Heel Flap and Gusset Heel
The heel-flap-and-gusset heel is the traditional sock heel: a thick, doubled heel flap worked flat, then a gusset that picks up stitches along the flap to rejoin the round. Slow to knit but extremely durable.
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Heel flap
Work half the stitches flat in a slip-stitch pattern (typically slip 1 / knit 1 on RS, purl all on WS) for the depth of the heel. The slipped stitches double the fabric thickness for wear resistance.
Heel turn
Work short rows across the heel flap to "turn" the heel into a cup. The traditional method uses wrap-and-turn or simple decrease-based shaping.
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Picking up the gusset
After the turn, pick up stitches along each side of the heel flap (one stitch per slip-stitch column). Resume working in the round, with the picked-up gusset stitches forming a triangle from the heel flap edge to the foot.
Decreasing the gusset
Work decreases on either side of the foot every other round until the original instep stitch count is restored. The gusset is now invisible and the foot continues straight to the toe.
Abbreviation reference
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| sl | slip purlwise |
| k | knit |
| p | purl |
Tips
- Slip stitch the first stitch of every heel-flap row for a tidy edge.
- Pick up gusset stitches in the slipped-stitch chains for cleanest results.
- For extra durability, hold a strand of nylon reinforcement thread along with the yarn for the heel flap.
In depth
The heel-flap-and-gusset heel is the most durable construction because the slipped-stitch heel flap creates a doubled fabric exactly where the foot wears against the shoe. The gusset triangle then transitions smoothly back to the foot stitch count without distortion.