Instructions for doing the heel of a baby sock

[cair]

I’m doing a cotton baby sock… my first!
The name of the pattern is North Country Country Cotton Baby Socks

I completed: the Cuff; divided the stitches for the heel and worked through the heel which is 13 rows long.

I am having difficulty understanding the TURN HEEl for rows 3 + 4
Row 1 and Row 2, I understand…

[B]Row 3: Slip 1, purl to 1 st. before the last turn(You’ll see a small gap where the last turn was), P2tog, Turn.

Row 4: Slip 1, knit to 1 st. before the last turn (look for the gap), K2tog, Turn.[/B]

[B]After doing the slip1, what does purl to 1 stitch mean? and … before the last turn… yada yada.[/B]

Please explain… very s l o w ly for me.
Thanking you again for all your help.
cair

[Mazie]

I think they mean for you to close up the gap between the stitches by doing a knit 2 tog or purl 2 tog, so you don’t leave a hole. And carry on from there, doing the foot. But I’ve been wrong before, You can only try and hope it works.

[RochesterKnitter]

Row 1: Slip 1, P7, P2tog, TURN.
Row 2: Slip 1, K4, K2tog, TURN.
Row 3: Slip 1, purl to 1 st. before the last turn (you’ll see a small gap where the last turn was), P2tog, TURN.
Row 4: Slip 1, knit to 1 st. before the last turn (look for the gap), K2tog, TURN.

I had to go look at the pattern. What you are asking about refers to the TURN in rows 1 and 2.
Row 1 and 2 are called short rows. That means that you did NOT knit all of stitches on the needle. Instead you worked only 10/12 on row 1 and 7/10(12 total) on row 2.
On row three you now need to work to 1 stitch before the turn you did on row 1. Then knit that 1 stitch before the turn together with the 1 stitch after the turn.
On row 4 come back and do the same thing, purling to one stitch before the turn, then purling that stitch together with the stitch after the turn.
There will be a visible “gap” at the place where you turned because that part of the knitting was not connected to the area that you turned back on, and is shorter having not been worked the last two rows.

For completeness sake, usually when working short rows you do what is called a wrap. You knit the indicated number of stitches, then slip a stitch from left to the right needle, move the yarn to the opposite side (front to back, or back to front depending on whether you have been knitting or purling), then slip the stitch back to the left needle, then turn the work. What this does is prevents that little gap from forming.

P.S. On a larger piece, not a baby sock, the short rows are more obvious because you develop a pattern, which is hard to see in just these 4 rows.

[cair]

Thank you for helping me with this… I think I understand… I’ve been on many a video site on youtube… and of course the pattern I have, doesn’t seem to fit what I’m looking for.

I’ll keep you posted if I need more help.
Thanking you again,
cair

@RochesterKnitter

Row 1: Slip 1, P7, P2tog, TURN.
Row 2: Slip 1, K4, K2tog, TURN.
Row 3: Slip 1, purl to 1 st. before the last turn (you’ll see a small gap where the last turn was), P2tog, TURN.
Row 4: Slip 1, knit to 1 st. before the last turn (look for the gap), K2tog, TURN.

I had to go look at the pattern. What you are asking about refers to the TURN in rows 1 and 2.
Row 1 and 2 are called short rows. That means that you did NOT knit all of stitches on the needle. Instead you worked only 10/12 on row 1 and 7/10(12 total) on row 2.
On row three you now need to work to 1 stitch before the turn you did on row 1. Then knit that 1 stitch before the turn together with the 1 stitch after the turn.
On row 4 come back and do the same thing, purling to one stitch before the turn, then purling that stitch together with the stitch after the turn.
There will be a visible “gap” at the place where you turned because that part of the knitting was not connected to the area that you turned back on, and is shorter having not been worked the last two rows.

For completeness sake, usually when working short rows you do what is called a wrap. You knit the indicated number of stitches, then slip a stitch from left to the right needle, move the yarn to the opposite side (front to back, or back to front depending on whether you have been knitting or purling), then slip the stitch back to the left needle, then turn the work. What this does is prevents that little gap from forming.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyXWn2LLUC0

P.S. On a larger piece, not a baby sock, the short rows are more obvious because you develop a pattern, which is hard to see in just these 4 rows.

[cair]

@Mazie

I think they mean for you to close up the gap between the stitches by doing a knit 2 tog or purl 2 tog, so you don’t leave a hole. And carry on from there, doing the foot. But I’ve been wrong before, You can only try and hope it works.

Thanks, Mazie…I took your info and read on… so I’m hoping to get it…
Again, thanks,
cair