The Knitting Fiend

Yes, I’m still knitting my sockUlator sock.

When I finished the heel turn, I had 30 stitches on one needle, which I will call “needle 0″. I also had 30 stitches on 30 stitches on another needle, which, strangely enough, I will call “needle 2″. Between these needles I there was a 2 1/2 long heel flap. To start knitting the gusset, (and later the sock foot) I needed to pick up stitches along the edges of the heel flap.

I turned the work so needle 0, which is blue, was in my right hand and the knit side of the heel faced me. The yarn was dangling on the left edge of the right hand needle. I then picked up another needle from my set of DPNs; I’ll call this needle 1. Then, I picked up a helper needle of similar size; because I was taking photos and I own zillions of needles, I picked a red helper needle. (Normally, most knitters would just use one of the DPN’s they were using to knit the sock.)

Holding the red helper needle in my left hand, I inserted this in the gap just to the right of the top edge stitch; I then inserted the blue needle in the same gap(see above left). Then, I wrapped the yarn and knit up a stitch and placed it on blue needle #1.

I repeated this a number of times, picking up 1 stitch for every slipped edge stitch on the heel flap. This pick up rate works very well when the heel is worked in heel stitch and the edge stitches are all slipped.

When I finished, needles 0 and 1 held a bunch of stitches as shown above right.

At that point, I removed the ugly rubber bands I used to prevent stitches from falling off needle 2, I picked up another blue DPN and knit across the stitches on needle #2. Now, I “renamed” the needle so the one I just used became “needle 2″. (The persnickety among you will point out it would be more precise to say “The needle in position #2.” True. But that’s way too long.)

Of course, while I was doing this, the knit stitches on needle 2 were facing me. So, when I finished, the knitting looked like the photo above and to the left.

Then, I needed to pick up stitches on the remaining edge of the heel flap. I did this exactly the same way as I did on the other edge, but using yet another needle, which I will call “needle 3″. When I finished the yarn tail was between needles 0 and 3.

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Next, to end up with stitches on only 3 needles, I transferred half the stitches on needle 0 to needle 1. This is shown above viewed from both possible sides.

Then, I held needle 0 in my left hand and knit the remaining stitches on needle 0 onto needle 3. This left stitches on needles 1, 2 and 3, as shown to the left.

Notice I hung a strand of yarn between the tips of needles 1 and 3? Hanging the strand helps me notice the beginning of the round without having to think and also helps me verify the center of the toe later on. I leave it there until I finish the sock.

You may be wondering why I named the needles. Well, later, when knitting the gusset, the directions will give instructions for what to do with the stitches on needles 1, 2 and 3. Of course, it turns out the the instructions mean the needles in positions 1, 2 and 3. So, the numbers shown to the left always apply.

Now, I’m going to go watch “Da Bears” play football and finish my sock!