Make Me Happy Sock (aka Tabi monogatari v10)

I was traveling for work when I finished Hubby's last sock so, I had time for another pair of socks for myself.  Using my Make Me Happy Sock cakes I had picked up in Fukuoka and my interchangeables Chiaogoo US 0 needles, I casted on 46 sts based on a couple of trials (twice - I finally got it right the third time around; three times the charm! ;)) of "swatching". ;)
Here's what I did:

1. I started with a Provisional cast on with a total of 46 sts.
2. K 1 straight row on each side, then connected in the round.
3. K 18 rows in the round as part of the foot portion.
4. Started the toes: with 23 sts on each side, splitting it up for 8 sts for big toe, 15 sts for remaining toes.
5. Big toe:

• Row 1:
• Front: k, m1, k, m1, k to the 2nd to the last st, m1, k, m1, k for a total of 12 sts
• Back: k, m1, k, m1, k to the 2nd to the last st, m1, k, m1, k for a total of 12 sts
• Row 2-15 (14 rows): k
• Row 16:
• Front: k2tog tbl, k to the last 2 sts, k2tog, total of 10 sts
• Back: k2tog tbl, k to the last 2 sts, k2tog, total of 10 sts
• Row 17: same as row 16 continuing to decrease 2 sts, total of 8 sts on each side
• Row 18-20 (3 rows): k
• Row 21: same as row 17 continuing to decrease 2 sts, total of the 6 sts on each side
• Row 22-23: k
• Row 24: same as row 21 continuing to decrease 2 sts, total of 4 sts on each side
• Bound off using the Kitchener stitch.

The big toe came out to 4.7 cm (1 ⅞ in).

6. The rest of the toes:

• Row 1:
• Front: k to the end, picking up 3 sts, for a total of 18 sts
• Back: pick up 2 sts, k, for a total of 18 sts
• Row 2: k
• Row 3:
• Front: k to the last 2 sts, k2tog (L) / ssk (R) for a total of 17 sts
• Back: k2tog (L) / ssk (R), k to the end, for a total of 17 sts
• Row 4:
• Front: k, k2tog (L) / ssk (R), k to the end for a total of 16 sts
• Back: k to the last 3 sts, k2tog (L) / ssk (R), k for a total of 16 sts
• Row 5-6 (L 2 rows) 5-8 (R 4 rows): k
• Row 7 (L) 9 (R):
• Front: k, k2tog tbl (L) / ssk (R), k to the end, for a total of 15 sts
• Back: k to the the last 3 sts, k2tog (L) / ssk (R), k for a total of 15 sts
• Row 8 (L) 10 (R): k
• Row 9 (L) 11 (R):
• Front: k, k2tog (L) / ssk (R), k to the end, for a total of 14 sts
• Back: k to the the last 3 sts, k2tog (L) / ssk (R), k for a total of 14 sts
• Row 10 (L) 12 (R): k
• Row 11-12 (L) 13-14 (R): same as row 9 (L) / 11 (R), continuing to decrease 2 sts, for a total of 13 & 12 sts on each side
• Row 13 (L) (1 row) 15-16 (R) (2 rows): k
• Row 14 (L) 17 (R): same as row 9 (L) / 11 (R), continuing to decrease 2 sts, for a total of 11 sts on each side
• Row 15-17 (L) (3 rows) 18-19 (R) (2 rows): k
• Row 18 (L) 20 (R): same as row 14 (L) / 17 (R), continuing to decrease 2 sts, for a total of 10 sts on each side
• Row 19 (L) 21 (R): same as row 18 (L) / 20 (R), for a total of 9 sts on each side
• Row 20 (L) 22 (R): same as row 19 (L) / 21 (R), for a total of 8 sts on each side
• Row 21 (L) 23 (R): k
• Row 22 (L) 24 (R): same as row 19 (L) / 22 (R), for a total of 7 sts on each side
• Row 23-24 (L only) (2 rows): k
• Row  25: k, k2tog (L) / ssk (R), k, ssk (L) / k2tog (R), k for a total of 5 sts on each side
• Bound off using the Kitchener stitch.

The rest of the toe came out to 4.5 cm (1 ¾ in).

