by Allison Sarnoff

Some days, you just want to stick your tongue out at someone. Since that’s not generally considered polite, a little :P might work better.  These socks let you do socks for every mood all in one or socks for each mood you have.  Just mix and match the interchangeable charts to create smiley socks, frowny socks, googly eyed socks or every mood you have.  They’re like mood rings, only warmer.

These socks are knit toe up with a short-row heel and toe.  Complementary colors are used for the toe, heel and cuff of each sock and the Fair Isle method is used for the colorwork emoticons.  You can add as many or as few emoticons as you’d like!

SIZE
Women’s sizes S[M,  L]

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Leg: 7.5 inches from cast on to start of heel
Foot circumference: 7[8, 9] inches
Foot length: adjustable to fit

MATERIALS
Yarn
Fiber Optics[80% superwash merino, 20% nylon; 420 yd/381m per 4 ounce skein]
[MC] Good Morning Sunshine; 1 skein
[CC] Ripple; 1 skein

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
US #2/2.75 mm needles for working in the round

Notions
Yarn needle

PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]

The emoticon charts are all the same size, and you can mix and match them to communicate the message you want!  Use the same chart all the way around, or use different ones.

Provisional Cast on: This project uses a provisional cast on. Use your preferred provisional cast on technique; directions for one technique may be found here.

To prevent holes in the corner of your short row toe and heel, you may need to pick up a stitch in the corner when you resume working in the round. If that is the case, simply decrease on your next round until you have correct number of total stitches again.

Stretchy Bind Offs: Try Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Sewn Bind off, or Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind off.

DIRECTIONS
Blue Sock
[shown on right]
Using MC and a provisional cast on method, cast on 28[32, 36] stitches. 

Toe – First Half
Row 1 [WS]: P28[32, 36].

Row 2 [RS]: K27[31, 35], w&t.

Row 3 [WS]: P26[30, 34], w&t.

Row 4 [RS]: K25[29, 33], w&t.

Row 5 [WS]:P24[28, 32], w&t.

Row 6 [RS]: K23[27, 31], w&t.

Row 7 [WS]: P22[26, 30], w&t.

Row 8 [RS]: K21[25, 29], w&t.

Row 9 [WS]: P20[24, 28], w&t.

Row 10 [RS]: K19[23, 27], w&t.

Row 11 [WS]: P18[22, 26], w&t.

Row 12 [RS]: K17[21, 25], w&t.

Row 13 [WS]: P16[20, 24], w&t.

Row 14 [RS]: K15[19, 23], w&t.

Row 15 [WS]: P14[18, 22], w&t.

Row 16 [RS]: K13[17, 21], w&t.

Row 17 [WS]: P12[16, 20], w&t.

Small Only: Proceed to Toe - Second Half.

Medium and Large Only:
Row 18 [RS]: K-[15, 19], w&t.
Row 19 [WS]: P-[14, 18], w&t.
Medium Only: Proceed to Toe - Second Half.

Large Only:
Row 20 [RS]: K-[-,17], w&t.
Row 21 [WS]: P-[,16], w&t.

Toe – Second Half
Row 1 [RS]: K12[14, 16], knit the wrapped st together with its wrap, w&t.
Row 2 [WS]: P13[15, 17], purl the wrapped st together with its wrap, w&t.
Row 3 [RS]: K14[16, 18], knit the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Row 4 [WS]: P15[17, 19], purl the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Row 5 [RS]: K16[18, 20], knit the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Row 6 [WS]: P17[19, 21], purl the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Row 7 [RS]: K18[20, 22], knit the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Row 8 [WS]: P19[21, 23], purl the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Row 9 [RS]: K20[22, 24], knit the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Row 10 [WS]: P21[23, 25], purl the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Row 11 [RS]: K22[24, 26], knit the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Row 12 [WS]: P23[25, 27], purl the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Row 13 [RS]: K24[26, 28], knit the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Row 14 [WS]: P25[27, 29], purl the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Row 15 [RS]: K26[28, 30], knit the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Row 16 [WS]: P27[29, 31], purl the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Row 17 [RS]: K28[30, 32], knit the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Small Only: Proceed to Foot.

Medium and Large Only:
Row 18 [WS]: P-[31, 33], purl the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Row 19 [RS]: K-[32, 34], knit the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Medium Only: Proceed to Foot.

Large Only:
Row 20 [WS]: P-[-,35], purl the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Row 21 [RS]: K-[-,36], knit the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Foot
Undo provisional cast on and return 28[32, 36] sts to needle. Arrange sts on needles as you prefer and join for working in the round.

Cut MC and attach CC.

Knit even until foot measures 2 inches less than desired foot length.

Cut CC and attach MC.

Note: Although CC is picked up again at the end of the heel, cutting it and rejoining it helps you keep the stitches even.

Heel – First Half
Row 1 [RS]: Using MC , knit 28[32, 36] stitches, w&t.

Row 2 [WS]: P28[32, 36], w&t.

