How to Turn the Heel When Knitting Socks With a Circular Needle
Sock knitting is a way to try out knitting techniques or yarns in a way that doesn't require much yarn or time. Socks get used often and used up quickly, so there's always a need for them. Socks can be knit from the cuff down or from the toe up, on circular or double-pointed needles (DPN). Sock patterns written for DPNs require changes to work on circular needles. Some older sock patterns may leave out heel instructions, so knowing how to turn a heel when knitting a sock on circular needles will help you use any sock pattern you prefer.
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Instructions
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From the Cuff Down
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You can measure the heel flap to make sure it is square. Slip half of your stitches onto stitch holders. These stitches will be used for the top of your foot. Slide the remaining stitches to the left-hand end of your needle. Knit the right side rows in the following manner: slip one, knit one, repeat until the end of the row. Knit the wrong side rows by slipping one stitch, then purl the rest of the stitches in the row. Repeat until the resulting heel flap forms a square. End on a wrong side row.
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Find the center of your heel flap stitches. Slip one stitch. Knit until you are one or two stitches past the center. Decrease by using ssk, knit one, then turn your work around. Slip one stitch, purl until one or two stitches past the center, decrease by purling two together, purl one, then turn the work around. Once you have decreased on both sides of the heel, there should be two slight gaps between the stitches, and an equal number of stitches to the left of the gap on the left and to the right of the gap on the right.
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Slip one stitch, then knit to one stitch before the gap, ssk over the gap, knit one, then turn the work around. Slip one stitch, purl to one stitch before the gap, purl two together, purl one, then turn the work around. Repeat until there are no more stitches outside the gaps. Your heel is turned.
From the Toe Up
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4
Start on a right side row. Slip half of your stitches onto stitch holders. Slide the remaining stitches to the left-hand end of your needle.
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Knit until the last stitch of your row. Bring the yarn to the front of your work, then slip the stitch purlwise.Turn the work around and purl until to last stitch. Slip the stitch purlwise. Bring the yarn to the front of your work, slip the previously slipped stitch back to left-hand needle. Bring the yarn to the back of the work. Turn your work around. This results in stitches that are wrapped at the base. Repeat until you have an equal number of wrapped stitches on either side of a center group of unwrapped stitches. The number of unwrapped stitches should be half the number of heel stitches.
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Knit the unwrapped stitches as normal. Knit the wrapped stitches by picking up the wrap around the stitch and knitting the wrap and stitch together. Continue until all wrapped stitches have been knit. Your heel is turned.
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Tips & Warnings
Heel stitch rows always begin with a slipped stitch and are worked on half the stitches for the sock.
You can make the heel wider or narrower by making the group of center stitches bigger or smaller.
You can use skpo or another left-leaning decrease in place of the ssk.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Knitting image by Maria Vtyurina from Fotolia.com knitting image by Alison Bowden from Fotolia.com
