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LEARN TO KNIT SQUARE OR DUTCH SOCK HEEL
There are many different sock heels and their variations, but the Square or Dutch heel is my personal favorite. It is basically what it sounds like: a square heel with a rectangular cap. It has a very nice fit and is really easy to work – there is literally no counting to be done after the setup!
I also prefer to reinforce my heel using a slip stitched pattern (both the heel flap and the cap) and it works great with this heel type. It feels comfortable and the socks last longer this way.
For this example, I’m using Regia 4-Ply yarn and 2.5mm double-pointed needles by Addi.
SHORT OVERVIEW OF THE TECHNIQUE
The idea behind the Square heel is the following:
Heel flap – work back and forth on half the total number of all stitches.
Heel turn – knit in short rows on the central third of the stitches. At the end of each row knit the last center stitch together with the next stitch. Repeat until there are only center stitches left.
Heel gusset – work in the round again. Pick up stitches along the edge of the heel flap and decrease them in every round until you have the original number of stitches.
Heel flap
The heel flap is worked on half the total number of all stitches. In this example the total number of stitches is 60, so the heel is worked on 30 stitches. The remaining half (that’s 30 stitches of the instep) is left on hold for now.
The heel is worked on the last two needles – 3 and 4. You can transfer the heel stitches onto one needle for the ease of knitting.
Now work back and forth in stockinette. You will begin on the wrong side, end on the right side.
The total number of rows worked should be equal to the number of stitches of the heel. The heel is worked on 30 stitches, so that’s 30 rows.
HEEL FLAP PATTERN:
Row 1 (WS): S1 purlwise wyif, P to end of row, Turn.
Row 2 (RS): S1 purlwise wyib, K to end of row, Turn.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 fourteen more times.
HEEL TURN
Now to the heel turn, this is the step where the cap is formed.
First, divide the stitches into 3 equal parts. In this example, 30 stitches divided by 3 is 10 stitches in each part. You can also place stitch markers between the parts.
Begin on the wrong side, end on the right side.
(Setup) Row 1 (WS): Slip the first stitch and purl to the last stitch of the central part (before the second marker). You can remove the marker now.
Purl the last stitch of the center part and the first stitch from the side part together.
Turn your work.
(Setup) Row 2 (RS): Slip the first stitch and knit to the last stitch of the central part (before the marker). You can remove the marker now.
Knit the last stitch of the center part and the first stitch from the side part together.
Turn your work.
Now you can see the center part forming clearly and you don’t even need the markers. Continue to work the center stitches, at the end of each row knit or purl the last center stitch together with the next stitch until there are only center stitches left.
HEEL TURN PATTERN:
Row 1 (WS): S1 purlwise wyif, P18, P2tog, Turn
Row 2 (RS): S1 purlwise wyib, K8, Ssk, Turn
Row 3 (WS): S1 purlwise wyif, P8, P2tog, Turn
Row 4 (RS): S1 purlwise wyib, K8, Ssk, Turn
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until there are only center stitches left.
What if the number of stitches can’t be divided into 3 equal parts? Not a problem, the important thing is for the side parts to have an equal amount of stitches:
- If you have 1 extra stitch – add it to the center part. For example, if you have a total of 62 stitches, then you are working the heel flap on 31 stitches. Divide 31 into 3 parts and you will have 10/11/10.
- If you have 2 extra stitches – add them to the side parts. For example, if you have a total of 52 stitches, then you are working the heel flap on 26 stitches. Divide 34 into 3 parts and you will have 9/8/9.
Heel Gusset
The gusset is worked in the round again.
Needle 4 (now holds 10 stitches of the heel): Pick up 15 stitches along the edge of the heel flap and 1 extra stitch in the ladder between the stitches (between the heel flap and the instep) to avoid a gap – you will pick up 16 stitches
Needle 1 and 2 (the instep): Knit to end of needle
Needle 3 (new needle): Pick up 1 extra stitch in the ladder between the stitches (between the instep and the heel flap) and 15 stitches along the edge of the heel flap – you will pick up 16 stitches. With the same needle knit the first 5 stitches from needle 4 and leave them on needle 3.
Now you have the following number of stitches on each needle:
Needles 1 and 2: 15 stitches
Needle 3 and 4: 21 stitch
At this point, you will need to decrease the stitches on needles 3 and 4 (from 21 stitches to 15 stitches on each), needles 1 and 2 are worked in pattern.
The new round begins on needle 4 – in the middle of the heel.
