The Knitting Fiend

A quote from Knitflame:

It finally hit me today…. The only 2 conversations that ever happen on the sock knitter’s list are:
1)Making heels without holes at the ankle
2)dps vs 2 circs vs magic loop

And today, I will explain how I avoid the little holes when I knit short row heels. How timely!

Here’s my method:

When you have finished working the short row heels, knit across the heel stitches. You will arrive at the instep stitches which were on a stitch holder; pick these up and place them on a second needle (or divide onto two needles).

Now, using the tip of an empty sock needle needle held in your left hand, lift the side strand of the stitch two below the stitch on the right needle; see above left. Put that strand on the right needle tip.

Insert the tip the sock needle in your right hand into the side strand of a the stitch below the one on the right needle tip; see above right. Lift that strand.

Now, pick up the empty sock needle with your left hand, and put both those lifted strands on the empty needle as show to the left. Insert a needle tip and knit both strands together.

The bottom of the stitch you knit into both strands “fuses” the heel and the instep stitches together.

Now, knit across the instep stitches. When you reach the heel stitches, repeat this little procedure.

This alone is enough to prevent little holes. However, it creates two extra stitches. So, you need to get rid of them. Knit across the heel stitches; when you reach the “extra” stitch, k2tog. This eliminates 1 extra stitch. Now, knit across the instep; when you are one stitch before the “extra” stitch, ssk. This eliminates the second extra stitch.

Now, knit your sock leg around and around.

If you have other methods, I’d love to here them.