The Knitting Fiend

More details on how I knit my sockUlator sock!

After working the heel flap for a sock, the heel needs to be “turned”. You’d think based on the amount of bragging by some knitters that this is a difficult thing to do. It’s very easy. In fact, if you’ve knit my rat or pumpkin toy, you already done more difficult things than turning a heel.

Now, bear in mind, there are a variety of methods to turn heels. This one is fairly standard; I think it’s called a “square heel” it’s called a “round” or “rounder” heel. (Hey, I don’t know the names for all these heels. The reason mine is round or rounder is my program uses a percentage method which will officially make a round heel when there are fewer stitches and a rounder heel when there are more stitches. ) Maybe if I get on a sock knitting kick, I’ll show you short row heels, which look like the heels on machine knit socks. They are easier to work, and, in my opinion, perfectly comfortable. But, some hand knitters don’t like to work them because, well. . . because knitters who see a square heel immediately know the sock was hand knit! Yep.

Heels with a flap, heel turn and guseet give you more bragging rights!

Anyway, I figured: Why not work the heel that screams “hand knit”? So, here’s how I turned the heel on my sock. Heel turns on your socks will probably be similar — although different directions will involve different numbers of stitches.

First, you’ll need to knit your heel flap ending with a knit side facing row. Turn the work so the purl (i.e. wrong) side faces you, as shown in the photo above left. The directions will tell you to slip the first stitch, then purl some number of stitches. The number will vary according to your stitch gauge and sock size.

The important thing is this: you will not reach the end of the row! In my case, I had 30 stitches on the needle, and I slipped one then purled 19 stitches; there were 10 stitches still on the left needle when I took the photo above right.

Next, the directions told me to p2tog, then p1. So, I did as I was told; I inserted the tip of my needle into the next two stitches, purled them together, then purled another stitch.

At that point, 7 stitches remained on the left needle and the directions tell me to turn the work. Obedient soul that I am, I turned the work. Really. I turned it around even though I hadn’t used up all the stitches on the left hand needle.

My directions told me to slip a stitch, knit 11, work an “ssk”, knit one stitch and then turn. Once again, I did not reach the end of the row before turning.

In case you are wondering, “ssk” means “slip knitwise, slip knitwise, knit the two slip stitches together”. Notice that above right; I inserted my right needle tip to slip knitwise not purlwise. Normally, unless directions tell you otherwise, you slip purlwise. However, when working an “ssk” you slip in order to “reseat” the stitch, so you need to slip the two stitches knitwise. I did that, then slid them onto the left needle tip, and knit both together as shown above left .

So, after working the “ssk” and knitting a stitch, I turned. I also checked and noticed 7 stitches remained on the left needle when I turned. That’s the same number that were left when I turned for the purl row. Hmmm.. interesting!

What have I done? Well, I worked the first pair “short rows” for the heel turn. In this case, both rows ended 7 stitches “short” of the end when I turned. Each also had a decrease worked over the 2nd and 3rd to the last stitches I worked.

What do I do next? Well, work a second pair of short rows with instructions almost exactly like the two I just work. Except on these two rows, I’ll turn when there are 5 stitches remaining on the left needle.

Now, I want you to notice 5 is two fewer than 7.

The reason I want you to notice this is the directions then tell me to keep working in the “pattern established”, and you the knitter are supposed to figure out the pattern established. Well, the difference between the first pair of short rows and the second is the first turned when there were 7 unworked stitches on the left needle; the second turned when there were 5 unworked stitches. So, you are expected to figure out that the next pair turns when there are 3 unworked stitches remaining, and finally, continue until there is only 1 unworked stitch remaining. The pattern is “7, 5, 3, 1″. Got that?

Well, of course, you know I’m writing a sock-pattern-generator. So, if you use it to create your sock pattern, your pattern might be different. Yours might go “5, 3, 1″ or, “8, 6, 4, 2, 0″. No matter what, the number of stitches remaining on the left needle when you turn will decrease by two each pair of rows.

As it happens, if you have 1 stitch left, as I did, you’ll need to knit 1 more pair of rows. This pair of rows will end with the “p2tog” or “ssk”; neither will be followed by the extra stitch.

When you are finished, the “heel turn” will look like this. When you wear the sock, your heel will sit in the 90 angle turn. Pretty slick huh?

Before I finish, I want to extract a pledge of secrecy, ok?

You know that knitter who bragged about their well turned heels? The “real knitter” who made it sound like this is somehow difficult? The one who gave you some sort of mumbo-jumbo explanation, and then ranted that these days, knitters are stupid?

Well, don’t tell that “real knitter” that I told you this. You’ll just depress them. I’m pretty sure it’s important to them that you become “confused” and were unable to figure this out. In fact, I strongly suspect they give you a mumbo jumbo explanation and complained about people’s stupidity is to distract you from the fact that they still don’t really “get” the ‘7, 5, 3, 1′ pattern!

Because, you know, that’s hard!