Needle 4: Knit before 3 last stitches, K2tog, K1
Needles 1 and 2: Knit to end of needle
Needle 3: K1, Ssk, Knit to end of needle
Repeat decreases in every round until you a the original number of stitches.
So this is how the heel looks when the gusset is finished and a couple of rows are knit in stockinette.
I hope you found the Dutch sock heel tutorial useful. Be sure to check out other knitting tutorials!
8 Comments
hello, perhaps I am reading your instructions incorrectly but I’m confused by the math when you say: “if you have a total of 68 stitches, then you are working the heel flap on 34 stitches. Divide 34 into 3 parts and you will have 23/22/23.” The total of the 3 is 68 not 34. Am I reading it wrong? when I do a dutch heel and use 68 stitches my 34 stitch flap is divided as 11/12/11. I’ve done a dutch heel many times but came across your site because somehow when I finish picking up stitches the new beginning of my round is right BEFORE the original remaining 9 stitches instead of in the centre of the heel. Ant tips/help would be so appreciated. Thank you.
Hello Michelle,
You are absolutely right, thank you for spotting my mistake – I’ve corrected the number of stitches!
How many stitches you casted on for the sock? If the beginning of the round is in the center of the heel, then after you’ve picked up the stitches from the sides you need to work the remaining half of the heel stitches – could these be those 9 stitches?
Hello, I’m trying wrap and turn unsuccessfully for stocking heel. I thought to try your more traditional heel, but am confused when you say for both heel short row knit and heel turn at end, (it’s a decrease, correct?), it seems the only center stitches are actually the remaining stitches? For heel turn it reads like you use all stitches up. Sorry, am not wanting to try a 4th time for a heel, been years since I knitted socks requiring a gusset heel.
Hi, yes, only the center stitches will remain after you’ve worked the heel. It goes like this: you divide the stitches into three parts – right-side, center, left-side, then you decrease one stitch every row – you will knit/purl 2 stitches together – one from the center part and one from the side part. Since the decrease-resulting stitch stays with the center stitches their count doesn’t change, but with every row there is one less stitch in the side-parts. And you will repeat the decreases until there are no more side parts.
Thank you for the reply!
I cast on 68. My flap is made up of 34 sts.
Hopefully I can explain what I meant :
After doing the flap I did the turn.
After ending on a WS I turn and my yarn is coming from the first stitch of the remaining 10 centre stitches. I would knit those 10 before picking up stitches from the side. So I assume that the new beginning of my round starts with that first of the centre stitches that remained after the heel turn.. but then the beginning of my round is not the centre of the heel. If I want the beginning to be centred then I would divide them into 5 and one set of picked up stitches and another 5 for the other set of picked up stitches but that would mean the first 5 would be worked twice.. I’m so sorry – this is impossible to describe so I will understand if you didn’t understand. Thank you.
No-no, you described it perfectly – I understood!:) I was trying to figure this out, but can’t think of a way to avoid knitting those stiches twice… These imperfections bug me too, but I tell myself, that they don’t really affect the result – the stitches are so tiny and don’t really add any additional leght or volume. I guess, it’s just the construstion of the heel.
Sorry, I couldn’t hekp much, but if you find an answer somewhere I’d love to hear about it!
I am working on my second pair of socks. For my first one, I did a short rows heel and found it annoying to keep having to wrap my ends and very difficult, when picking up stitches to pick up both the extra stitch and the wrap. I ended up with a lot of holes that I had to close up. This one was much easier, and I like the look.
However, since I am using self-striping yarn, the shorter rows of the flap have a very different appearance from the other rows. I’m wondering how you recommend dealing with that. For example, would you use a coordinating solid yarn, and if so, where would you switch?
You also mention “a slip stitch pattern.” I’ve seen that elsewhere, so I understand how to do it, but I haven’t seen it mentioned: do you then increase the number of rows (probably double) because you’re only working half the stitches in each row. That is, if you’re working thirty stitches, each stitch is only increased 15 times in thirty rows instead of 30 times.
Hello, these are great questions! If you are planning to use solid-color yarn, you could switch right when you start the heel flap. I have a sock pattern with contrasting heels (Sunset Safari socks), that you could use as an example. This can be found here:
https://mirellamoments.com/socks-knitting-pattern/.
I actually don’t increase the number of rows when I work the heel in the slipe-stitch pattern. It’s not really much shorter than the heel worked in stockinette, but that’s some food for thought.