However, I did make a modification in order to get a more natural curve to the heel. Instead of dividing the stitches into thirds as instructed here, I divided the stitches into quarters. When knitting the first half of the heel, I repeat the pattern until my knitting is divided as:
– one quarter double stitches on the left,
– one half plain sts in the middle + 1 extra stitche
– one quarter double stitches on the right, except 1 st short.

Then on the second half of the heel, instead of knitting across 2/3 of the heel sts, I knit across 3/4, and then on the first WS row, I “…P back [half of the heel sts, minus the one you slipped]…”

In the example given below that, in a 36 st heel:
“First knit across 3/4 of the sts = 27 sts. Leave 9 sts of the heel unworked on the left side.
Turn and use 1 st to make the WS double st, the purl pack over (2/4 of the heels sts -= 1) = (18 sts – 1) = 17 sts.
Now 9 sts on the right sid eof the heel also remain unworked. Turn.”

For me, using these dimensions resulted in a heel that had a more natural curve and a better fit. The thirds method resulted in a heel that had a “sharp” curve.

I looked at the video provided by Sara (#52) and the difference appears to be that she is knitting back instead of turning. The key in her video, just as in the instructions here, is the placement of the yarn end before slipping the stitch, which allows it to pull up the stitch from the row below, creating the double stitch.

I also want to try the re-inforced double stitch heel mentioned by Kath (#53).

But I love this Double-Stitch Short Row method (yo-yo/jo-jo/whatever), and I will continue to use it until I find something that works better. Thanks for posting this!

First of all, I guess I don’t know how much it matters about exactly which is the first round of the foot. You just have to keep in pattern, if you are working a pattern. Thus, if I am working a 4-round repeat, and I start the heel after I do round 4 on the instep sts, then I would do rounds 1 and 2 of the pattern on the instep when I work the 2 rounds around the sock halfway through the heel, and would resume with round 3 of the pattern on the instep sts after the heel is complete.

I dislike the “needle 1, needle 2″ nomenclature and I never use it. It makes far more sense to me to think in terms of the knitting and the stitches — heel sts, sole sts, instep sts, etc. But basically, a sock gets divided in half at the heel and the heel is worked on one half, which becomes the sole, and the instep is the other half, as what I think you are saying. If you are working top-down, it may or may not matter which needle the heel starts on, if the pattern around the leg is the same all the way around. And if their instructions has you knitting the patterned instep on the same sts as the heel, well, then I agree there is something funny going on there. But I don’t have the same leaflet so it’s hard to figure out what they intended, or if it is a misprint or mistranslation or whatever.

However, you talk about purling back on “one side” of the heel to get to needle 4 — so it sounds to me like when the heel is finished, you end up in the middle of the heel, not at one side. This is pretty different from what I have seen and the instructions I give above. So maybe it is not exactly the same heel after all.

If I understand it all properly, though, and I was in the middle of the heel when all was said and done, I would probably simply work one additional needle (whatever number it is) and then I would be at the side of the heel, ready to work the instep sts in whatever pattern st, and begin working in the round again.

There is also a re-inforced version of the double stitch heel. This does not include the two rows that go all around the heel at the pivot point of the heel. The advantage to this is that the pattern isn’t broken up and it is stronger. Both versions appear in the sock knitters workshop book

In the original pattern it says “Work the jojo-heel in rows in stst over sts on needles 4 and 1. Divide heel stitches in three parts (= 10 stitches each part), then work short rows with double stitches from outside to inside.
1st row (Rs): K all stitches on needles 4 and 1, turn.”

Someone else mentions in your comments this thing about knitting stitches on needles 4 and one. The difficulty is that the yarn is ready to knit at needle one and not needle 4. I did what you suggested and started at needle 1 and going on to needle 2 for the heel stitches. I don’t think this can be right though as the pattern also says

“Work basic patt so that sts on needles 2 and 3 are continued subsequently in patt g on top of foot, while sts on needles 1 and 4 are worked in stst at the end of heel.” It gives suggestions for what the pattern might be other than ss all around. If the pattern IS all ss then there is no problem but if there is also a pattern on the front of the sock – on needles 2 and 3, then those heel stitches do indeed need to be on needles four and one if the pattern is not to be messed up. I don’t think therefore it is a problem in misreading the pattern or that it doesn’t matter which needles you start the heel on.

So the question remains, how are you supposed to get to needle four? If you purl back that will take you up a level on one side of the heel. The only solution seems to break the yarn. I do have an old pattern that does that, which seems very off putting. Perhaps you are meant to do that?

I have only made one pair of socks – with a heel flap, so am easily confused! I would be interested to know if you have any thoughts.