Miter Joint by Shuyi Wu

Miter Joint

Knitting
March 2023
Fingering (14 wpi) ?
32 stitches and 43 rows = 4 inches
in stockinette
US 1½ - 2.5 mm
300 - 375 yards (274 - 343 m)
S, M, L, XL (56, 64, 72, 80 sts)
English
This pattern is available for free.

Like many sock knitters, I have a large stash of multicolored yarns that do not play well with elaborate patterns. This pattern was specifically designed with gradient and self-striping yarn in mind: it does not interrupt the color sequence at the heel. In fact, this is the easiest heel you will ever knit - all the magic happens at the cuff and toe, and everything in between is smooth sailing. If you are interested in this style of sock knitting, check out Singularity and Polar Arc (Toe Up)!

The concept was inspired by the shape of a miter joint, a simple method for joining two pieces to form a corner, commonly used for picture frames. I inserted a 45-degree heel section and a gusset on the instep to make the sock less angular and more foot-shaped. The miter joint is not very strong, but don’t worry, these socks are highly unlikely to snap in two!

The sample socks use The Blue Brick Killarney Sock Twins in the Seafoam colorway. Sock Twins are a set of two 40g (150 yd/137 m) skeins with a coordinating solid 20g (75 yd/69 m) mini-skein. For best results, choose a gradient, self-striping, or variegated yarn and a coordinating solid.

Danish translation (courtesy of Marianne Holmen) can be found here.

Errata
2023/03/19: The Gusset Decreases section has been updated to read as follows (and you do not need to place a midway marker, so please ignore that):
Rnd 1-3: K 6[7, 8, 9], ssk, k to 8[9, 10, 11] from end, k2tog, k to end.
Rnd 4: K to end.

2023/03/20: Toe Trapezoid Setup row should read:
Stop here; there should be 7[8, 9, 10] sts between here and BOR.

2023/03/21: Clarification in Toe Trapezoid section - “k to previously wrapped st” means to knit to the wrapped st, but do not work it; “k to 1 st past previously wrapped st” means to knit to the wrapped st, and then work it. I agree that this is confusing, and will try to reword this.