Row 3 [RS]: K27[31, 35], w&t.

Row 4 [WS]: P26[30, 34], w&t.
Row 5 [RS]: K25[29, 33], w&t.
Row 6 [WS]:P24[28, 32], w&t.
Row 7 [RS]: K23[27, 31], w&t.
Row 8 [WS]: P22[26, 30], w&t.
Row 9 [RS]: K21[25, 29], w&t.
Row 20 [WS]: P20[24, 28], w&t.
Row 11[RS]: K19[23, 27], w&t.
Row 12 [WS]: P18[22, 26], w&t.
Row 13 [RS]: K17[21, 25], w&t.
Row 14 [WS]: P16[20, 24], w&t.
Row 15 [RS]: K15[19, 23], w&t.
Row 16 [WS]: P14[18, 22], w&t.
Row 17 [RS]: K13[17, 21], w&t.
Row 18 [WS]: P12[16, 20], w&t.
Small Only: Proceed to Heel - Second Half.

Medium and Large Only:
Row 19 [RS]: K-[15, 19], w&t.
Row 20 [WS]: P-[14, 18], w&t.
Medium: Proceed to Heel - Second Half.

Large Only:
Row 21 [RS]: K-[-,17], w&t.
Row 22 [WS]: P-[-,16], w&t.

Heel – Second Half
Row 1 [RS]: K12[14, 16], knit the wrapped st together with its wrap, w&t.
Row 2 [WS]: P13[15, 17], purl the wrapped st together with its wrap, w&t.
Row 3 [RS]: K14[16, 18], knit the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Row 4 [WS]: P15[17, 19], purl the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Row 5 [RS]: K16[18, 20], knit the wrapped st together wth its wraps, w&t.
Row 6 [WS]: P17[19, 21], purl the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Row 7 [RS]: K18[20, 22], knit the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Row 8 [WS]: P19[21, 23], purl the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Row 9 [RS]: K20[22, 24], knit the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Row 10 [WS]: P21[23, 25], purl the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Row 11 [RS]: K22[24, 26], knit the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Row 12 [WS]: P23[25, 27], purl the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Row 13 [RS]: K24[26, 28], knit the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Row 14 [WS]: P25[27, 29], purl the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Row 15 [RS]: K26[28, 30], knit the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Row 16 [WS]: P27[29, 31], purl the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Row 17 [RS]: K28[30, 32], knit the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Small Only: Proceed to Leg.

Medium and Large Only:
Row 18 [WS]: P-[31, 33], purl the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Row 19 [RS]: K-[32, 34], knit the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Medium: Proceed to Leg.

Large Only:
Row 20 [WS]: P-[-,35], purl the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t.
Row 21 [RS]: K-[-,36], knit the wrapped st together with its wraps, w&t. Leg
Cut MC.

Rejoin CC, and resume working in the round. Work even until leg measures 6 inches from top of heel. Rejoin MC.

Next round, setup Emoticon patterns: Work Smiley chart 7[8, 9] times around.
Work in pattern as set until chart is complete.

Cuff
Cut CC. Continue only in MC.

Ribbing round: [K2, p2] around.

Work in ribbing as set until cuff measures 1.5 inches.

Bind off using your favorite stretchy method.
(See Pattern Notes for suggestions.)

Yellow Sock [shown on top foot in picture below]
Using CC and a provisional cast on method, cast on 28[32, 36] stitches.  Work Toe as for Blue Sock.

Attach MC. Using MC, knit two rounds even.
Next round, setup Emoticon patterns: Work Smiley chart 7[8, 9] times around.
Work in pattern as set until chart is complete.

Note: Each chart takes up a little less than an inch in length. The heel starts 2 inches short of full foot length – check the foot length before beginning the Googly Eyes chart. If at that point, the sock is less than 3 inches short of full foot length, skip the Google Eyes chart and just work even to required length. 

Knit even as required until foot measures 2 inches less than desired foot length. 

Cut MC.

Note: Although MC is picked up again at the end of the heel, cutting it and rejoining it helps you keep the stitches even.

Leg
Rejoin MC, and resume working in the round.
Next round, setup Emoticon patterns: Work Mad chart 7[8, 9] times around.
Work in pattern as set until chart is complete.

Work the Smiley chart 7[8, 9] times around.
Work the Grinning chart 7[8, 9] times around.
Work the Frowny chart 7[8, 9] times around.
Work the Shocked chart 7[8, 9] times around.
Work the Tongue chart 7[8, 9] times around.
Using MC, work two rounds even.

Cuff
Cut MC. Continue only in CC.
Ribbing round: [K2, p2] around.
Work in ribbing as set until cuff measures 1.5 inches.
Bind off using your favorite stretchy method. (See Pattern Notes for suggestions.)

FINISHING
Weave in all ends. 

Allison Sarnoff lives in Troy, New York, with a roommate, two cats and a really irresponsible amount of yarn. She recounts her knitting adventures as the writer of the web comic Knit Princess.