I’m working on my first toe up sock and am trying the short row wrap heel. Actually, I made the short wrap okay, but the “long-wrap”, or second part of the heel, isn’t working out so nice. I cannot continue it this way because of the holes. (I would also like to make the heel a bit wider too).
Just for clarification, am I really supposed to knit/purl the 2 wrapped stitches and the regular stitch? That’s kind of like K3tog/P3tog, isn’t it?
Which option do you think is best for me to do at this point?
On the wrapped stitches part, I am confused about your question. When I did toe up, the first time that was my main mistake. I kept trying to knit the wrapped stitch right after I wrapped it…definitely incorrect! Once I figured out to slip it after wrapping, everything worked out perfectly. Here is a tip about the holes I got from webdesignsbybarb.com
“Important: After each wrapped stitch, pull the needles apart gently to keep the yarn loose around the slipped stitches, then work the first stitch of the next row carefully to prevent tightening what you have loosened. This will help prevent holes along the edge of the heel.”
The heel is shaped with short rows until about 15-20% of the stitches are left unshort-rowed. If you’ve never short-rowed before, follow these directions and you’ll learn how.
Ending the last row at the beginning of a new round, turn the work and then work the heel as follows on one needle, back and forth:
Row 1 (WS): Purl to last stitch; slip stitch as if to purl and then wrap stitch (move yarn from front to back, slip stitch back to left needle, move yarn to the front of the work). Turn the work.
Row 2: Knit to last stitch; slip stitch as if to purl and then wrap stitch (move yarn from back to front, slip stitch back to left needle, move yarn to the back of the work). Turn the work.
Repeat these two rows, wrapping the last stitch before the previously wrapped ones – you’re forming a triangle with some fullness to it. Repeat this until you have about 15-20% of the stitches on the needle unworked.
Begin to “long-row” the heel as follows:
Row 1 (RS):Work to first wrapped stitch; knit the stitch and its wrap together as one (scooping up the wrap from the front of the stitch). Wrap the next stitch again as before (this helps to keep gaps small). Turn the work.
Row 2: Purl to first wrapped stitch; purl the stitch and its wrap together as one (scooping up the wrap from the back of the stitch). Wrap the next stitch again as before. Turn the work.
Row 3 and 4: Work to first wrapped stitch. Work similar to rows 1 and 2, but picking up both wraps and knitting together with stitch and wrapping the following stitch.
Continue until all stitches on the heel have been worked.
I think I just wanted reassurance about having to pick up both wraps, but I noticed the same instructions at a lot of other sites. Now I just have to go back and fix my mistakes. I think I am going to try to unknit instead of rip.
And keeping those wraps nice and loose is a really good idea too. Thanks for sharing the tip.
Okay, I think I am going to try a different technique to do the heel. It is called the Priscilla Gibson-Roberts’ Yarnover method and looks much easier to handle, than picking up 2 wraps to knit/purl with your regular stitch.
Her method is described when making these cute bootie socks and there’s an explanation at the bottom to explain a reverse yarnover.
She shows 3 methods of handling them and picking up the wrapped stitches. The consensus seems to be the yo wrap is the easiest to deal with. Bu I kinda like the Japanese because of the pins. I can’t seem to keep markers on the needles and do the wraps too. They keep falling off when I maneuver the turns…
Since it’s a little sock, I’d rip back to before the problem.
I’ve not started my 1st toe up construction sock yet. I was reading over this thread and then surfing the net and found this very helpful site FULL of information and thought I would share it with ya’ll
I have a question about the Japanese method. What happens after the first 2 wraps are done?
Example, to do my socks I knit to the end, leaving one stitch, then turn. Same thing to purl. Then, when I come back, I take care of the pin, k2tog, then continue to the purl side and p2tog.
Would I knit to the end again, but leave 2 stitches to continue my short rows?
btw, the unknitting worked for me without a hitch.
