And now for something completely different, a knitting post.

Because I do my short row heels an odd way, here's documentation with photos on how I do a heel, toe up. This is probably reversible for a top down model, but I don't know if I'll do that or not.

I knit from the toe until the foot of the sock reaches from my heel of hand to very tip of middle finger, which is close to 7 inches. Then I decide what will be top and what will be bottom. I ignore the top. The images may be a little odd- I had help with them. Note- this is 16 stitches per needle, on DPNs to fit my feet. YMMV.



Knit all the way across, turn the work, and then slip the last stitch knit onto the needle.



Purl all the way across, turn the work, and slip the last stitch purled onto the needle.

Repeat. Once you have slipped a stitch, ignore it. The number of slipped and ignored stitches will increase every row. When you have only 8 stitches left to work with, then you will start working on the other side of the heel, and increase your number of stitches.

At the end of the knit row, knit the last "live" stitch. Then pick up a stitch in the gap between the last stitch and the next stitch.




Knit this next stitch too. Turn the work. Slip this stitch. Purl across. Make a purl stitch in the gap here too between the last live stitch and the previous ignored stitch. And then purl that next stitch too. Turn the work again to knit, slipping the last stitch.

Now repeat this, making a stitch between the gaps. This should be adding a stitch every row, until it looks like this. It will look bunchy because of the stitches added, but there won't be any holes. There's a definite gap though between heel and the rest of the foot here though.



So we'll make one in this gap here.



Knit around the foot. Then when you get to the gap on the other side of the foot, use your spare needle to make one in this gap.



Knit across this part. Then count 15 stitches from the heel, and mark with a stitch marker. I like to use hoop earrings. Do this on both sides.



Knit the rest of the way around the heel until you almost get to the end where it joins the foot. Knit two together through the back of the loop (or whatever method you like including ssk) as long as the slant goes towards the heel. (All the pictures I took of this part are very blurry). Knit around the front of the foot. When you get to the other side, knit two through the front of the loop. Again, the slant goes towards the heel.



Continue doing this until you only have one stitch in front of both stitch markers. Now you have 16 stitches on a needle again, and your heel is finished.



Knit the rest of the sock as you will.

(For the curious, this is Socks that Rock, Flinstone, on size 0 or 2 mm)  ¶ 10:23 AM