Linen Stitch Short-Row Heel, First Try

For Jim's Eagles socks, I thought I'd try working a linen stitch heel to match its linen stitch toe.

After mulling over the heel methods I know, I decided to try a short-row heel in linen stitch. I thought the first half went fairly well. I completed my arch expansion, switched to my black yarn and knit around to my end-of-round marker. (Due to the jogless joins at each color change, the marker had migrated around to almost the center of the sole.) Then, I started with the linen stitch - RS: k1, slip 1 with yarn in front; WS: p1, slip 1 with yarn in back; being sure to work the stitch that was slipped on the previous row and slip the stitch that was worked on the previous row.

The first half was:

• 1 (RS): Work to 1 stitch before end of sole, wrap & turn
• 2 (WS): Work to 1 stitch before end of sole, wrap & turn
• 3 & 4: Repeat 1 & 2, making a second wrap on the wrapped stitch

Repeat above 4 rows working 1 less stitch each set. (So, set 2: work to 2 stitches before end of sole; set: 3: work to 3 stitches before end of sole; etc.)

I did this a total of 6 times - 6 stitches double wrapped on each side and 8 unwrapped middle stitches.

Now, I ...

• Worked back across the 8 middle stitches in linen stitch
• Knit the 6 double wrapped stitches, picking up the wraps and knitting them together with the stitch
• Knit across the instep stitches to the other side of the sole
• Knit the other 6 double wrapped stitches, picking up the wraps and knitting them together with the stitch

Here I am back where I started (yellow, end-of-round marker).

I thought that looked pretty good, so then I tried the standard second half of a short row heel with my linen stitch modification.

I didn't like it at all. I ended up with a string of holes where the first set of double wraps & pick-ups matched up with the second set of double wraps & pick-ups.

I ripped back and this time I tried:

Working all the way across the heel to the edge of the sole

Wrap the first instep stitch (really a gusset stitch) and turn

Work back across to the end of the sole

Wrap and turn the first instep (gusset) stitch on this side

Now, work through to the last of the middle 8 stitches

Wrap & turn the next stitch (6th stitch from end)

Work back across the middle 8 stitches and wrap & turn the next stitch (6th stitch from end, other side)

Work back across the middle 8 stitches and wrap & turn the next stitch (6th from end) twice more (1=right side, 2=wrong side).

Now, work back across those middle 8 stitches to the double wrapped stitch (6th from end)

Knit this stitch, picking up the 2 wraps and knitting them together with the stitch by, slipping the stitch ...

... picking up the 2 wraps with the left needle ...

... slipping the stitch back to the left needle ...

... and knitting everything together ...

I'm not sure if it made a difference, but I decided to knit these through the back of the loop.

Now, wrap & turn the next stitch (5th from end)

Work back across the center 8 to the other double wrapped stitch (6th from end on other side).

(Hard to see the double wraps in this photo. Plus, I need to bring the yarn back to the front!)

Slip the stitch and pick up the wraps with the left needle ...

... purl everything together ...

... and wrap the next stitch (5th from end)

And so on and so on ... work back and forth, double wrapping the 5th stitch from the end, then knitting it together with its wraps ... same for the 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st stitch from end.

After double wrapping the last sole stitches, work across (RS) to the double wrapped stitch, knit it together with its wraps. Now, keep going and work the single wrapped instep (gusset) stitch - knitting it together with its wrap. Knit across the instep to the last instep (gusset) stitch. Knit this stitch together with its wrap and then knit the first sole stitch together with its double wraps.

Work to the end of round marker. Switch to the green yarn. Knit to last sole stitch and ssk it with the first instep/gusset stitch. Knit to last instep/gusset stitch and k2tog (with first sole stitch).

Now work all stitches in mistake rib pattern except gusset stitches. Work the first/last one together with the last/first sole stitch and knit the others. Repeat until all the gusset stitches have been decreased.

Here's the finished heel with a few rounds of green worked ...

And the finished sock ...

So, what do I think?

• First, I think the heel portion is too small. It doesn't balance properly with the toe. After working this heel, I remembered that a short row heel is usually done on half the stitches. I had worked the foot as a 24-stitch instep and a 20-stitch sole and had increased 5 stitches on each side (10 total) in my arch expansion. At a minimum, I should have done this on 22 stitches and probably more.
• Second, I think the black ring around the instep is too narrow.
• Third, I wonder if I should have done the black instep stitches in the mistake rib pattern and not stockinette stitch.

After all this, I just studied Cat Bordhi's Sweet Tomato Heel and now I'm wondering if I should try adapting that to linen stitch. Hmmm ... having never knit the STH, I should probably work it "straight" first.