The square turn heel is a great alternative for knitters who love to make flap and gusset style sock heels but find the fit of a traditional French turn heel to be too big.
Thanks to Skacel for providing the yarn and needles used in this tutorial. These products are available locally at many yarn shops and online at Makers' Mercantile.
Before You Begin
The heel flap for a square heel can be worked exactly the same as for the standard French heel. Basically, the flap is worked back and forth in rows, across half of the sock stitches, usually for as many rows as there are stitches across.
However, instead of creating a trapezoidal turn heel at the bottom of the heel, the square turn heel is... well square! Also, since the turn heel is narrower than the French heel, the first round of the gusset has fewer stitches, the gusset ends up being much shorter and there isn't quite as much fabric where your ankle meets your foot. So, this heel turning technique can be a better fit for folks with average to small insteps.
Materials
- Cobasi by HiKoo Yarn
- addi bamboo FlexiFlips needles
- Clover Quick Locking Stitch Markers
Square Turn Heel
Recommended Pattern
Ready to try this technique in a pattern? The Riptide Socks Pattern has videos to help you learn more about:
- Channel Island CO
- DPN Tips for Tracking Rounds
- Square Turn Heel
- Avoiding Heel Flap Gap
- Spiral Sock Toe