How is everyone’s socks coming along? At this point, you should have completed the leg portion of the sock. Next up is the heel. The heel is formed by working short-rows. Short rowing is a knitting technique that adds extra room by creating extra fabric in one area. Short rowing involves knitting to a certain point in your knitting and then turning back in the other direction, leaving some stitches at the end of the row unworked–thus the term “short”. Turning in the opposite direction will leave a small hole in the knitting, to avoid this hole, we “wrap” the peg and then “turn” in the apposite direction.
To work the heel, you will be working on half the stitches that you used for your sock. Locate the number of stitches on your sock, then use the number indicated for the heel.
Heel instructions as written for the pattern (I have included some starting instructions in parenthesis for those who are working on more pegs than indicated in the pattern):
HEEL
The heel is worked in short rows to create the extra fabric to accommodate the heel.
*Tip: Place stitch marker on peg 1 and peg 20 (or the last peg where you need to knit your sock).
Knit from peg 1 to peg 19 (or to 1 peg before reaching the last stitch marker). Wrap & Turn on peg 20 (on last peg).
Knit from peg 18 to peg 2. Wrap & Turn on peg 1.
Knit from peg 2 to peg 18 (or to two pegs before the last stitch marker). Wrap & Turn on peg 19 (on second to last peg).
Knit from peg 18 to peg 3. Wrap & Turn on peg 2.
Knit from peg 3 to peg 17. Wrap & Turn on peg 18.
Knit from peg 17 to peg 4. Wrap & Turn on peg 3.
Knit from peg 4 to peg 16. Wrap & Turn on peg 17.
Knit from peg 16 to peg 5. Wrap & Turn on peg 4.
Knit from peg 5 to peg 15. Wrap & Turn on peg 16.
Knit from peg 15 to peg 6. Wrap & Turn on peg 5.
Knit from peg 6 to peg 14. Wrap & Turn on peg 15.
Knit from peg 14 to peg 7. Wrap & Turn on peg 6.
(There will be 6 pegs at each side with wraps and 8 pegs in the center without wraps).
Knit from peg 7 to peg 15. (When knitting the peg with wrap(s) on it, pick up the wrap(s) and the loop, treating them all as one loop). Wrap & Turn peg 16.
Knit from peg 15 to peg 6. (When knitting the peg with wrap(s) on it, pick up the wrap(s) and the loop, treating them all as one loop). Wrap & Turn peg 5.
Knit from peg 6 to peg 16. (When knitting the peg with wrap(s) on it, pick up the wrap(s) and the loop, treating them all as one loop). Wrap & Turn peg 17.
Knit from peg 16 to peg 5. (When knitting the peg with wrap(s) on it, pick up the wrap(s) and the loop, treating them all as one loop). Wrap & Turn peg 4.
Knit from peg 5 to peg 17. (When knitting the peg with wrap(s) on it, pick up the wrap(s) and the loop, treating them all as one loop). Wrap & Turn peg 18.
Knit from peg 17 to peg 4. (When knitting the peg with wrap(s) on it, pick up the wrap(s) and the loop, treating them all as one loop). Wrap & Turn peg 3.
Knit from peg 4 to peg 18. (When knitting the peg with wrap(s) on it, pick up the wrap(s) and the loop, treating them all as one loop). Wrap & Turn peg 19.
Knit from peg 18 to peg 3. (When knitting the peg with wrap(s) on it, pick up the wrap(s) and the loop, treating them all as one loop). Wrap & Turn peg 2.
Knit from peg 3 to peg 19. (When knitting the peg with wrap(s) on it, pick up the wrap(s) and the loop, treating them all as one loop). Wrap & Turn peg 20.
Knit from peg 19 to peg 2. (When knitting the peg with wrap(s) on it, pick up the wrap(s) and the loop, treating them all as one loop). Wrap & Turn peg 1.*
Heel completed, continue with the rest of the instructions, working in the round from this point forward (Pegs 1 and 20 have wraps on them, treat the wraps and the loop on the peg as one loop).
Let me know if you have any questions, concerns and I’ll come answer the questions this evening and tomorrow. Let’s get the heel done this week and next week we will tackle the sole.
