The Knitting Fiend

Now I’ll show how to work the heel flap when knitting a sock toe up. It’s a very simple process that involves “seam as you go”. (That’s a handy think to know should you ever want to knit a saddle shoulder in the round.)

At this point, you have already worked the gusset and heel turn and you have three sets of stitches held on three separate strings of yarn. I’m mostly quoting the directions written for magic loop below with translations in blue.

Note that in the instructions I translated, the flap had 18 stitches. When working magic loop, all 18 stitches are knit in one fell swoop; so the number “18″ appears in rows 3 and 4. When working on DPN’s the flap is divided on 2 needles, so you will notice the number 9 (or 18/2) appears in rows 3 and 4.)

As you work back and forth over the stitches, you will “seam” the flap to gusset. It’s very easy to do, but first two rows are a bit fiddly, because you have to transfer the gusset stitches from a string to a needle tip right in the middle of the seaming operation!

• Row 1: P1, L1B, Purl until one stitch remains on left needle tip. Slip that stitch to the right needle tip. You will see gusset stitches on a string to the left; slide the gusset stitches onto another DPN (see below — do pull the string out before knitting!). Slip the stitch on the right tip back to the left tip, then purl two stitches together. Turn so knit side faces. (You have seamed the edge flap stitch to the gusset; the flap stitch should cover the gusset stitch.)
  
• Row 2: Slip 1, knit; 1 stitch remains on left needle tip. Slip last stitch knit-wise. Transfer gusset stitches from string to another DPN. Slip first stitch, knit together with previously slipped stitch. Turn so purl side faces. (You just worked an “ssk”.
• You should now be working with two DPN’s.)
• Row 3: Slip 1, purl 9; pick up another dpn purl 9, p2tog; turn.
• Row 4: Slip 1, knit 9; you reach the end of one dpn; knit 9, ssk; turn.
• Work in pattern established by rows 3 and 4. Each time you turn, there will be one fewer stitch on the left tip. Continue until there are no stitches on the left tip when you turn to complete a knit row.



• Pick up the instep stitches and divide stitches on three needles keeping the points in the center back of the heel flap.. (– 40 stitches on needle.)

Yep. the heel flap is complete and you’ve learned to seam as you go. (I bet you’ll want to do more of that from now on!) I advise you try the sock on at this point just to verify it really, really fits!

The rest of the sock? Well, if it’s an unshaped sock, you’ll just knit rounds until it’s long enough. Then switch to smaller needles, knit some ribbing and bind off.

If the sock is shaped, you’ll want to increase stitches. My sockulator pattern has you increase them along the center back. (That’s why I suggest keeping the two points in the center back of the sock; they act as stitch markers. ) You could also increase stitches in other locations. Some people like to increase at the sides. However, if you increase at the sides, you’ll need to figure out how to do line them up. (Hint, increasing 4 stitches on the increase rows and leaving more plain rows in between works.)

Either way, you’ve just got fairly ordinary knitting up ahead. The whole gusset / heel turn / flap bit is done! Watch some tv and relax.

Now it’s time to translate directions for working the heel turn for toe up socks using magic loop to let you work them using DPNs. Because the translation is actually very, very simple, I am going to suggest you read the magic loop article to see what the heel flap looks like as you work it.

Now for the translation. Recall, if you are working with DPN’s you have stitches distributed on needles 1, 2 and 3. The stitches on needle 1 are those for the top/instep. The stitches on needle 2 and 3 are the stitches for the gusset and the back of the heel turn.

What’s going to happen? You are going to put a whole lot of stitches on three separate strings so they are out of the way and then you will work short rows back and forth on the stitches that aren’t on strings. Short rows are rows where you turn before getting to the end of the row; so when the directions tell you the next row begins, do turn. Eventually, you will form a little triangle or wedge of knitting, which loops weird, but is, in fact, just what you want.

Of course you need specific directions, so print out your directions from the knee sock sockulator and get a pen to add a few lines of text. I’ll show this using directions for a sock that had 40 stitches in the foot which had 20 stitches on needle 1. The translated directions, with additions shown in blue are show below.

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Round Heel: Worked back and forth over the center 12 stitches of the sole.

* Round 0 (set up):
o Before you begin, put the last 9 stitches you knit on a string. (These are gusset stitches and were previously on needle 3.)
o Needle 1: Work across the 20 stitches of Top/Instep; place instep stitches just worked on a strand of yarn.
o Needle 2Knit 9 stitches . These are gusset stitches; place them on a string.
o You should have 12 stitches on the needle tip. 6 stitches on the needle 2 and 6 stitches on needle 3. Transfer them all so they are on one needle. (After this point, the instructions are just as for magic loop. You’ll now be using two DPNs to work back and forth.)
o Second half: K1, L1B, k10, wrap and turn. (You should be wrapping and turning the edge stitch.)
* Row 1: P1, L1B, purl 9, wrap and turn.
* Row 2: K1, L1B, knit 8, wrap and turn.
* Row 3: P1, L1B, purl 7, wrap andturn.
* Row 4: K1, L1B, knit 6, wrap and turn.
* Work in pattern established– always working 1 stitch fewer stitch each row — until you complete row 6 in the sequence. (The final row in the pattern is: k1, L1B, knit 4 stitches then wrap a stitch. )
* There are 19 stitches on the needles.
* Note: this is one row short of where your heel will be when you
wear the sock. You can measure and verify the length of the sock if you like. Hang a marker to measure sock length.

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That’s actually all there is to translating. There isn’t much to translating the heel, either, but I’ll write that up as soon as I organize the photos.

Have fun on your sock.

The Knitting Curmudgeon

An History of A Knitting Fib Competition
Dedicated to The KC.

She
read
about
poetry
and tested her skill
by trying to write a short Fib.
Her first fib was a flub: Lion is not pronounced line.
Still, she did not think twice. Instead, in a trice, she announced a competition: How nice!

Fibs
were
written
and emailed
by clever knitters
who wished to win two skeins of yarn.
Surely, the winning fib would wow us with its wonders!
Patiently, knitters waited as eight judges pondered to pick the most pleasing poem.

Eight
votes
were cast
and counted.
A winner declared.
When the winning poem was read
the first comment said: ” … do the words count out properly?”
Discerning Wolverina judge Carol answered, “Geez,who has time to count syllables? “

They
failed
to count
syllables
and so selected
a fundamentally flawed fib
with twenty syllables where twenty one were required.
Are you surprised? The fibs were screened by a knitter whose motto is, “Shut up, I’m counting!”

Heed
my
advice:
do listen.
Learn to count to five,
and later, correctly to eight
before trying to judge Fibonacci poetry.
For if you learn after, you’ll listen to laughter when those who Haiku make fun of you!

The Epilogue:

Ten
Fibs
chosen;
hailed as best!
Many were quite fine.
But then I counted the list: nine.
Yep, only nine fibs in Mar’s “Top Ten Fib Finalists”.
Is there a finer way for one befuddled to finish her fully flubbed fib contest?