Toe-Up Gusset Heel

In today’s video we take a look at a toe-up gusset and heel flap heel. You can work a heel flap and gusset on a toe-up sock exactly the same way as for cuff-down. The heel will look “funny,” though, since it will be upside-down. But it would fit fine! Instead, however, there is a way to work a toe-up heel flap and gusset that looks more like one would expect.

Here’s the video:

If you’d like to try this heel out, here’s a tutorial pattern to try:

Work Sock Heel Homework first (found here), or work from a prior heel in the series.

Setup Rnd: K20, pm, knit to end of rnd, pm.

Gusset

Rnd 1: Knit to marker, sm, k1, LLI, knit to 1 st from end, LRI, k1. 2 sts increased.

Rnd 2: Knit.

Rep Rnds 1 and 2 until you have 60 sts on the needle. Place removeable markers 10 stitches in on either side of the sole – marking 10, 20, 10 stitches on heel and sole side.

Heel Turn

Setup: Knit to first marker, sm, knit to second marker, sm.

Row 1 (RS): K18 across heel, w&t.

Row 2 (WS): Purl to 2 sts before marker, w&t.

Row 3 (RS): Knit to one st before wrapped st, w&t.

Row 4 (WS): Purl to one st before wrapped st, w&t.

Repeat Rows 3 and 4 four more times. Six sts wrapped on each side of heel turn.

Final RS Row: K6, knit across wrapped stitches, concealing wraps (to hide them), until last wrapped st, conceal wrap and ssk the wrapped stitch with the next stitch. Turn. 59 sts.

Final WS Row: Slip 1, purl to first wrapped st, conceal wraps across to last wrapped stitch, conceal wrap and p2tog the wrapped stitch with the next stitch. Turn. 58 sts.

Heel Flap

Row 1 (RS): Slip 1, knit across to 1 st before marker, ssk, removing marker, turn. 57 sts.

Row 2 (WS): Slip 1, purl across to 1 st before marker, p2tog, removing marker, turn. 56 sts.

Row 3: Slip 1, knit to 1 st before gap, ssk, turn. 1 st dec

Row 4: Slip 1, purl to 1 st before gap, p2tog, turn. 1 st dec

Rep Rows 3-4 six more times. 42 sts

Next Rnd: Slip 1, knit to 1 st before gap, ssk, k1, sm, knit across instep, sm, k1, k2tog, knit to end of sole. 40 sts

Work 6 rnds in stockinette st to give separation for next heel. Remove all markers.

Leave sts on the needle for the next heel.

LLI – left lifted increase. Using left needle, from behind, pick up left leg of stitch two rows below first st on right needle, then knit into it.

LRI – right lifted increase. Using right needle, knit into right leg of stitch below first st on left needle.

w&t – wrap and turn – with yarn forward, slip next st purlwise to RH needle, move yarn back, slip st back to LH needle, turn work. Move yarn to back between the needles if you are now on a RS row.

concealing wraps – On knit side, insert RH needle under wrap from front and into st that was wrapped, knit the wrap and the st together. On purl side, insert RH needle under wrap from the backside and lift it onto the LH needle. Purl the wrap and the st together.