Uploaded March 2022 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
I love this heel. It is strong, creates a cozy fabric thicker than stocking stitch, can be used toe up or top down. I believe I unvented it - but it is so logical someone else must have done it. It can be incorporated into almost any sock even those with tricky background motifs, and by not cutting your main yarn leaves any pattern created by variegated yarns in tact after the heel is completed. The heel is removable and replaceable. Full directions are given below. I suggest practicing this on a flat piece of stocking stitch before trying in the round.
Thanks for watching, please subscribe to see new videos. My former website is now closed BUT you can now find all my patterns, e-books and virtual knitting technique DVDs at their new home at LittleBarnStudio.ca. I'm Lucyknit on Instagram.
Patterns and Cool Socks Warm Feet and Cool Knitters Finish in Style books are also available on Rav.
Also available at Craftsy.com are:
Foundations of Double Knitting
Fearless Knitting
My First Socks
Next Steps in Socks
Many Happy stitches, Lucy
Garter Stitch 60 - 70% Short Row Heel
Work as usual until the desired length of leg is reached. For the majority of ankles the heel is best set in over 60 - 70% of the total number of sock stitches.
The heel knitting directions here are given here in general terms, the specific stitch numbers given to illustrate are for a 40 stitch sock having a 60% heel.
Calculate your planned heel width, multiply the total number of stitches in your sock by 0.6. Round up or down to an even number. Sample 40 x 0.6 = 24 stitches.
The remaining 40% of the stitches (16 sts), will not be worked during the construction of the heel and will be referred to as the Instep stitches.
Work to half of the heel width, 30% of the sock (12 sts) before the center back of the sock.
Heel Row 1 (RS facing) Always use a new piece of yarn for the heel to give the neatest corners (and this makes the heel replaceable). Use a contrasting colour for your first Short Row heel as it helps with orientation. Take your new heel yarn and do not cut off the old yarn, now he tail of the new yarn can be linked around the original working yarn and woven in at the back of the work as the initial few heel stitches are worked, thus closing any later gap and neatening the tail simultaneously. Knit the first half of the heel stitches (9 sts) onto an empty double-pointed needle, the second half less one (8 sts), onto another double-pointed needle. S1, bring yarn between needles, return the slipped stitch to the left-hand needle (next to the Instep stitches). If using a new colour, note that the last stitch of the heel remains the original colour.
Divide the Instep stitches onto two double-pointed needles along with the one ‘wrapped’ heel stitch.
Heel Row 2 (WS facing)
Turn the work around WS facing, with an empty double-pointed needle (use a second double-pointed needle for the last half of the heel stitches), knit until only the first Heel stitch remains unworked (k 16), s1, bring yarn between needles, return the slipped stitch to the left-hand needle, (next to the instep stitches).
Accuracy Check! On completion of any Wrong Side heel row: there should always be the same number of ‘wrapped’ stitches on either side of the remaining working heel stitches. When checking remember that the first ‘wrapped’ stitch on the left-hand side is in the original colour. Make a habit of checking regularly.
Subsequent Right and Wrong Side Rows
Turn the work around RS facing, knit until one heel stitch remains unworked on left-hand needle, (k 15), BWR, return the ‘wrapped’ stitch to the adjacent needle holding the instep stitches.
Turn the work around WS facing, knit until one heel stitch remains unworked on left-hand needle (k 14), BWR, return the ‘wrapped’ stitch to the adjacent needle holding the instep stitches.
Repeat these last two rows, end with a Wrong Side row, approximately (k8, BWR) or until the heel is deep enough for your foot.
There should be the same number of ‘wrapped’ stitches on either side of the remaining central (8) stitches (in this case, 5 on each side). When checking remember that the first ‘wrapped’ stitch on the left-hand side is in the original colour. No stitches are decreased so the heel-stitch total should remain unchanged.
For the Class Sample 2 x 5 + 8 = the original number of heel stitches 18.
Suggested Stitch Distribution
Initially when working the heel stitches using two double-pointed needles on both Right and Wrong side rows, knit two extra stitches onto the old needle before introducing the empty double-pointed needle. This staggers the junction of the work and helps to prevent distortion down the centre back of the heel.
When the number of working heel stitches is sufficiently reduced, work them onto a single double-pointed needle, use the spare needle to hold the middle section of the Instep stitches, this makes things far more comfortable to work.
