What is an afterthought heel?

An afterthought heel is a method of knitting socks that allows you to essentially knit the entire sock as a continuous tube, and go back and do the heel at the end (as an "afterthought").

Some versions of the afterthought heel involve cutting your knitting, so that when you are working the rest of your sock, you don't have to decide in advance where the heel is going to be. The version used in Pacific Knit Co. patterns calls for using waste yarn to hold the heel stitches - no cutting, but you do have to know where the heel is going to go.

When to use it

This method of waiting until the end of the project to knit the heel is great for any knitter who just wants to keep going with their circular needle, with minimal pausing to work a heel. Whether you are just in the zone, or want to ensure your self-striping yarn isn't interrupted, or just want to procrastinate heel shaping - this is a great method to postpone the fiddly part of the sock until later.

Doodle patterns that use this technique

The Base Doodle Top-Down Sock utilizes an afterthought heel. 

Sock construction techniques (cuffs, heels, toes) can be swapped out for others in many patterns, so it's good to learn a couple of different ways to do things to find which one you like best! Then you can use your favorite method again and again!

If you want to learn different heel construction methods, check out our posts about the Short Row Heel and the Gusset Heel!

INSTRUCTIONS

The difference between knitting top-down and toe-up sock heels: With afterthought heels, it's exactly the same! These instructions don't need any modifications no matter which direction you are knitting your sock!

MATERIALS

You'll need your sock + waste yarn and DPNs.

PLACING THE AFTERTHOUGHT HEEL

Placing an afterthought heel involves knitting a portion of your stitches onto waste yarn. This holds the stitches in the rows below AND above the waste yarn live, so you can come back and add the heel shaping later.

You'll see this as the pink stripe of waste yarn on the sock below. It's a good idea to use a waste yarn that stands out from your main sock, so that it's easier to see when you pick it up later.

Step 1: Using waste yarn, knit half of your total working stitches. (i.e. if your sock is 72 sts around, your afterthought heel will be 36 sts).

Step 2: Slip the waste yarn stitches back onto your left needle.

Step 3: Continue working your project per the pattern. You'll knit back over the waste yarn stitches with your main project yarn, and then continue working in the round.

Pro tip: Leave a nice tail on either end of the waste yarn stitches, so the waste yarn doesn't go anywhere!

PICKING UP THE AFTERTHOUGHT HEEL

When you are ready to go back and knit the afterthought heel, you'll need to get the stitches from the waste yarn back onto needles.

Step 1: Using a DPN, pick up the stitches in the row below the waste yarn. Repeat with the stitches in the row above your waste yarn, using a second DPN. (You can turn your sock around to pick up the second set of stitches, if this helps!)

Step 2: Once all the main yarn stitches are back on your DPNs, use a tapestry needle (or similar) to pull the waste yarn out of your knitting.

Step 3: Join the yarn you will use to knit the heel, knit across the first DPN, and pick up 2 stitches in the corner.

Step 4: Knit across the second DPN, and pick up 2 stitches in the other corner.

Step 5: Knit 1 round in stockinette.

WORKING THE AFTERTHOUGHT HEEL

Round 1: *K 1, ssk, knit to 3 sts before end of the needle, k2tog, k 1. Repeat across second needle. [4sts dec'd]

Round 2: Knit all stitches across the round.

Repeat Rounds 1 & 2 until there are approx. 1/3 of the stitches left on the needle (i.e. if you picked up 36 sts on each needle, repeat until you have 12 sts left on each needle) or until your pattern directs you to graft.

Break your yarn, leaving a long tail (this will be used to graft the remaining stitches together).

GRAFTING THE REMAINING STS

Ensure that there is an equal number of stitches on both needles.

Holding the two DPNs parallel in your left hand, use a tapestry needle to graft remaining stitches together using the following steps and secure yarn end. (for detailed instructions, see our full tutorial on Grafting).

Grafting: Pull yarn all the way through for each step:

1. Insert tapestry needle knitwise into first stitch on front needle. Remove from needle.
2. Insert tapestry needle purlwise into second stitch on the front needle. Do not remove from needle.
3. Insert tapestry needle purlwise into first stitch on back needle. Remove from needle.
4. Insert tapestry needle knitwise into second stitch on back needle. Do not remove from needle.

Rep steps 1-4 until all sts have been grafted together.

That's it - now you have completed your Afterthought Sock Heel!

Happy Doodling!

 

Blog co-written by Jamie Lomax and Grey Lundy. Yarn used is by Fangirl Fibers.