Just Knitting Around

Nancy’s double wrapped, no pick ups, short row heel method. (Chatty long-winded explanation)

I will explain a here about how I knit a short row heel. Read the instructions thoroughly before beginning, but don’t expect them to make sense until you actually do them. Many people feel that a short row heel is not deep enough. My method incorporates some increases to compensate for this. You need to know how to Make 1 Left (M1L) and Make one right (M1R) for increases and slip, slip, knit (SSK) and Knit 2 Together (K2tog) for decreases. See www.knittinghelp.com under the “Basic Techniques” tab for those instructions.

I use the magic loop, and knit toe up, but it would be the same for knitting on 2 circs or knitting cuff down. So all my directions will make more sense using one of those methods. If you use dpns, you just have to make your self really aware of which needle(s) hold your heel stitches. The two things that really help a new short row heel knitter are a lifeline, stitch markers and a small crochet hook. I use small jump rings for stitch markers or you could use a small contrasting loop of yarn. You will be really glad you used a lifeline if you have to rip it out and start over.

Start knitting your sock as you normally would. Either toe up or cuff down. Stop knitting about 7 rows before you are ready to begin knitting your heel. For me, (toe up) this is when the knitted foot meets the bend where my foot and ankle meet.

Before you start increasing for your heel, you must figure our how many stitches are in each third of your heel and notate the placement of your stitch markers. You total sock stitch count is divided by two. Half are your instep stitches and half are your heel stitches and should be resting on the needles that way. Then you divide your heel stitches by three. If the number of stitches is not divisible by three, the extra one or two will be in the center section. I use 2 small stitch markers to remind myself as I am knitting which stitches are in the center unwrapped. For example, the sock I am working on now has 64 stitches: 32 on the heel side and 32 on the instep side. 32 is not exactly divisible by 3, so I will leave 12 stitches in the middle and place my markers on either side of that divided in sections thusly 10, 12, 10. I will increase 6 stitches on the heel side, so when I place my stitch markers after the increases, my heel will be divided 13, 12, 13 which equals 38 stitches (32 plus the six I am increasing, with three adding to the stitches on the outside of the stitch markers.) You can also fudge a little if you need a slightly deeper heel and do 14,10,14. Figure it out and write it down now.

You start increasing about seven rows before you will start the heel. Knit the first stitch on your heel needle, then M1L. Knit across to just before the last stitch of your heel and M1R, then knit the last stitch of your heel. You now have increased two stitches. You are still knitting in the round at this point, so knit the instep stitches (in pattern), then the heel stitches and instep again, without increasing.

On the next round, increase by two more stitches on the heel side just as before: K1, M1L, knit across to just before the last heel stitch, M1R and knit the last heel stitch. Knit the instep stitches in pattern and then another whole round even (without any increases).

Then increase again on the heel side just as before. Knit the instep stitches. Knit one round without an increase. You have now increased 6 stitches on the heel side.

Now you are ready to begin your heel and will only be knitting back and forth on the heel stitches until it is finished. I will explain it as if you have 38 stitches on the heel side.

This is when I place my lifeline of unwaxed dental floss or think cotton thread. (You can find instruct-tions for placing a lifeline here:
http://www.heartstringsfiberarts.com/lifeline.shtm)

Then I place my stitch markers while knitting the first row of the heel. Make sure your lifeline doesn’t go through your stitch markers. For my stitch count of now 38 stitches on the heel side, I would knit 13, place marker, knit 12, place marker and knit 11 leaving two stitches unknit at the end. Then you bring the yarn forward (YF), slip the stitch purlwise (sl1), move the yarn to the back (YB) and slip the wrapped stitch back to the left needle (sl1 back). You have now wrapped a stitch. Don’t pull the wrap too tight on the first one on either side. Turn your work and purl across until you have two stitches left (you will purl 11 after you come to the second marker). Move the yarn to the back, slip the stitch purlwise, move the yarn forward and slip the stitch back to the left needle (don’t pull the wrap too tight). You have now wrapped the next stitch.

