Short-Row Heel

After experimenting with a few different methods of working short-row heels, I ended up creating my own slight variation on the theme. In order to avoid wondering how on earth I did it in the future, I document it here. The heel is worked on half of the total number of stitches. I simply leave the instep stitches on their needles and ignore them, working back and forth across the two needles which hold the heel stitches.

Row 1: Knit across heel stitches until only one stitch remains unworked, slip this stitch as if to knit, and turn. [I find that slipping the stitch knit-wise here makes it easier to work together with its wrap later.]
Row 2: Bring the yarn between the needles to the back of work, slip the first stitch as if to purl, and bring yarn between the needles to the front (thereby, wrapping the yarn around this stitch). Slip the next stitch purl-wise and then purl up to the last heel stitch on that side. Slip this stitch purl-wise and turn. [Some instructions have you wrap the yarn around the slipped stitch in the opposite direction. I happen to find it easier to work this way. As for slipping the next stitch after the wrap, I think this makes the slope of short rows a little smoother.]
Row 3: Bring yarn forward, slip first stitch purl-wise, and bring yarn to the back (wrapping the stitch). Slip next stitch purl-wise and knit up to the stitch before the wrapped stitch. Slip this stitch knit-wise and turn.
Row 4: Bring yarn to the back, slip first stitch purl-wise, and bring yarn forward (wrapping the stitch). Slip next stitch purl-wise and purl up to the stitch before the wrapped stitch. Slip this stitch purl-wise and turn.

Repeat rows 3 and 4 until only 1/2 to 1/3 of the heel stitches remain unwrapped in between the wrapped stitches.

Row 1: Bring yarn forward, slip first stitch purl-wise, and bring yarn to back (wrapping the stitch). Slip next stitch purl-wise and knit up to the wrapped stitch. Insert the right needle under the wrap and lift it onto the left needle. Knit the stitch through the back loop together with its wrap. Slip the next wrapped stitch purl-wise and turn. [Since the stitch which you knit together with its wrap was previously slipped knit-wise, knitting it through the back loop keeps it from twisting, and I find it easier to work this way.]
Row 2: Bring yarn to the back, slip the wrapped stitch purl-wise, and bring yarn forward (placing a second wrap around the stitch). Slip next stitch purl-wise and purl up to the first wrapped stitch on that side. Insert the right needle under the wrap from behind the wrapped stitch (in other words, from the back, the right side, the knit side, the outside of the sock) and lift the wrap onto the left needle. Purl the stitch together with its wrap. Slip the next wrapped stitch purl-wise and turn.
Row 3: Bring yarn forward, slip wrapped stitch purl-wise, and bring yarn to the back (placing a second wrap around the stitch). Slip next stitch purl-wise and knit up to the double wrapped stitch. Insert the right needle under both wraps and lift them onto the left needle. Knit the stitch through the back loop together with its wraps. Slip next wrapped stitch purl-wise and turn.
Row 4: Bring yarn to the back, slip wrapped stitch purl-wise, and bring yarn forward (placing a second wrap around the stitch). Slip next stitch purl-wise and purl up to the double wrapped stitch. Insert the right needle under both wraps from behind the double wrapped stitch and lift the wraps onto the left needle. Purl the stitch together with its wraps. Slip the next wrapped stitch purl-wise and turn.

Repeat rows 3 and 4 ending with the knit (right side) row which leaves only one unworked, wrapped stitch on the left side (as seen from the right side, knit side, outside of the sock) at the end of that row.

Next Row: With wrong side facing, bring yarn to the back, slip wrapped stitch purl-wise, and bring yarn forward (double wrapping the stitch). Slip the next stitch purl-wise and purl up to the double wrapped stitch. Insert the right needle under both wraps from behind the double wrapped stitch and lift the wraps onto the left needle. Purl the stitch together with its wraps. Slip the next wrapped stitch knit-wise and turn. [I slip this stitch knit-wise because it will be work with its wraps from the knit side.]

The last purl (wrong side) row has just been worked and knitting in the round resumes. With right side facing, bring yarn forward, slip wrapped stitch purl-wise, and bring yarn to the back (double wrapping the stitch). Slip the next stitch purl-wise and knit up to the double wrapped stitch. Insert the right needle under both wraps and lift the wraps onto the left needle. Knit the stitch through the back loop together with its wraps. Do not turn. [Most instructions for short-row heels, unless I'm misinterpreting something, have you carefully wrap at every turn except the last two. Therefore, in order to avoid gaps, they have you pick up an extra stitch or two between the heel and instep stitches on the first round after the short rows, decreasing the extra stitches away on the next round. My solution is to keep from creating these gaps by not turning.]

Work across instep stitches and around to the last double wrapped stitch. Insert the right needle under both wraps and lift them onto the left needle. Knit the stitch through the back loop together with its wraps. Continue with either the cuff or the foot depending on which direction you're knitting.

tags: knitting