No major counting. No decreases to keep track of. Just easy knitting. I mean, who doesn’t want that in a heel method for their socks?! It might sound too good to be true, but it really isn’t!
I’ve put together a step-by-step video tutorial for you as well as written instructions below. Grab your needles, whatever sock you’re working on, and let’s give this a go!
What I’m using:
Size US 1(2.25mm) circular needles (32”) for the magic loop method
KnitPicks Stroll yarn in the colorway Dove Heather
A size medium (64 total sts) sock example
KEY:
Sts – stitches
St – stitch
RS – right side
WS – wrong side
RH – right hand
LH – left hand
INSTRUCTIONS
Knit across the front of your sock and stop. The heel will be worked on the back side of your sock only, and the front stitches will hang out until we are just about done working the heel portion.
We will be working along half of the total stitches, so in this example – 32. I will be working 11 twin stitches on the sides and 10 plain knit stitches in the center. The way I’ve written this out in the video is 11 – 10 – 11. I’m a visual person and writing it in this way helps me imagine what we’re going to be doing.
If you’re working a different size sock, here a couple of examples of how you could work the numbers out:
28 sts – 10 – 8 – 10
36 sts – 13 – 10 – 13
or 12 – 12 – 12
Row 1 (RS): Knit across to the last st on the needle. With your RH needle, pick up the right leg of the stitch below and place it onto your LH needle. Knit into this new loop, and then place it back onto your LH needle. This has created a twin stitch. Turn your work.
Row 2 (WS): Purl across to the last st on the needle. Place the last stitch onto your RH needle, and then lift up the leg from the stitch below using your LH needle. Purl into this new loop, and then slip both loops back onto your LH needle. This has created a twin stitch.
Continue repeating rows 1 and 2, knitting or purling down the needle until you run into the st before the twin st, and then creating a new twin st, until you have the desired amount on each side.
RS: Knit across the center stitches until you run into the first twin stitch.
Row 1 (RS): K the first twin stitch together as 1 st. Create a triple st in the next st in same way that you made the twin sts. With your RH needle, pick up the right leg of the stitch below and place it onto your LH needle. Knit into this new loop, and then place it back onto your LH needle. You should see 3 loops now, and this is a triple st.
Row 2 (WS): Purl across until you come to the first twin stitch. Purl this twin stitch together as one, and create a triple st in the next. Place the twin stitch onto your RH needle, and then lift up the leg from the stitch below using your LH needle. Purl into this new loop, and then slip all 3 loops back onto your LH needle. This has created a triple st.
Continue in this way back and forth on each side – knitting or purling one triple st together as one and then creating a new triple st, until you have 1 triple st left on each side of the heel, ending with a purl row.
Finishing your heel: Now that you have 1 triple st left on each side, you are going to knit across the heel of your sock and knit the last triple st as one st.
Knit across the front of your sock.
Knit the last triple st as one st and continue knitting across the back of your heel.
That’s it! Easy peasy!
Let me know if you decide to give this heel method a try. I’d love to hear how it went!
Hi Holly, I’m interested in the shadow wrap short row heel. I’ve watched a couple videos, but was hoping for a written directions for it. Thanks
Hi Maribeth! I hope the directions on this post and video helped you out. This heel is a favorite and is really simple to do once you get the hang of it.
Hi Holly. Thank you for these clear instructions. Am I right that there is no gusset with this method? How do you join the front of the sock once you have finished the heel? thanks for your help with this.
Hi Betsy! You are correct – no gusset with this heel. When you’re on the last row of the right side of your work (knit side), knit across until you reach the last triple stitch. Knit those 3 loops together, and then proceed to knit across the front of your sock. There will be one triple stitch left that you’ll come around to and knit those 3 loops together when you get there. That ends the heel. Super easy! I hope this helps!
OMG thank you for explaining how to do the heal stretch! I’ve been trying to do this for so long and just couldn’t understand how to do this. Searching the web and found you tyty
Yay so glad this helped! Thanks, Liz! Happy making!
Brand new to knitting and haven’t found a heel I understood/felt comfortable with until this! Just finished my first heel and I’m obsessed! Thank you so so much for creating this tutorial!!
Yay! So excited that you found something that works for you and that you love!! Thanks so much for stopping by!
Hi,
I am looking for a shadow wrapped heel knitting in the continental way
Hello! I’m also a continental knitter so the tutorial should flow nicely for you!
I’m going to try this !! Any special steps if using a contrasting color for the heel ??!
Hi Mary! Good question! I’ve tried doing a contrasting color and it works fine – just switch colors on the first row and remember to switch back to your main color before knitting across the front of your sock. There will be that one stitch that you still need to knit together when you come back around after knitting the front of the sock, but just continue with your main color at that point. That’s what I did and it worked fine for me.
Love your instructions. The only thing, I can’t print it out. Please give instructions on how to do that. I like the way you explain it simple.
Thanks,
Lourna
Love your instructions and how easy they are to follow. I would like to print them out, but I am unable to do that. Please give instructions on how to do that. Thank you.
Lourna
Thank you so much, Lourna! I just sent you an email with the PDF version to print out. I hope that helps!
Hi Holly, thank you for the shadow wrap heel instructions, I’ll try them on my next socks – should be casting on later today!
Also thanks for the cowl pattern, I do love a cowl so will be casting that on in September.
Michele
Hello Holly,
Your instructions are super helpful. I have a bit of a problem though. I DROPPED a twin stitch knit wise. Argh! Can you please explain how to repair it without having to rip back?! Thanks so much.
Hi Nancy! Oh no! Dropping one of those twin stitches can strike fear in any knitter lol! I’m thinking that if you can locate it by following the ladders down, pull it back up along with a ladder below it as well. Then, knit through the ladder portion and place it back to mingle with the other stitch. I hope I’m making sense!