If you've been knitting along with me, it's time to work a short row heel. If not, and you want to jump in, you can find all of the details in this post. In the last step, I showed you how to knit your foot and make sure that it's long enough.
(This might be a good spot for another lifeline, just in case.)
1/4 of your stitches are on needle #1, 1/2 are on needle #2, and 1/4 are on needle #3. We'll be working the short row heel back and forth on needles #1 and #3.
Knit to the last stitch on needle #1.
Slip the last stitch onto your right hand needle (without knitting it).
Bring your working yarn to the front of your work, forward around the base of the stitch, then slide that stitch back onto the left hand needle.
Turn your work so that the purl side is facing you. (At this point, you've got one unworked stitch on the left hand needle.)
Purl across needle #1.
Purl across all but the last stitch of needle #2.
Slip the last stitch onto your right hand needle, wrap your yarn around the base of the stitch, this time from front to back, and slip the stitch back onto the left hand needle.
Turn your work and knit to the second to last stitch on needle #1. Wrap the stitch the same way you did the stitch in the previous row, then turn your work and purl to the second to the last stitch on needle #3.
Each row, you'll leave one more unworked stitch. If you look closely, you can see the wraps at the base of each stitch, but I've found that it works better for me if I count.
For fingering weight socks, I keep going until I've slipped and wrapped all but five stitches on each needle. This pair is worsted weight and for little feet, so I'm using four stitches.
Now, we're going to pick up and knit those wrapped stitches, one at each end for each row.
Knit across needle #1 to the first wrapped stitch, then slide it onto your right hand needle. With the tip of your left needle, pull up the yarn that's wrapped around the base of the stitch, then slide it onto the right needle and knit both the stitch and wrap together into one stitch.
Turn your work and purl to the first wrapped stitch. Slide that stitch onto your right hand needle, lift the wrap onto the needle and purl the stitch and wrap together into one stitch.
Keep going, knitting or purling a wrapped stitch at the end of each row until you've worked every stitch.
Now you've got your heel. There are lots of different heel options for sock knitters. This just happens to be the one that made sense to me when I first started knitting socks.
If you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer, just be sure you're not set to no-reply (or leave an email address in the comment.)
Come back November 14 and we'll knit the leg and do a stretchy bind off.
Thanks for doing this tutorial. It is really making me stretch myself....and watch too many YouTube videos. So many that I confuse myself! Remember earlier I had mentioned finding a different way to do my toe. And now I've been playing with your WNT method of doing the heel. Learning new things is so interesting. After playing with this heel I am thinking that I will research another method of doing a heel with a gusset. While not simple, at least it wasn't for me, I had done one pair of socks top down before that used a beautiful gusset method. I was so proud when I figured it out! Anyway, I'm now on a quest to find a way to do this for the toe up socks. If you weren't having this Knit Along, I wouldn't be pushing myself! So, although I've already said it, I will say it again. THANK YOU!
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