Heel flap & gussets.

[Tammy]

Lynn thank you for pointing us to the link Working the Heel of a Sock. I now understand that concept better and see that it isn't that difficult, however, I did not hear any mention of what proportion of the stitches are used for the flap. Is it half of the stitches or some other amount? How do you determine how many rows are needed for the flap before starting the gusset area? Are heel flaps only done on top down socks or can they be done on toe up socks?

Thank you and everyone else for all the help you so freely share.

[Sherongb]

For most socks the stitches are divided into 2 equal groups, 1/2 the stitches for the instep and 1/2 for the sole. So the heel flap is worked on 1/2 of the total stitches (the sole stitches). One guide is to work as many rows as you have stitches. Another is to work until you have a square flap.

If you have a high instep it helps to work a longer flap.

Some people work heels on 60% of the stitches.

You can do a flap and gusset heel on toe up socks. This will put the padded flap under your heel. It works. (Yes you can do it so the flap is behind your heel but it involves increasing for the gusset then decreasing those stitches into the flap.)

On the Socknitters web site you will find something called 'heels by the number' which someone put together with how many heel stitches for how many total stitches and stitch counts for turning the heel for several different heels.

Here's how I show turning the heel: take a tissue and sit a glass on it, so part is under the glass and part can be held up the side of the glass. See all that extra where the tissue folds up? Making a heel flap and gusset creates a dart that gets rid of that fabric.

[Lynn]

Thank you for your excellent explanation, Sheron. I can't think of anything to add to it.

Before I started knitting socks, which has been just in the past couple of years, I studied and analyzed as many different techniques and patters as I could find online. Somewhere in the process I found the knittinhelp.com site and the video simply spoke to me. It all made such total sense. At about the same time, I found something called a sockcalc online. I cannot find the link for it anymore, but I have it saved in several different places. Basically, it's an Excel program that you plug numbers into and it gives you the stitch count for your sock. (Tammy, if you'll PM me your email, I'm happy to send you a copy. Anyone else who is interested, ditto.) The numbers you plug in are height, circumference, and # of stitches per inch in your swatch. Pretty simple to come by and dead easy to follow. Then there's the Arachne sock calculator, found here. This one is better suited for figuring knee socks, whereas the other one works fine for crew socks. So, I've never to date used a pattern. I just go by the sockcalc and knit some vanilla socks. My DH has been quite happy with them. Then I decided to knit a pair for myself, but did a spiral rib for the cuff. They are working out nicely, and I will wear them this winter. After I finish these, I have The Sock Knitter's Workshop by Ewa Jostes and Stephanie van der Linden. I think between this book and all the help available online, I'll have more than enough ideas for socks for many moons to come. But after seeing Tammy's post for the sweet tomato heel, I'm seriously considering downloading Cat's ebook. That would be awesome.

[Sherongb]

'Plain vanilla socks' in some of the sock yarns around come out very nice, but sometimes its fun to do other stitch patterns and try new techniques. Keep on asking questions about anything that comes up.

[Tammy]

Sheron, Just reading about how you show the heel with the glass and tissue I can visualize it. That is a wonderful way of showing people. I'm going to remember that. I also see why my gf likes the flap style better than short rows. Nancy says the same thing about socks being boring unless doing a pattern. I'm sure I will keep on with the questions.

Lynn Thanks for the link to the Arachne Sock Calculator. I will get a PM off to you shortly. Mom went to a library's book sale over the weekend and she found "On Your Toes" (by Bernat) book no 218 from 1975 original price 75¢ I think I could learn a lot from tat booklet.

Thanks everyone for your patients with all my questions and encouragement to ask more.

[Sherongb]

Two Yahoo groups for socknitters and those who want to learn about socknitting: First is Socknitters. I have not been there for a while but they usually have a lot going on, and a lot of good info. The second is Six Sox Knitalong. We have 6 KAL's a year, a new pair of socks each time. Six Sox does have a request for more info you have to respond to with the requested info in order to be approved. Do a search in patterns to see some of the past patterns if you are on Ravlery.

[Lynn]

I found several sock patterns just doing a Google search for free knitted sock patterns. Just a suggestion. But honestly, once you know how you want to construct a sock, (type of heel, type of toe, length of cuff, toe up or cuff down, etc.) picking a pattern stitch and adjusting your stitch count to accommodate it can't be that difficult. That's all I did for the pair I'm currently making for myself. I decided to try a spiral rib for the cuff, worked it according to the numbers given by the SockCalc, and it's worked like a charm. I'm using a flap heel on this pair, but may very well do another pair using the sweet tomato heel next. Of course, one would want to insure the chosen pattern is one that will work inside a pair of shoes. Can't quite see putting cables on the top of my feet and then compressing them with shoes!

[Tammy]

Lynn that brings up a good point I think I would do stockinette for the foot and the "pretty part" from there up for whatever length I wanted.

[Lynn]

Tammy, many socks carry the pretty part down on the top of the foot. Your instincts are quite correct about stockinette for the sole. But that's just the bottom half. The top half can carry any design you like. I'm just picky about what that design would be on my feet.