Short Row Heel Tutorial

How to knit a short row heel or toe, without holes

For a while now I have wanted to do this tutorial, because I often get asked how I pick up and knit my wraps on my short row heel. Yahaira was nice enough to take these pictures for me, since I am " knit and photograph at the same time" challenged.  This is a double wrap short row, based of Wendy's Pattern for toe up socks.  In that pattern Wendy uses a short row toe and heel, the tutorial below works for both  the heels and the toes. I do all my heels this way. The secret is how you pick up the wraps. Instead of knitting the "wraps together" with the stitch; pick up the wraps, place them on the right needle, knit the stitch and the pass the slipped wraps over.

How about I show ya:)

 Once you have all your stitches wrapped (most people usually wrap 12/16 stitches on each side depending on your gauge and how deep you want your heel). You are ready to pick up the first wrap. Knit to the first wrap.

Pick up the wrap.  (The pictures show picking up the wrap from the bottom, I sometimes for a different look pick up the wraps from the top, either way works)**. The first row is the only time you will only have one wrap to pick up.

Now leave this wrap you picked up on the right needle and knit the wrapped stitch like normal.

You now have the knitted stitch, then the picked up wrap on your right needle.

Now take the slipped wrapped stitch, with you left needle and pass it over the knitted stitch. Kinda how you would do a psso. And tada, you have knitted your first wrap.

Here's where the double wraps come in. While still working knit side up, slip the next stitch which has been wrapped once and wrap it again.

Now you turn your work, you will have the purl side facing you.

Purl across this row till you reach the first wrapped stitch. This side is the exact same concept, except you will be picking up the wraps from the back side of your piece. So not the side where the purl bumps are, the "knit" side. Pick up this wrap from the bottom up and again hold it on your right needle.  (above is two views of the same "pick up")

Now you are going to do the same thing you did on the other side. Hold the wrap on the right needle and this time purl the wrapped stitch. Then pass the wrap over. Now do a second wrap on the next stitch and turn.

You are going to keep doing the same thing, row after row until all the wrapped stitches are incorporated. The only change you are going to make after the first two rows is you will be picking up two wraps on each stitch instead of one. 

This is what that will look like on the purl side:

Make sure you are picking up both wraps instead of just one... and continue on purling the wrapped stitch and passing the wraps over.

And that is how I pick up the wraps on my short row heel and have no holes!

Other side

"Look mom no holes!"

Thanks again to Yahaira for the great pictures. I couldn't have shared this without her. Please let me know if I am confusing or unclear (um as I tend to ramble:) or if you have any suggestions. I hope this helps you embrace the greatness that is the short row heel. Don't fear the short row any longer! You can have a short row with out holes and without knitting 3 together...

** Remember you can pick up the wraps from the bottom, as if to knit (shown above) or from the top, as if to purl. If you pick them up from the top your heel will look like this:

Just make sure you are doing the same thing on both the knit and purl side so your heels look the same on both sides.

Comments

[Milena]

Thanks for that - there is always a way.
Love your style.

[Crys]

Thanks for the instructions and pictures. Very easy to follow.

[Mona]

Thank you very much for this, I am trying to learn toe-up socks and this is probably one of the clearest explanations of the short row heel I've seen.

Great, clear photographs! What a lifesaver!

Cheers, Mona

[Jo]

such a great site and tutorial, I'm just teaching myself socks, now that I conquered the 10 year sweater, and I was wondering what the pattern is for the lovely green socks pictured here in your tutorial??? that weaving fan pattern is amazing - care to share?? cheers and happy knitting - jo

[Jo]

P.S. I just read your about me page... my name is Joline!

[chris]

Any pointers links on how to finish a toe that is knit this way? It seems hard to avoid dog-ears.

Thanks for a great tutorial.
c

[Shelly]

Thank you for this awesome tutorial! I have successfully knit my first shot row heel!!!

[Jaden]

Thank you for sharing this tutorial!

I've used the method on my second pair of socks and it's really a nice way of working the wrapped stitches. No holes! And the edge (when picking up from the top) is really decorative. I like it. ^_~

[Nikki]

Why does everyone who does these tutorials make it hard? I slip the wrapped st to the working needle, pick the wrap(s) up with the tip of the left needle, put it with the wrapped st, slip them both (all) to the left needle and knit them. Easy.

Also, though I love short-row heels and detest heel-flap heels, I found that every pair of short-row-heel socks I knitted, the heels pulled down at the back of the foot, like they weren't long enough. I learned a trick from being on Crazy Toes & Heels yahoo group, and it works with either toe-up or top-down.

The last 6 or 8 rows before your heel, produce a mini-gusset by inc 1 st each end of the heel needle every other row until you have 6 (small sock) or 8 (normal sock) extra st on the heel needle. These extra st will allow for 6 or 8 extra short rows, preventing heel "pull."

As you finish the short rows, do a k2tog toward the right end of the heel needle and a SSK toward the left end, in the same place on each Knit pass of the short-row heel, until you are back down to the original number of st on the heel needle. This will fit the heel back to the bottom of the foot or ankle.

Nikki