Turn your work and knit across until there are three remaining (knit 10 after the second marker) yarn forward, slip purlwise, yarn back, slip back. Make sure the wraps from now on are pulled tight). Turn your work and purl across until there are three remaining, (you have purled 10 after the second marker) yarn back, slip one, yarn forward slip back, turn the work (hopefully at this point you see the pattern of how you are working one less stitch on each repeat.)

Knit across until there are four remaining (knit 9 past the second marker) YF, sl1, YB, sl1 back, turn work and purl across until 4 remain (9 purled after the marker).
YB, sl1, YF sl1 back and turn. Keep repeating this pattern. You will begin to recognize when to stop and wrap. Pay attention to how the stitches look on your needles so you know when it doesn’t look right that you may have made a mistake.

When the only stitches you are working (knitting or purling) are the ones in between the markers and you are wrapping the stitches just outside of the markers then you are 1/2 way done with your heel.

Here is the heel turn where we start long rowing back out. Remember we are not picking up or knitting the wraps on the way out. Leave them alone!

Now, you will knit across just the stitches between the markers a second time, YF sl1 YB, sl1 back and turn your work, purl across the stitches between the markers, YB, sl1, YF and turn. Each of the stitches just outside the markers will be wrapped twice.

The next time you knit across, you will knit that double wrapped, outside stitch and you will wrap the second outside stitch, turn, purl across, purling the double wrapped outside stitch and wrap the second outside stitch. Now you are “long rowing” back out. Knitting or purling one extra on each side of the marker as you go back out.

Keep a little sheet of paper next to you, make hash marks and pay attention to how many you are knitting or purling after the second marker each time. It may take a heel or two before you “get it” it will click and make sense after you do a few. I have ripped out a few heels before I “got it”. (Think Lifeline!)

The markers help you keep track of where you are and instead of having to count all the stitches you are working on, you just count the ones on the outsides of the markers. Knitting one less each time (purling the same amount you just knit on the other side) until you have wrapped the stitches just outside of the markers then on the way back out (long rowing) knitting one more outside of the markers each time (purl the same amount you knit on the other side) until you have one stitch left to knit. Don’t pull the last wraps to tightly on either side as you make them. All the other wraps should be pulled tight.

This is where the small crochet hook comes in handy. Pick up the last wraps (you will be glad you didn’t pull them too tight at this point) with the point of the left needle. Knit these wraps and the last stitch together. (Use a crochet hook to help you pull the yarn through the stitch and the two wraps if you need to). Do not turn.

You will now begin knitting in the round again. Knit across the instep stitches. When you get back to the heel side, you, slip the first stitch knitwise, pick up the wraps which are around the next stitch and place them on the tip of the right needle with the stitch you slipped. Slide the tip of the left needle into the front loops of the wrap and the slipped stitch and knit them together from this position. (This one is really where the crochet hook helps to “knit” the stitch with the wraps). Then begin knitting in the round again. Remove the markers at this point. (I leave in the life line for another couple of rows until I have tried on the sock in progress and am sure it fits and doesn’t need to be ripped and started over.) The next time around begin by decreasing on each end of the heel side every other round until you are back to your original stitch count. In my case it was 32.

In other words–when you get back to your first heel stitch, K1, ssk, knit until you have 3 stitches remaining on the needle, knit 2 together, k1, turn and knit all instep stitches (in pattern).
Knit one round even. Heel in stockintte, instep in pattern.
Knit a decrease round as above
Knit one round even. Heel in stockintte, instep in pattern.
Knit a decrease round as above.
Knit one round even. Heel in stockintte, instep in pattern.
Then you are back to the correct amount of stitches. Half for the heel and half for the instep.

Try the sock on the recipient and judge if you are ready to take out your life line. (you can leave it in for awhile if you are really not sure.)

Finish your sock. Knitting the foot with the instep in pattern or knitting the cuff in pattern depending on wether you knit cuff down or toe up.

copyright 11/2/2006