I love this heel. It is strong, creates a cozy fabric thicker than stocking stitch, can be used toe up or top down. I believe I unvented it - but it is so logical someone else must have done it. It can be incorporated into almost any sock even those with tricky background motifs, and by not cutting your main yarn leaves any pattern created by variegated yarns in tact after the heel is completed. The heel is removable and replaceable. Full directions are given below. I suggest practicing this on a flat piece of stocking stitch before trying in the round.
Thanks for watching, please subscribe to see new videos. My former website is now closed BUT you can now find all my patterns, e-books and virtual knitting technique DVDs at their new home at LittleBarnStudio.ca. I'm Lucyknit on Instagram.
Patterns and Cool Socks Warm Feet and Cool Knitters Finish in Style books are also available on Rav.
Also available at Craftsy.com are:
Foundations of Double Knitting
Fearless Knitting
My First Socks
Next Steps in Socks
Many Happy stitches, Lucy
Garter Stitch 60 - 70% Short Row Heel
Work as usual until the desired length of leg is reached. For the majority of ankles the heel is best set in over 60 - 70% of the total number of sock stitches.
The heel knitting directions here are given here in general terms, the specific stitch numbers given to illustrate are for a 40 stitch sock having a 60% heel.
Calculate your planned heel width, multiply the total number of stitches in your sock by 0.6. Round up or down to an even number. Sample 40 x 0.6 = 24 stitches.
The remaining 40% of the stitches (16 sts), will not be worked during the construction of the heel and will be referred to as the Instep stitches.
Work to half of the heel width, 30% of the sock (12 sts) before the center back of the sock.
Heel Row 1 (RS facing) Always use a new piece of yarn for the heel to give the neatest corners (and this makes the heel replaceable). Use a contrasting colour for your first Short Row heel as it helps with orientation. Take your new heel yarn and do not cut off the old yarn, now he tail of the new yarn can be linked around the original working yarn and woven in at the back of the work as the initial few heel stitches are worked, thus closing any later gap and neatening the tail simultaneously. Knit the first half of the heel stitches (9 sts) onto an empty double-pointed needle, the second half less one (8 sts), onto another double-pointed needle. S1, bring yarn between needles, return the slipped stitch to the left-hand needle (next to the Instep stitches). If using a new colour, note that the last stitch of the heel remains the original colour.
Divide the Instep stitches onto two double-pointed needles along with the one ‘wrapped’ heel stitch.
Heel Row 2 (WS facing)
Turn the work around WS facing, with an empty double-pointed needle (use a second double-pointed needle for the last half of the heel stitches), knit until only the first Heel stitch remains unworked (k 16), s1, bring yarn between needles, return the slipped stitch to the left-hand needle, (next to the instep stitches).
Accuracy Check! On completion of any Wrong Side heel row: there should always be the same number of ‘wrapped’ stitches on either side of the remaining working heel stitches. When checking remember that the first ‘wrapped’ stitch on the left-hand side is in the original colour. Make a habit of checking regularly.
Subsequent Right and Wrong Side Rows
Turn the work around RS facing, knit until one heel stitch remains unworked on left-hand needle, (k 15), BWR, return the ‘wrapped’ stitch to the adjacent needle holding the instep stitches.
Turn the work around WS facing, knit until one heel stitch remains unworked on left-hand needle (k 14), BWR, return the ‘wrapped’ stitch to the adjacent needle holding the instep stitches.
Repeat these last two rows, end with a Wrong Side row, approximately (k8, BWR) or until the heel is deep enough for your foot.
There should be the same number of ‘wrapped’ stitches on either side of the remaining central (8) stitches (in this case, 5 on each side). When checking remember that the first ‘wrapped’ stitch on the left-hand side is in the original colour. No stitches are decreased so the heel-stitch total should remain unchanged.
For the Class Sample 2 x 5 + 8 = the original number of heel stitches 18.
Suggested Stitch Distribution
Initially when working the heel stitches using two double-pointed needles on both Right and Wrong side rows, knit two extra stitches onto the old needle before introducing the empty double-pointed needle. This staggers the junction of the work and helps to prevent distortion down the centre back of the heel.
When the number of working heel stitches is sufficiently reduced, work them onto a single double-pointed needle, use the spare needle to hold the middle section of the Instep stitches, this makes things far more comfortable to work.
