Dividing Stitches to Make a Heel (Sock Pattern) Help?

#1

Hey everyone! So, I’m working on this really neat sock pattern (my first one) and I’m a little bit unclear as to how I should divide the stitches. I’m using DPNs, and the pattern does call for just four (since I think I’ve seen some done with five)The pattern goes like this:

Make heel: Divide 28 sts on 2nd needle onto 2 needles and leave for instep. K16 off 1st needle onto end of 3rd needle.

I just would like to know how I’m supposed to do this so I don’t mess up all I’ve done already LOL.

Thanks in advance for any advice :slight_smile:

#2

Without seeing the pattern, I can can’t say for sure, and this pattern looks a little confusing, but this is how the usual pattern would go in those circumstances:

You’ve been knitting the cuff and leg so far, which has just been a plain tube. But now you are dividing for the heel, which is structurally anything BUT a plain tube. So you’re going to set aside some of the sts for the top of your foot, which is called the instep-- those are the 28 sts to divide onto 2 needles. You do that because keeping them on 1 needle would be awkward. But they’re telling you to do it backwards from most of the patterns I’ve every used, and telling you to deal with the 28 sts before the remaining heel sts. So let’s do it this way, instead–

It sounds like perhaps there are 32 for the heel, that you have a total of 60 sts? Where you started your original cast on should be exactly between needles 1 and 3. Take (if the total left is really 32 sts) the first 16 sts from needle 1 and the last 16 of needle 3, and put them on 1 needle, and THEN take the remaining 28 and put them onto 2 needles and forget about them for a while.

Does this make sense? What is the pattern, where did you get it? If it’s in a book or magazine, can you give the page number?

#3

Yes, I think that makes sense. It’s sort of like…switching up the set up maybe? With the two 16’s on one needle, and the 28 on two needles, instead?

It’s a Bernat pattern, http://www.bernat.com/pattern.php?PID=3012
You might have to sign up to see the pattern, but it’s totally free :slight_smile:

(Here’s a pdf I found; I’m not sure if you’d have to sign up to see it this way: http://www.bernat.com/data/pattern/pdf/Bernat_Sox455_kn_socks.en_US.pdf

Thanks for your help! :smiley:

#4

I knit a lot of socks and always keep the instep stitches (in this case I believe it’s 28) on one needle. After you complete the heel shaping you have a free needle to pick up stitches on the left side of the gusset and another free needle to pick up stitches on the right side of the gusset.

If you read further in the pattern the 28 instep stitches end up on one needle to complete the foot anyway so there’s no need to separate them in the first place.

JudyD

#5

Yes, could see the PDF version fine! Thanks for the link-- very helpful. And just as I thought. And that is exactly what you are doing-- switching the set up. With the instep, I do always split up those sts on 2 needles as I’m working the heel. I find that if I put them on 1 needle, that you tend to get some separation/laddering in between the needles because the sts are more stretched out in you only have the instep sts on 1 needle and the heel sts on another. If they’re on 3 needles, the tube is more relaxed and you don’t get that problem. They do a funny thing in that pattern, where you reduce the heel sts by 1 st before beginning the heel flap, so that you have an odd number, 31. I don’t know why, most I’ve seen use an even number, but just follow the pattern and you’ll be okay.

Just remember in the new set up-- up until now, when you did the leg, it didn’t really matter where the exact beginning of the round was. But from now on, it does, because you’re really shaping the sock.

#6

Awesome, Thanks so much for your help! I’m excited again now :woohoo: hehe :slight_smile:

#7

Hey everyone! Sorry to bring this up again, but I’m a bit scared I’m doing something terribly wrong.

During this part (in bold):

Make heel: Divide 20 (24-28-32) sts on 2nd needle onto 2 needles and leave for instep. K10 (12-16-18) off 1st needle onto end of 3rd needle.
[B]Next row: (WS). P9 (11-15-17). P2tog. P9 (11-15-17). 19 (23-31-35) sts.
Next row: *K1. Sl1. Rep from * to last st. K1.
Next row: Purl.
Rep last 2 rows for 2 ins [5 cm], ending with a RS row.[/B]

Is that [I]just[/I] dealing with stitches on [B]one[/B] needle? Or am I going around on all of the needles?
I don’t want to have to :frog: ! LOL.

#8

Don’t worry about bringing it up again! Socks construction is a little tricky until you’ve done it a couple of times. So the answer-- do you see where it says “Next row: (WS). P9 (11-15-17). P2tog. P9 (11-15-17). 19 (23-[COLOR=“Red”]31[/COLOR]-35) sts.”? What you’ve done is decreased by 1 stitch from those 32 you have for the heel, and so now you have [COLOR=“Red”]31[/COLOR].

So you are just working on the heel sts now, and ignoring those other 28 you set aside.

Make sense?

#9

Ah, yes! Thank you so much! … sigh I’m so knitting a scarf after this, rofl!!