How do you create the heel of a sock when knitting? I have never made socks before and I don't understand ...

Question

the knitting patterns for the heel area. Any suggestions or can you explain this? I can knit, purl, increase, decrease, knit in the round on dpns and circular needles, but I am lost when it comes to socks! Help please :)

Answer 1

I JUST knit the first heel of a sock the other day. It's actually rather easy.

First you slip a stich (move the end stitch to the next needle without knitting it... make sure it's not twisted! left side on the side of the needle towards you!).

Then you purl (you should be on the back side of the heel flap) as many stitches as your pattern says (the impression I get is that it's half the number of stitches of your flap, plus 1).

Then you purl 2 stitches, and turn the project around (even though there are more stitches left on the needle!).

Now you slip the first stitch on your left needle, and knit across, knitting the last 2 stitches together, such that you have the same number of stitches left on your left needle as you had on the last row. And turn the project around.

Now, slip the first stitch again, then purl until you have one stitch left before the gap that was formed by you turning the project. knit the 2 stitches on either side of the gap together, and turn the project.

Slip the first stitch, then knit across until you have one stitch left before the gap, knit the stitches on either side of the gap together.

Repeat the last 2 steps until you have used up all the stitches on the edges. You have now turned the heel.

After you have turned the heel you have to go back and pick up stitches along the heel flap, and reduce down the number of stitches until you are back to your original number.

For a video on how to do this, go to http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/advanced_techniques/ and scroll down to find the video on how to do the heel. The number of stitches won't be right, but you'll be able to see the technique.

This website has a lot of helpful videos for other techniques as well!

Good luck!

Answer 2

You blindly follow what the pattern tells you to do. It's the only time you really have to do this for the first pair. It seems to make absolutely no sense but it does work.

You put half of your stitches on two needles(depending on how many needles you're using here, two circulars or double points) which will become the instep or top of your sock and forget about them for a while, the remaining stitches form the heel. In your first knit heel row you usually (depending on the pattern) slip the first stitch, knit the next, slip the next, knit the next across and purl all the way back. You repeat these two rows for the length of the heel flap (this is the part that goes down the back of your heel). Then you turn the heel, this is the curved part that goes under your foot. Turning the heel is done with short rowing, where you do not work all the stitches in any row until the very last row. The first row you generally knit 2/3 of the stitches (more or less depending on the pattern), knit the next two stitches together and knit one more stitch. There will be stitches remaining on the left needle, slip the next stitch to the right, bring your yarn forward between the needles and slip this stitch back, and turn the whole business around. Now purl back the number of stitches the pattern tells you to, purl two together, purl one, slip one, bring the yarn to the other side between the needles (this by the way forms a wrapped stitch or an e-wrap and not all patterns have you do this, follow your pattern) then knit back as the instructions tell you. Each row of the heel turning works one stitch closer to the end of the stitches on the needles.

Once the heel is turned, knit the last row across if necessary so you continue to work in the direction you were previously knitting around in (you may already be there, again, depends on the pattern). At the corner of the heel flap pick up one stitch in each slipped stitch along the edge of the flap, work across your instep stitches, adding needles as needed, pick up stitches in the slipped stitches on the other side of the flap and half of the stitches on the heel itself, this is now the end of your round.

You will now knit to the last 3 stitches before the corner at the cuff and heel, k2tog, k1, work across the cuff stitches (now the foot stitches), k1 and either ssk or k2tbl (that's knit 2 through the back loop) and knit to the end. Knit the next round without decreases. Continue alternating decrease and plain rounds until you have the same number of stitches you had when you were knitting just the cuff. This is called knitting the gusset. Knit even until you are ready to start decreasing for the toe.

The first time is a killer, then you have a DOH!!!! moment.

Answer 3

There are sites that I found and it should help you, even it's a little.

http://www.royea.net/sockdemo1.html

If you still need more informations, if you type in "knitting socks" in Google, you should find what you need.

I do knitting as well, just a beginner and only know how to knit very little...but I'm hoping to learn more. Best luck for you and I hope this site will help you! Take care.

Answer 4

the two certainly one of my grandmothers have been proficient in diverse techniques. Mum's mum become good at crochet artwork, table mats, chair back covers etc. and he or she taught me some elementary stitches. i can not do what she did even with the undeniable fact that. My dad's mum become a very impressive embroiderer. It become so neat that the two section must be used through fact the suitable suited section. She taught me the thank you to try this and that i will tremendously much do it as smartly as she did yet my destructive eyesight now prevents me doing it. Knitting socks and repairing them very smartly become yet another of her skills. She taught me to darn additionally (yet i've got on no account like knitting) and my darning wasn't undesirable in any respect yet i would not desire to do it now. Grandad and dad has hand-crafted socks from her and liked them. We, the grandkids, gained scarves, gloves and the lads gained balaclava helmets additionally. maximum human beings of that era had skills which led to somebody receiving something to positioned on made with the help of them. not having a T.V. leaves greater time to apply those skills. all and sundry spends too plenty time the two looking at T.V. or utilising the internet to restore those previous skills. unhappy incredibly.

Answer 5

I agree with shortstuf_2, the video titled " Working the heel of a Sock" from knittinghelp.com (under their advanced techniques section) is useful.
Also, here's an article (http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall06/FEATextreme2in1.html) from knitty.com which teaches how to knit both pairs of socks simultaneously! I personally haven't tried it yet, but you could let me know how it goes if you decide to try it :)