"sock people"...help please

Hi all you other sock knitters. I have done several baby and a couple of “big girl” socks now just using the basics from Silvers SOCK TUTORIAL and then a toe up baby pattern. I have started another tadult toe up pair, using all the sizing etc. stuff I have learned.

Sooooo, this time I would like to try something different for the heel. I have seen many different styles and wonder if more experienced sock knitters could comment. What should I try next? Thanks! :thumbsup:

Hmm… I like using the top down method with the k1 sl 1 across the heel. But there’s that magic loop business if you wanna try something new. Also using two circs (or is that the same as magic loop?) How about using some self striping yarn? Knit picks has some fabulous stripy sock yarn for a reall good price. Good luck! :thumbsup:

Ditto Feministmama. I LOVE the k1 sl1 heel. It makes a really nice textured look and feels “cushy” according to my DD. The 2 circs is awesome, and I do love using DPNs but was looking to try a new technique. Right now the socks i’m doing are using Cascade fixation and it’s a great yarn to use. A little stretchy but works up great.

Kemp what type of heel did you do on your last toe up sock? There are only two that I know of, the short row heel and E. Zimmerman’s After thought heel.

This is a pdf site with a different kind of heel. They are called socks with a Jojo heel.

I also thought knitting two socks on circs via magic loop looks pretty cool as already suggested. Here is the link for it.

Finally, Elizabeth Zimmerman has a neat method of knitting socks in her book Knitters’ Almanac. Amy has a thread about it, with pictures, here.

Good luck!

Thanks for all the suggestions! :happydance: I am looking forward to trying socks on the one or two circular method, but I am waiting for the longer cords for my denise set to arrive at the moment. Next pair :slight_smile:

It seems like when I had some sock books out from the library, that there were several types of heels…maybe I am just remembering that wrong. At any rate, I’ll probably try one of the ones you guys already suggested.

One question though…I was looking at the pdf for the jojo heel…what is a “double stitch”?

I thought I remember the PDF having instructions for that double st… :??

If I were you, Kemp…I wouldnt use cords that are TOO long. Im doing mine on 29" needles, and they can get a bit unwieldy. I would make up some 24’s.

I’ll have to take another look at the .pdf…I may have missed it.

I agree with you on that for the two circular method.

I got teh longer cords so I could try the magic loop method…using one set of needles with a LONG join. The one tutorial I read on it said that she would not use anythng shorter than a 40". Have you tried the one circular yet? The new cords were only about $3 each from wild and wooly, so it wan’t a huge investment.

Kemp there are several different types of heels for top down but I think there are only the two for toe up. I don’t know if anyone has managed a heel flap type of heel going toe up. If they have I would love to hear about it.

The top down ones that I know of are: sl st heel st, eye of the partridge, and putting cable, intarsia or fair-isle sts in the heel; the other changes are usually how the heel is turned.

Hi guys, if I may…my suggestion is that you give Soxy your ear (actually…I just mean listen to her!) when it comes to knitting socks (or anything…lol) because after she looked at my socks she said ‘I notice that you did a wedge heel and a grafted toe’ and I didn’t even know I had done such things, nor did I know what they were…I had just knitted the pattern! Soxy, in my humble opinion is the Queen :notworthy: of knitting the socks (like I said…and everything else I’ve seen that she has knit)
I’m not at all discounting any suggestions that any of you guys have made; all great ones for stirring up a different way to construct the sock
Ya’ll have a fun day!!
Chat with ya later!!

hey there! if you want to try a new heel technique i highly recommend the short-row heel. it fits beautifully and is more remniscient of the “commercial” sock, and once you get the hang of it it’s really easy to do. they are knit the same way whether you are going from the toe up or the top down.

someone on this site once gave me a link (and i can’t remember who, am so sorry!) to the sherman heel short-row method and i loved it - it worked well (photo attached of dad’s socks). i also like lucy neatby’s garter stitch short row heel method.

lucys: http://www.inknitters.com/Issue1/lucy.pdf

sherman heel (i think it was salsa or hilde who sent me this, thank you so so so so much):
http://hipknitism.com/classes/basic_ribbed_socks/lesson4.shtml

here’s a pic of my dad’s fathers day socks done with the sherman heel.

have fun on your sock quest!!!

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So are magic loop and knitting on two circs the same thing?

:blush: Rebecca there are lots of other very accomplished knitters here!! I’ve read lots of their comments and couldn’t improve on any of them!

Thank you anyway for the compliment!! :blush: :blush:

You can do 2 socks at the same time on one circular or two circulars. If you do only 1 though, it has to be a long cord. I have yet to try it.

Thanks for the extra links. As far as I know…I have been doing the short row heel…or are there different kinds of that. I have used the slip and wrap on the ends for the shaping with toe down and the knit two together over the gap for the top down. If there is even another way to do it that would be fun to know! :thumbsup:

There are so many accomplished knitters here…it’s a sheer joy reading and bouncing ideas one off of another…I was refering to the fact that I had no idea about my own sock and soxy jumped right in knowing exactly what was where…my intention was certainly not to demean anyone around!! FYI: I’m saving each and every one of the new links u guys r suggesting for reference…thanks to u all :wink:

[size=6][/size][size=7][/size]ok ladies i am new and just want to know what is a “magij loop”

hey and welcome, justanotherknitter (cool name)…I’m afraid I’m not at all familiar with the magic loop, but lots seem to love it!! I’m your basic dpn tandem knitter…lol
Glad to have u around justanotherknitter…i :heart: that name!!

kemp…have u made a decision yet with all of these suggestions thrown your way?! If u r like me…there r so many things to choose from, it’s hard to decide!

have a great evening one & all

Magic loop is a method of knitting in the round using one very long circular needle instead of DPNs or two circs. Video here. :smiley:

rebecca…no decision yet. I think I am going to go back to the library and look at the “sock books” a little more closely this time. I give a full report when I get around to doing it :slight_smile: