All hail the Turtlegirl

Cristi in North Carolina recently e-mailed me re. heel flap math and the Diamante pattern.  She works in a LYS and had crunched the numbers for a client (a task I was too lazy busy to do for myself).  Behold, her new math for toe-up heel flaps, with her permission.  My additional comments are in red.

I've adapted the Diamante heel before, and really, it's just the basic principle of how the heel is constructed, not so much the numbers.   So, the heel cup is formed over 20 stitches in the original pattern.  Or, 1/3 of the stitches on your needle #2 after you've completed the increases for your gusset.

To figure out how many you need to increase, try it on!  Keep increasing until the sock hits the crease of the top of your ankle/foot.  I start my increases at the first bony protrusion on the inner surface of my instep and stop them at my ankle bone, if that makes sense.  I can post a photo, but not before a much-needed pedicure.

Take your final stitch count, divide by 3 and you have your heel cup #.  Do the sl1 p1 and sl1 k1 rows as directed, (16 rows total) and just follow the flow of the pattern.  Don't worry about the numbers themselves, just the gist.  Here, are the generic directions.

X is 1/3rd of the stitches you have on Needle 2 after gusset increases.

Row 1 [RS]: Work in patt to end of Needle 1 (Round 5 or Round 11 of patt); k first (2/3) sts of Needle 2. Turn work.
Even-numbered Row 2-16 [WS]: Sl 1, p(X-1). Turn work.
Odd-numbered Rows 3-15 [RS]: Sl 1, k(X-1). Turn work.
Row 17 [RS]: Sl 1, k(X-3), w&t.
Row 18 [WS]: Sl 1, p(X-5), w&t.
Row 19 [RS]: Sl 1, k(X-7), w&t.
Row 20 [WS]: Sl 1, p(X-9), w&t.
Row 21 [RS]: Sl 1, k(X-11), w&t.
Row 22 [WS]: Sl 1, p(X-13), w&t.
Row 23 [RS]: Sl 1, k(X-15), w&t.
Row 24 [WS]: Sl 1, p(X-17), w&t.
Row 25 [RS]: Sl 1, k(X-8), pick up and k 8 sts (1 st in each slipped st) along edge of flap. Turn work.
Row 26 [WS]: Sl 1, p(X+7), pick up and p 8 sts (1 st in each slipped st) along edge of flap. Turn work.

You will now have (X*3 + 16) sts on Needle 2: (X+16) heel flap sts, and X gusset sts on each side of the flap sts.

Row 27 [RS]: [Sl1, k1] to last 2 heel stitches, sl 1, ssk. Turn work.
Row 28 [WS]: Sl 1, p to 1 stitch before the end, p2tog. Turn work.
Repeat Rows 27 and 28 until all gusset stitches are eaten up. X + 18 sts on Needle 2.

Work Row 27 once more, but do not turn work. Proceed to Leg.

If you want a shorter, wider bottom flap, that can be achieved too.  Work back from the final desired stitch count for the needle (72 in the original Diamante pattern, 60 for the downsized).  The heel flap width plus the number of heel flap rows worked will equal the final number.  For example, I have lately been doing a lot of heel flaps of 24 stitches wide, 12 rows of bottom flap for a final stitch count of 36.

Want to know something else that's cool about Cristi?  If you're lucky enough to get an e-mail from this delightful ducky, her display name is...

Wait for it...

PROSTITURTLE.

That makes my day a little brighter and a little dirtier.  I like that about Cristi.

Comments

[turtlegirl76]

lol I'm just sorry I haven't had a chance to catch up on your blog since I sent you the e-mail! You crack me up.