THE HEEL FLAP

THE HEEL FLAP

YOUR STITCHES ARE ALREADY DIVIDED EQUALLY ON YOUR TWO NEEDLES: (COLUMN “D”).
YOU WILL WORK BACK AND FORTH ON ONE NEEDLE ONLY TO FORM THE HEEL FLAP. (IF YOU ARE USING DOUBLE POINTED NEEDLES, YOU WILL HAVE TO ADJUST YOUR STITCHES AS IN THE SOCK CHART INSTRUCTIONS.)
THE HEEL FLAP WORKS OUT TO BE A SQUARE – YOU WORK AS MANY ROWS AS YOU HAVE STITCHES! (COLUMN “E”).

THE STITCH THAT YOU USE FOR THE HEEL FLAP IS A MATTER OF PREFERNCE, THOUGH THE MOST COMMON STITCH IS ONE THAT IS STRONG AND ELASTIC:

ROW 1: K 1, SL(SLIP) 1 ACROSS.

ROW 2: PURL ACROSS.

YOU REPEAT THESE TWO ROWS FOR THE DESIRED LENGTH. THE NUMBER OF ROWS ARE EASY TO COUNT WITH THIS STITCH BECAUSE EVERY “SLIPPED STITCH” IS LARGE AND COUNTS FOR 2 ROWS, SO AS YOU COUNT YOUR BIG SLIP STITCHES UP, YOU CAN COUNT BY TWO’S.

ANOTHER OPTION IS TO WORK THE HEEL FLAP IN STRAIGHT STOCKINETTE STITCH.

THIS IS A HANDY WAY TO DO IT IF YOU WANT TO WORK A LITTLE MOTIF ON THE HEEL (HEART, FLOWER). IT LOOKS FUN WITH BACKLESS SHOES.

YOU CAN WORK THE FIRST STITCH ON EACH HEEL ROW IN A SLIP STITCH, TO MAKE IT A LITTLE EASIER TO PICK UP STITCHES ALONG THE SIDE OF THE HEEL LATER
-OR-
YOU CAN WORK THE FIRST AND LAST (ONE OR TWO) STITCH (ES) IN GARTER STITCH. THIS MAKES THEM EASY TO PICK UP ALSO.

WHEN YOUR HEEL FLAP IS DONE, YOU ARE READY TO TURN YOUR HEEL!