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by Kelley Hobart May 12, 2018 3 min read
The heel is a part of your knit sock that takes a lot of wear, and is critical in the comfort and the fit of your sock.
To become a true sock expert we encourage you to try as many sock constructions as you can—and we're here to help you review some of the options! All of the methods we cover today were worked from the bottom up, as if you were working a toe-up sock. However, there are top-down equivalents for all of the techniques; a simple Internet search will turn up all sorts of options.
Afterthought Heel
The afterthought heel allows you to knit the
whole sock as a tube, then work the heel afterward.
Pro: It makes knitting your sock super easy—whether you're working from the toe or from the cuff 90% of your sock will just be knitting without any shaping.
Con: It's not the most comfortable heel, and has a tendency to slip off the foot. A great tutorial from The Yarn Harlot on the afterthought heel, and another one from Knitting Up A Storm.
Traditional Heel Flap
A sock with a heel flap is the classic knit sock.
You can work a slip stitch pattern on the flap
to make it even more durable.
Pro: Fits well and it's easy to customize and work a pattern on the heel.
Con: If you're working with a self striping yarn the yarn will pool on the heel. Here's a great tutorial from Miriam Felton on creating a better fitting toe-up heel flap, and here's one from Knit Better Socks on how to work a top-down heel flap.
Short-Row Heel
The short row heel is a quick and easy heel that
doesn't require a gusset. That means it'll probably be faster to knit.
The fit is usually more comfortable than an afterthought heel.
Pro: It's fast and fairly simple to work, there are many variations so you're sure to find a technique that works for you.
Con: It tends to create holes in the heel, and is less sturdy than a heel flap. Here's a detailed tutorial on working a short row heel on a top-down sock from Laura Chau. Here's a no wrap version of the short row heel from Happy Knits.
Fleegle's Heel
Fleegle's heel is a combination of the
short-row heel and the traditional heel flap.
Pro: Fleegle's heel is more subtle in look than the heel flap and provides a heel without holes.
Con: Following the directions is not for the beginner knitter, we recommend knitting a more traditional sock before trying Fleegle's heel. Here is Fleegle's guide to her toe-up no-flap, no-hassle heel, and here's a guide to working the heel from the top-down by Knitters Brewing Co.
Fish Lips Kiss Heel
The photo above is a pair of socks using the
Fish Lips Kiss Heel and Cascade Heritage Prints sock yarn.
Pro: The Fish Lips Kiss Heel has no wraps to pick up and does not use the traditional heel flap and gusset, so it's an easier and quicker heel to complete. There's also no picking up stitches for a gusset, because there's no gusset! So simple. Get the Fish Lips pattern (it's just $1) and see what you think!
Con: If you have a high arch, you still may need a heel flap to make your sock fit. Also, The Fish Lips Kiss Heel isn't quite as defined of a heel, so with some people may find it slips a bit.
Now it's time to get knitting—pick out some sock yarn and a Free Pattern, and cast on!
If you like watching videos, here is a 10 minute tutorial I did on picking up perfect stitches for the afterthought heel.
P.S. We'd love to hear about your favorite sock heel! Leave a comment below and tell us which you prefer, or if there's a heel technique we forgot.
October 05, 2016
I like use the short row shaping a lot but I have also had good success using a heel construction found in Cat Bordhi’s “Personal Footprints for Insouciant Sock Knitters.” You just have to be careful in closing your seam at the back or it will rub on the heel.
October 05, 2016
Couldn’t agree more.
October 05, 2016
The gusset on the fleegle heel has the increases going the wrong way. :P
My favorite heel was first described by Lumi in her blog as a version of the yoyo heel. It was later fleshed out by a lady on Ravelry and called the Fish Lips Kiss Heel. An excellent way to do a short row heel, eliminating holes.
October 05, 2016
Thank you for the pros and cons of each. Very helpful. But how about the fish lips heel?
October 05, 2016
Bonnie,
That’s another great heel. Maybe we need to do a part two? Cat Bordhi’s Sweet Tomato Heel is another great one that we haven’t covered yet.
October 05, 2016
You made the gusset on your fleegle heel on the wrong side. The increases should be made on the bottom half of the sock, not the top half. (same as a toe-up heel flap heel)
Also, the fleegle sock was my first sock pattern I followed and I found it very easy. Way easier than flap and short row heels I tried later. It was a great intro to sock construction.
The strong heel is the same heel, but worked top down.
October 05, 2016
Fish lips kiss heel is the way to go as far as I’m concerned!
October 05, 2016
Fish Lips Kiss Heel is my favorite!
October 05, 2016
Would love a part 2!
October 05, 2016
[…] later found this page “How to Choose Your Sock Heel” which compares a couple different heels, with images. I think I will continue to use the […]
October 05, 2016
I love the fish lips kiss heel..no holes and so far is very durable.
October 05, 2016
What about Wendy D Johnson’s heel with a difference? Where the gusset is on the bottom of your heel? Or the boot strap heel? Oh just do a part 2 and make us all very happy! :-)
October 05, 2016
I’ve been using the fish lips kiss heel lately, and love it. My very first heel was the fleegle heel, so not sure why it’s not recommended for beginner knitters (btw, my first pair of socks was my second knit project, after a shawl). I’ve also tried the heel flap, which I hated.
October 05, 2016
[…] finally, Alpaca Direct shares four different sock-heel constructions. There’s many more ways to make a sock heel, but this is a great place to start. Share your […]
October 05, 2016
German (or double stitch) short rows.
October 05, 2016
I’ve been making socks for 20+ years. The sturdiest is a flap heel in a heel stitch continued through the heel turning. I use wooly nylon to reinforce the flap. Then 1×1 ribbing under the foot until the gusset decreases are finished. The ribbing makes the sock hug the foot at the heel. This formula fits most of my family best. The one odd man out has a blocky ankle and prefers the short row, no wrap heel Percilla Gibson Roberts wrote up. Socks wear out at heels, the ball of the foot and the toes. All three can be forestalled by making sure the foot is long enough. Reknitting the foot or toe of a holey socks is much easier for me when a sock is made from the top down.
October 05, 2016
Absolutely. Fish Lips rule.
October 05, 2016
Is a fish lips kiss heel the same as a short row heel?
October 05, 2016
[…] Sock knitters, take note! Here is a mini guide on choosing your perfect knitted sock heel, for either toe up or cuff down. Pinterest link is here, and the original post is here. […]
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by Meg Bateman January 02, 2022 1 min read
Do you feel lost when it comes to picking out your first knit sweater pattern? This week, Kelley shared her favorite sweater patterns during Technique Tuesday. These patterns all feature minimal seaming, have detailed instructions, and have lots of completed projects on Ravelry!
Kelley has knit the Brick Sweater several times, and has decided to knit it again with all our Technique Tuesday viewers! Grab some worsted weight yarn and join us for this informal knit along.
by Meg Bateman January 02, 2022 1 min read
by Meg Bateman January 02, 2022 1 min read
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Sandy
October 05, 2016
Fish Lips Kiss Heel