Our beautiful color work sock is complete and now we are ready for the Afterthought Heel! Watch “Afterthought Heel – Part 2 and Part 3” Videos to finish these delightful socks. Part 2 will assist you in picking up the heel stitches and removing the waste yarn. Part 3 demonstrates picking up stitches to close the gaps and the decrease round.
Disappearing Act has the added bonus of a striped Afterthought Heel. A striped heel makes the most out of the remaining yarn yardage while giving our socks a whimsical touch. The striped heel also provides an opportunity to study knitting stripes in the round.
Many of us think of rounds of circular knitting as being like a stack of disks piled one on top of the other. Actually, rounds of knitting form a continuous spiral. Because of the spiral effect, pattern changes (such as stripes) create an interruption to the design at the beginning of the round. These “jogs” disrupt the smooth lines of stripes. Disappearing Act’s heel uses a neat little trick to soften this jog and give the stripes a seamless look. Watch my “Jogless Stripes” Video to learn how to minimize this pattern interruption. This technique is wonderful to use in any striped circular knitting project.
Tune in tomorrow for a photo of the completed socks.
Part Four
Click here to download printable version
JS (Jogless Stripe) - slip as if to purl the 1st stitch of previous color (one round below) and bring leg up to left needle. Knit both colors together. See “Jogless Stripes” Video
k2tog – knit two together. See “k2tog” Video
ssk – slip next stitch as if to knit, slip next stitch as if to knit, insert left needle into the front of these two slipped stitches from left to right and knit together. See “ssk” Video
Afterthought Heel
Note: Heel may be worked using double points, two circs or magic loop method.
See “Afterthought Heel – Part 2” Video
With toe pointed downward and using a double point or circular needle, pick up the right leg of each stitch below the waste yarn. There will be 32(36,40) stitches on this needle.
With toe pointed upward, pick up the right leg of each stitch below the waste yarn using a second double point or the circular needle after it has been pulled through the lower stitches. There will be 32(36,40) stitches on the second needle.
Carefully remove waste yarn to create opening for heel.
First 32(36,40) stitches picked up will be the “lower stitches”. Second 32(36,40) stitches will be the “upper stitches”. If using double points, divide the stitches evenly onto four needles.
See “Afterthought Heel – Part 3” Video
Work the following rounds to form striped heel. Each round is for all sizes unless indicated. The Decrease Round found in Round 2 is worked the same in all of the following decrease rounds.
1. Begin round by joining Color B to first stitch of lower stitches. Knit 32(36,40). Pick up and knit 2 stitches in gap (“ditch”) between lower and upper stitches. Knit 32(36,40). Pick up and knit 2 stitches in gap (“ditch”) between upper and lower stitches. Total of 68(76,84) stitches.
2. With Color B, work Decrease Round:
On lower stitches: k1, ssk, knit to last 3 lower stitches, k2tog, k1.
On upper stitches: k1, ssk, knit to last 3 upper stitches, k2tog, k1. 64(72,80) stitches.
3. With Color B – Decrease Round. 60(68,76) stitches.
4. With Color B – Sizes Small and Medium: knit.
Size Large: Decrease Round. 72 stitches.
5. With Color A – Decrease Round. 56(64,68) stitches.
6. With Color A – JS, knit to end of round.
7. With Color A – Decrease Round. 52(60,64) stitches.
8. With Color A – Knit.
9. With Color B – Decrease Round. 48(56,60) stitches.
10. With Color B – JS, knit to end of round.
11. With Color B – Decrease Round. 44(52, 56) stitches.
12. With Color B – Knit.
13. With Color A – Decrease Round. 40(48,52) stitches.
14. With Color A – JS, knit to end of round.
15. With Color A – Decrease Round. 36(44,48) stitches.
16. With Color A – Knit.
17. With Color B – Decrease Round. 32(40,44) stitches.
18. With Color B – JS, knit to end of round.
19. With Color B – Decrease Round. 28(36,40) stitches.
20. With Color B – Knit.
21. With Color A – Decrease Round. 24(32,36) stitches.
22. With Color A – JS, knit to end of round.
23. With Color A – Decrease Round. 20(28,32) stitches. Size Small only: cut yarn leaving an 18” tail. Close opening using Kitchener Stitch.
24. With Color A – Sizes Medium and Large: Knit
25. With Color A – Sizes Medium and Large: Decrease Round. (24,28) stitches. Cut yarn leaving an 18” tail. Close opening using Kitchener Stitch. See “Kitchener Stitch” Video
Knitting socks is a lot like childbirth.
Once you see how beautiful they are
You forget all about the labor!
©2012 Michelle Hunter
www.knitpurlhunter.com
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10 Comments
Was looking for the picture of completed sock (Michelle’s). I am glad to hear there will be new KAL’s. I have learned so much by doing the KAL. Can hardly wait to start Building Blocks, yarn should arrive anyday now.
Drat! I set the post to automatically publish while I was away and it did not. Sorry about that, but here you go!
I knit the small size socks. If I knit Part IV the leg will be too long. If I eliminate it will that disqualify me from entering the drawing? Thanks Michelle!
Pattern modifications made for size will not disqualify you. Good luck in the drawing!
Oh I am SO excited the KALs will continue! Can you give us just the tiniest hint to when the next one will start? I am a planner and kind of have projects mapped out for the next few months, and would love to be able to kind of know how to plan.
I love how you do the after-thought heel! It isn’t scary getting rid of the waste yarn when you know you’ve got the stitches securely on your needles. Thanks!
I, too, am really excited that you will be continuing the KALs. I almost did not want to open this lesson because it was to have been the last. You have no idea how thrilled I am to know that this will continue. My LYS will be happy too!
I too want to thank you and am thrilled we will be continuing. I’ve knitted every project starting with January, 2011 (knitting most more than once) and am excited to do more. Thanks again!
YEAH!!!! I am so thrilled that your KAL is continuing, Michelle! As a retired teacher, I know how much time and effort goes into this KAL – thanks so much for agreeing to continue it – I have learned so much and was quite sad today when thinking that this could be our last instalment. Have fun at Stitches West! Nancy
Thanks for the encouragement! Every KAL is a labor of love and I am so excited to bring more patterns, techniques and education your way!