(Sorry - forgot to take a picture! :()

Then I went back to the bottom of the provisional cast on and picked up the stitches to start the foot.

7. Row 19: k to the end then pick up a twisted st from below for 24 sts on one side & 23 sts on the other side
8. Row 20: k to the last 2 sts, k2tog for 23 sts on each side
9. Row 21-71 (60 rows): k, maintaining 23 sts on each side

Including the initial 18 rows, this came out for a total of 15.5 cm (6 ⅛ in)

With the foot done, I started on the heel portion using the German short row method. Depending on which side (left or right) I was working on will determine if I were ktbl/p and looking at the back (WS) or front (RS) side

10. Row 72:

• Front: k, for a total of 23 sts
• Back: k/p the first st, pull the working yarn straight up and bring it to the front then to the back (as if to k/p, creating an extra st), then k/p to the end, creating 1 ultimate st and 22 regular sts on the RS (right side (aka the knit/purl side))

11. Row 73: turn the sock around so you're looking on the back/front side, slip the first st, pull the working yarn straight up and bring it to the back then to the front (as if to p/k, creating an extra st), then p/ktbl to the second to the last stitch, creating 2nd ultimate st and 24 regular sts on the WS (wrong side (aka the purl/knit side))
12. Row 74: slip the second st, pull the working yarn straight up and bring it to the back then to the front (as if to k/p, creating an extra st), creating the 3rd ultimate st on the RS/WS; then continue to ktbl/p to the the 2nd to the last st
13. Row 75: slip the second st, pull the working yarn straight up and bring it to the front then to the back (as if to p/k, creating an extra st), creating the 4th ultimate st on the WS/RS; then continue to ktbl/p to the the 2nd to the last st
14. Row 76-85 (15 rows): continue to follow either Row 74 or 75 until you have 7 ultimate sts on each side and 9 regular sts

This came out to 3.5 cm (1 ⅝ in).

15. Row 86-87: p the first wrapped st (aka the 7th ultimate st), (if need be, pick up a st or two), p/ktbl or p2tog/k2tog tbl the picked up st(s), p/k the second wrapped stitch (aka the 6th ultimate st on the WS) then turned my work around (so that I am now on the RS/WS); slip the first st (aka the 5th ultimate st) and pull up the working yarn (to recreate the 5th ultimate st), (if you picked up a st, k2tog tbl/p2tog (k/p the wrapped and picked up st together)) and k tbl/p to the left side
16. Row 88-89: ktbl/p the next wrapped stitch (aka the 6th ultimate st on the RS/WS), (if need be, pick up a st or two, ktbl/p or k2tog tbl/p2tog the picked up st(s)), ktbl/p the next wrapped st (aka the 5th wrapped st), then turned my work around so that I'm now on the WS/RS; pull up the working yarn to recreate the 5th wrapped st then if need be, p2tog/k2tog tbl (the 5th wrapped and picked up st together) and p/ktbl to the right side.
17. Row 90-99 (12 rows): continue to follow Rows 86-87 or 88-89 until all the wrapped stitches were done; picked up sts as needed (anywhere between 2-3 sts) and either k2tog tbl or p2tog as needed to maintain a total of 23 sts (aka the goal is to get back to the original number of sts before starting the heel)

This came out perfect! :) *yay* :)

(Sorry, no picture -I was so excited to finish the heel and start the leg potion that I'd forgotten to take a picture!)

With the heel done, I finished off the leg:

18. Row 100: picked up 2 sts on each side, k in the round for a total of 25 sts for each side
19. Row 101-130 (30 rows): k in the round, maintaining a total of 25 sts on each side

Total length of the leg was 5.5 cm (2 ¼ in)

With the leg done, it was time to actually finish off the sock with a short cuff as it was all I had left (*yay* homestretch!):

20. Row 131-163 (33 rows): complete cuff using 1x1 ribbing, for a total of 7 cm (2 ¾ in) of ribbing
21. Bound off using a variation of the Estonian bind off, in which I picked up a stitch from the row below then used the Estonian bind off technique. :)

The total length of the leg and cuff was 12.5 cm (4 15/16 in).
Look another finished pair! *Yay*! :) (And, this is perfect for my rain booties! :))