Tuesday, February 19, 2008

My Amended Short Row Heel for Large Heel Bone

I have a large heel bone to knit socks around. Here is my short row heel method:

My rules for short rows:
1 On the knit row, slip the first st purlwise
2 On the purl row, slip the first st knitwise
3 One st less is worked every row, the first st each row is wrapped
4 The yarn always stays on the right side (public side/ outside of your sock)
5 The yarn on the wrap is taught/ not too tight/ not too loose. (if you put some yarn over your finger, it feels like it holds without slipping, but wouldn't dig into your skin or slip off either.).
Divide heel into 2 equal sides, knit across the instep keeping to your pattern, if you are doing one. On the heel side, increase at least 6 st evenly across the heel.
Turn.
KEEP YOUR YARN ON THE RIGHT SIDE DO NOT MOVE IT. or else!!!
**Move YOUR LEFT NEEDLE ONLY - NO NOT THE YARN LEAVE IT ALONE!!!
Slip the first st (remember rules 1 & 2) completely off the needle. YES, off.
Put your right needle into the next st, ready to knit/purl NOW move the yarn firmly OVER THE TOP of the slip st and knit/purl the st.**
and purl(or knit) to the end of the heel divi. reducing one st each turn.
Turn .** Repeat until you have 16st left (if you have narrow heel you can do less, but the 8 I've seen in some patterns leaves a silly little pointy flappy bit)
On the way back:
You could do two rows of knit on the heel section only, (place marker) knit to end - all stitches W&T, knit to end - All stitches, W&T, knit back to marker (remove marker). Now knit all the way back (when you get to the wrapped stitch, knit though it, knit 1, W&T).
On the purl row, purl the wrapped st normally
On the knit row, knit the wrapped st through the back/centre of the loops, is if to twist the st (but it doesn't)
I always make a wrap st on the way back, so I end up with an extra wrap st to knit off.
Knit to the first of the wrapped stitches, turn and wrap,
purl to the first of the wrapped sts, turn and wrap.
Knit to the wraps, knit the first 2 wrapped sts, turn and wrap,
Purl to the wraps, purl the first 2 wrapped sts, turn and wrap,
Repeat these last two rows until no wraps left.
Work one complete round. Putting a marker next to your instep divi. Reduce 1 st each side of marker every 2nd row until you have reached your original st count.

No comments: