DIY Network

Cuff and Heel Flap Cuff and Heel Flap From "Knitty Gritty" episode DKNG-204

Let our "sock treatment" help you overcome your knitting anxieties!

Socks are fun knitting projects because they're small and portable and they work up fast. But they can be intimidating for a novice knitter who's unaccustomed to working with double-pointed needles. Today's guest hopes to change all that. She's knitting expert Karen Baumer, and she has a wealth of sock-knitting tips to share as she demonstrates knitting a pair of women's size-medium (8" around the foot and 9" from heel to toe) socks.

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Materials
2 balls Berroco Pleasure (130 yds/120 m per 50g ball; 66 percent Angora, 29 percent Merino wool, 5 percent nylon).*
U.S. size 7 (4.5mm) needles, one set of five double-pointed needles
Tapestry needle, scissors

Note: Remember that many yarns are seasonal and could be discontinued. If the specific yarn called for is not available, purchase a substitution yarn that comes closest to the specified gauge in your pattern. And be sure to make that all-important swatch to see whether the yarn works for your particular pattern.

Gauge: 5 sts and 7.5 rows per inch in stockinette st in the round on U.S. size 7 needles.

Note: Socks are typically knit at a tighter gauge and on smaller needles than what is recommended on the ball band of your yarn. If substituting yarn for this pattern, look for a recommended gauge of approximately 4 sts per inch on U.S. size 9 or 10 needles.

	Cuff and heel flap (to see a step-by-step demo, click on the video link below)...
	Media Watch the Video
	Completed heel flap

Abbreviations
Sl slip
RS right side
WS wrong side
K2tog knit 2 together
P2tog purl 2 together
SSK "slip, slip, knit" (slip 1 st knitwise, slip next st knitwise, insert left needle tip into the 2 slipped sts and knit them together using your right needle -- one stitch decreased)
tbl through back loop
Most socks have the same number of stitches around the cuff and foot section. One way to determine the number of stitches to cast on is to measure around the widest part of the foot, usually the ball, and then multiply that number (in inches) by your stitch gauge. Then subtract 10 percent to 15 percent from that number so the socks have a snug fit.

Cuff
Loosely cast on 40 sts and divide evenly among four of the needles. Work 2x2 rib (K2, P2) for 2-1/2". Stop at the end of a completed round.

Heel Flap
Row 1 (RS): [Sl 1, K1] across the next 20 sts with a single needle and turn, leaving remaining 20 sts live and resting on their needles.
Row 2 (WS): Sl 1, then P to end.
Set aside the extra empty needle you've just generated and continue working this section back and forth with two needles as in "normal" flat knitting. The instep sts remain unworked and resting on their needles.
Repeat rows 1 and 2 until flap is approximately 2.75" long, ending with a RS row.

RESOURCES :
Berroco Pleasure yarn
Berroco Inc.
Check Website for local retailers.
Website: www.berroco.com

GUESTS :
Karen Baumer
E-mail phibetakitten@gmail.com