, k21
(optional - I inserted short row, knit 30 sts, turn around knit to end)
row 17 - k37, kf&b, slM, k1, kf&b, k22
row 19 - k38, kf&b, slM, k1, kf&b, k23
row 21 - k39, kf&b, slM, k1, kf&b, k24
row 23 - k40, kf&b, slM, k1, kf&b, k25
(optional - short row to 20 sts)
Now the other side of the sock:
row 25 - k40, k2tog, sl M, k1, k2tog, k25
row 27 - k39, k2tog, sl M, k1, k2tog, k24
row 29 - k38, k2tog, sl M, k1, k2tog, k23
row 31 - k37, k2tog, sl M, k1, k2tog, k22
(optional - shrt row to 30 sts)
row 33 - k36, k2tog, sl M, k1, k2tog, k21
row 35 - k35, k2tog, sl M, k1, k2tog, k20
row 37 - k34, k2tog, sl M, k1, k2tog, k19
row 39 - k33, k2tog, sl M, k1, k2tog, k18
row 41 - k32, k2tog, sl M, k1, k2tog, k17
row 43 - k31, k2tog, sl M, k1, k2tog, k16
row 45 - k30, k2tog, sl M, k1, k2tog, k15
Next row (46) bind off
Sew together. In the toes pick (or skip) every other sts so it is less bulky, pull and tie. If you want a square toe line pull lightly and sew into a rectangle. sew the sides.
To make your own size, measure a sock at the inner, smaller side of the L shape:
A = from toe to mid. point - minus 1" (because the sock will stretch).
B = from shin to mid. point - minus 1".
Knit a gauge piece and multiply A x sts. per inch =__sts. Co and place Marker.
Multiply B x sts per inch, cast that on (continuing after the marker). So you should have sts for A, marker, then sts for B. The st before the marker is the pivot st.
First row will be the right side and where we'll do the increase and decrease. Before starting, hold the needle with the co in your left hand and write down where the yarn tail is (on the right or left side of the knitting). When the tail is in that side you will know it is time to do inc/dec (the tail will be on the right or left depending on your method of cast on). Or mark the rs in another way like a pin, button...
1. Right side row: knit until 1 st before marker. Inc 1 by kf&b (knit 1 st, leave the old st on the left needle and make another st by going into the back loop of it, then take that st off left needle) - or by any method you are comfortable with.
Slip Marker and knit the next st (the pivot st)
Next st (the one after the pivot): Inc. 1 st by kf&b (or other inc). Knit to end.
2. Next row (wrong side) - knit all, do not forget to slip marker.
Repeat these two rows until you have half a sock. Write how many rows you did or figure it out by counting sts.
The other half - Decrease:
1. Next right side row, knit until 2 sts before Marker. Knit these 2 together.
Slip Marker, knit pivot st. Knit next 2 st together, then knit to end of row.
2. knit all wrong side rows
Repeat until your last decrease row. Dec as usual then count to make sure you have the same amount of sts as in the cast on.
Next (ws row) - bind off. Sew as above and do not forget the other foot...
***For a nicer look you can do a ssk for the 1st dec and k2tog for the second, and you can purl the last st and sl1kw at the beginning of each row.
Since I knit the Persian way, I simply knit the 1st dec together through their back loops and the 2nd - k2tog the American way. I never knit the 1st st, and for garter knitting I purl the last st, in the Persian style.