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 1^st 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!

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Coming Soon!

Progressive Needles Knit Along continues…

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I trust you are gaining speed and ease in two-color/two-handed knitting with the completion of Part Two. Part Three concludes the sock all except for the Afterthought Heel.

Some of you have placed the waste yarn for the heel in Section II of the design. Today’s clue reveals Section III and IV allowing everyone to finish the foot and leg while knitting the waste yarn in its proper location for the anticipated heel. As a reminder, the waste yarn should be placed 2 ¼” from the end of the foot. It is very important to place the waste yarn at the conclusion of an odd numbered round so that the stitches above the waste yarn will be in a solid color. I have included the instructions for the waste yarn placement again in this post for your convenience.

Enjoy the pattern as the main color disappears into the contrasting color!

Part Three

Click here to download printable version

Foot/Leg

IMPORTANT: Continue to work Foot, maintaining two-color design (below), until it measures 2 ¼” less than desired length ending after an odd numbered round.

Place waste yarn for Afterthought Heel as follows:

K32(36,40) with waste yarn. Return these stitches to the left hand needle. Continue knitting in established design pattern beginning with an even numbered row. See “Afterthought Heel – Part 1” Video

After inserting the waste yarn, the remaining rounds will form the leg.

Section III – Work these 4 rounds 8(7,6) times.

Round 1. *1A, 1B; repeat from * to end of round.

Round 2. Knit B.

Round 3. *1B, 1A; repeat from * to end of round.

Round 4. Knit B.

Section IV – Work these 4 rounds 8(7,6) times.

Round 1. *3B, 1A; repeat from * to end of round.

Round 2. Knit B.

Round 3. 1B, 1A, *3B, 1A; repeat from * to last 2 stitches, 2B.

Round 4. Knit B.

Cuff

Using Color B, decrease as follows: *K6(7,8) k2tog; repeat from * to end. 56(64,72) stitches.

Continuing with Color B, work a k2, p2 rib for 8 rounds.

Bind off using Sewn Bind Off Method. See “Sewn Bind Off” Video

STOP!

Next week’s final clue brings the Afterthought Heel. Because I will be traveling to Stitches West next week, the last clue will be released on Wednesday, February 22. Happy knitting!

Tag: Disappearing Act

Disappearing Act – Part 4