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Heel and Toe Formulas

3/1/2008

14 Comments

 
Have you ever wanted to know how to turn a heel and finish a toe on any number of cast on stitches? If you find yourself knitting socks without a pattern in front of you, the following heel and toe methods work for any size socks.
The formulas are included in this overview of how to knit a sock. If you just want the heel and toe formulas, scroll down to the yellow boxes.​

If you are using a 4ply sock yarn (such as Regia, Fortissima, Opal, etc...), use 2.0mm - 2.5mm double pointed needles (set of 5). Cast on loosely the desired number of stitches and join into a round. Generally for women's socks 60 - 64 sts should work, and for men's 68 - 72 sts. However, you may need to cast on more or less depending on the foot size. As long as the number of stitches is divisible by 4, the heel and toe methods will work. Click for the Channel Island Cast on - a stretchy cast on method.
Cuff: Knit 2X2 ribbing (k2, p2) or 1X1 ribbing for approx. 2".
Leg: Knit stockinette stitch (knit every round) for desired length.
Heel flap: Knit half of your stitches onto 1 needle (the heel flap stitches) - so if you have 72 sts total, 36 stitches will be on one needle for the heel flap, and the other 36 will be left on the other needles to be worked on later (the instep stitches).
Work back and forth across the heel flap stitches using this stitch pattern - Row 1: sl 1, k1, sl 1, k1...across the row. Row 2: slip the first stitch and then purl across the row.
Picture
Working the heel flap stitches
Picture
Working the heel flap - the reverse side. The stitches on the other needles are left alone - these will be the instep stitches.
Repeat rows 1 and 2 until you have knit approximately the same number of rows as you have heel flap stitches (ie. if you are working across 36 heel stitches, do 36 rows). OR knit until you can fold the heel flap in half diagonally, and one side meets the other side.
Picture
Completed heel flap
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Folded diagonally one side meets the other, therefore the flap is long enough.
Now you are ready to turn the heel! The following method can be used for any size sock.
Turning the heel:
  1. Knit to the middle of the row, k2, ssk, k1, turn.
  2. Next row: sl 1, p5, p2tog, p1, turn.
  3. **sl 1, knit to within first st from gap, ssk, k1, turn.
  4. sl 1, p to within first st from gap, p2tog, p1, turn**
  5. Repeat from ** to ** until all heel sts are used up. Simple!

ssk = slip, slip, knit 2 slipped sts together
Picture
Picture
Gusset: Knit half of the heel stitches. Rounds now start in the middle of the heel flap. Knit remaining heel stitches with needle 1, pick up one stitch in each of the slipped edge stitches along the heel flap, and 1 additional stitch where heel flap and instep join. Knit across the instep stitches (needles 2 and 3). Pick up and knit one stitch where instep and heel flap join and one stitch in each slipped stitch along the other edge of the other side of the heel flap, work remaining stitches left from heel flap (needle 4). Needles 1 and 4 should have the same number of stitches. Knit one row.
Picture
Picture
*Next row: Knit to last 2 stitches on needle 1, k2tog. Work instep stitches on needles 2 & 3. On needle 4 ssk, knit to end. Work 2 rounds of plain knitting. Repeat from * until 1/4 of the original number of stitches are left on each needle. For example, if you casted on 72 sts, you would stop decreasing when there are 18 sts on each needle.
Foot: Continue in plain knitting until foot is desired length, leaving about 2" for the toe decrease.
Now you are ready to decrease for the toe. Again, this method will work for any size sock! Plus, with this method you don't have to graft.
​The Star Toe
Round 1: K2tog the last 2 sts on every needle.
Round 2: Knit
Work these 2 rounds 6 times, then round 1 until 8 sts remain. Thread yarn through remaining sts and pull tight, darn in end.
Picture
14 Comments
Margaret
7/6/2020 04:41:18 am

This is the first patern of how to knit a sock pattern that I have been able to follow. Thank you so very much.

Reply
Jasmine Wilson
7/26/2020 06:16:00 pm

Brilliant! Just what I wanted to know. You have answered so many of my questions.

Reply
Linda Gepper
8/30/2020 09:31:48 am

I am soooo happy to finally understand how to make a sock! Thank You! Love this!

Reply
Norma Bishop
5/14/2021 09:55:47 am

Thank YOU! I've been knitting socks for quite a while, but this is the most concise, clearest explanation of the heel and gusset process I've seen. (I'm a Canadian citizen living in the Pacific Northwest U.S. and hope to be able to visit NS in the future. I will definitely visit your shop. And I'll look into ordering online.

Reply
Heather link
5/14/2021 10:34:16 am

You are so welcome, that is great to hear.

Reply
Dianne R
10/6/2021 03:02:10 am

Thank you so much for your concise explanation of sock knitting. I am making a mother-daughter set of socks for a gift and was having difficulty converting the adult pattern to a child size. Your article is very helpful.

Reply
Mary
1/2/2022 10:03:30 am

Thank you for your clear explanations. This was very easy to follow and makes a great template for future sock knitting projects.

Reply
Heather link
1/3/2022 05:03:02 am

You are very welcome! Happy to hear that it is helpful. I use it with nearly all of my socks

Reply
jane
1/28/2022 02:34:09 am

thank you so much for this! i'm going to try the star toe on my next pair of socks. i do one st st row between the decrease rows of the gusset, but you do two - how does this affect the fit of the sock? thanks!

Reply
Heather Tunnah link
1/28/2022 05:40:12 am

Hi Jane, I am glad that you like the star toe, I use it all the time on my socks.
To answer the question re the gusset, it will just make the instep section shorter if you do it every other row instead of every 2. This may not be a problem for you depending on the foot it is meant to fit. I highly recommend the book Custom Socks by Kate Atherley if you want to get really technical about the fit of socks. It is a great book.
Happy sock knitting! Heather

Reply
Paula M Mazzarino
2/20/2022 03:11:46 pm

Scoured the internet in search of usable directions for the heel turn. I had finished the heel in minutes after finding your 5 step directions.
Thank you. Tonight I can finish a promised Christmas gift.

Reply
Heather link
2/21/2022 05:00:13 am

Thank you for letting us know, that is very good to hear. I use it myself for all sizes of socks. Happy Knitting! 🧶

Reply
Carolina Mountford
3/14/2022 05:03:22 pm

I was looking for specific help on heel flap and turn for a child's sock and I found it. Thank you so much. I can't say I understand the star toe as I knit on two circular needles not DPNs... is it doable on circulars?

Heather link
3/15/2022 07:28:12 am

Thanks for the feedback. Basically when you do the star toe you are doing 4 decreases on each decrease round. They are equally spaced, so if you have 16 stitches on each of your 2 needles you would place a marker after the first 8 stitches on each needle. After that you decrease at the start of the needle and after your marker.
I hope that this makes sense! I do magic loop and that is how I handle them.

Reply



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