French Heels and Toes - one up, one down

When I went to my mum's house over Christmas she gave me a copy of Weldon's Practical Guide to Fancy Work.  She had found it in my Nan's old house as she was clearing it out when my Nan moved, but it probably belonged to one of my Great Aunt's as it was printed in 1924, when my Nan would have just been 9.  It was unlikely to have been my Great Nan's as by all accounts she was a formidable woman who tended to get her daughters to do most of the work around the house.

The book is a treasure trove of knitting, tatting, crochet and needlework; but also rug making, poker work and iron work.  I doubt I will be able to give everything in the book a try, you can no longer easily get the materials or equipment for some of the crafts.  But I want to try as much as I can.

As well as the general knitting section, there is a section devoted to stocking knitting.  This seemed like a good place to start.  There are a few specific patterns ("Sock for child of three" and "Ladies plain stocking knit on two needles") but the bulk of the chapter is an explanation of the various ways of shaping heels and toes.

In those days, socks were knitted cuff down and often with a seam stitch to mark the centre back.  I prefer to knit toe up - I like my socks long and I like to keep going up the leg until I run out of wool!!  To figure out the toe up I decided I would knit one sock cuff down, according to Weldon's instructions, making my own notes, then the other toe up.  What follows is the original instructions, then my version of the cuff down instructions, and finally my translation to toe up.  The socks are not identical, and of course if you do make one of each kind then your stripes will be upside down on one – but it is a good exercise in thinking about how heels work.

The socks are a little big for me (I'm a UK size 5 with narrow feet and skinny legs (skinny at the bottom, anyway!).  This is my first attempt at writing down a pattern, so please, please let me know if there's any errors or anything the isn't clear.

It goes without saying that there is no design copyright in these socks, feel free to make them to sell or whatever.  If you do want to use my version of the instructions  please credit me and link back to the blog.  Thanks!  Cathy xxx

Weldon's:

French Heel

Known as a Round and Gusset Heel

This is considered a very pretty heel, and being wider at the top than any other, is especially suitable for a high instep.  Knit exactly as directed for a Dutch heel, till you have accomplished the number of rows required for flap. [Note - the instructions for the Dutch heel basically begin with your knitting a heel flap on half your stitches.  You slip the first stitch of any row and knit as many rows as there are stitches in the heel flap.  The heel flaps in the book are all in plain stockingette with the centre back stitch purled on knit rows]

To "turn" the heel, slip the 1st stitch, knit plain to the seam stitch, knit that, and 1 stitch more, slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over, knit 1; turn, slip 1st stitch, purl 4, purl 2 together, purl 1; turn, slip 1, knit 5, slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over, knit 1; turn, slip 1, purl 6, purl 2 together, purl 1; turn, slip 1, knit 7, slip 1, knit 1, p[ass slipped stitch over, knit 1; turn, slip 1, purl 8, purl 2 together, purl 1; and continue thus, working 1 more stitch each time, till all side stitches are knitted in; the last row will be a purl row.  This done, proceed for the gussets as detailed in the instructions appended to the Dutch heel [note – the gussets for the Dutch heel are as follows – pick up and knit all the loops on each side of the heel flap (you can pick up extra if you think it needed) .  Decrease 1 stitch at either end of foot every third row].

French toe:

This is a pretty toe, but rather short; due allowance must therefore be made for it in knitting the foot. The stitches are to be equally divided upon three needles, with the first stitch of first needle exactly in centre of foot.  1^ST ROUND – Knit 1, slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over, knit to within 3 stitches of end of needle, knit 2 together, knit 1, work similarly upon ach of the other two needles. 2^ND ROUND – Plain. Repeat these two rounds till the toe is reduced to 12 stitches; place them equally upon two needles and cast off [ Cathy’s note – make sure your toe is the right way round!!  I grafted to avoid a toe seam.]

Cuff down sock instructions

Cast on 52 st

Knit 5cm of 1:1 rib (k1p1)

knit plain until leg is sufficiently long.

Heel flap:

k26.  Turn. 

sl 1, p25. turn

sl 1, k25. turn

repeat last 2 rows 12 more times (26 rows in heel flap in total)

Turning the heel:

turn.  sl1, k13, skpsso, k1

turn.  sl1, p4, p2tog, p1

turn.  sl1, k5, skpsso, k1

turn.  sl1, p6, p2tog, p1

turn.  sl1, k7, skpsso, k1

turn.  sl1, p8, p2tog, p1

turn.  sl1, k9, skpsso, k1

turn.  sl1, p10, p2tog, p1

turn.  sl1, k11, skpsso, k1

turn.  sl1, p12, p2tog, p1

Turn, sl1, k across heel flap (16 st?), pick up and knit the slipped stitches on the side of the heel flap (12 st, although you may want to pick up an extra one), k instep (26 st), pick up and knit 12 st on other side of heel flap.

Knit plain to beginning of round (start of foot)

Gusset decreases

K1, skpsso, k to last 3 st of foot, k2tog, k1, k instep plain

k 2 rounds plain

repeaat these 3 rounds until 52 st remain in total - 26 on foot, 26 on instep

K plain until 6 cm shorter than desired finished length.

K 12 (almost to centre of foot).  K2tog [note - this is just to make your stitch count divisible by 3, if you start with a different stitch count then you might not need this, or you might even make one to get the stitch count up].  Divide stitches equally onto three needles, 17 on each needle. 

on each needle k1, skpsso, k to last 3 st, k2tog, k1

k round plain

repeat these 2 rounds until 15 stitches remain. 

on each needle k1, skpsso, k to end of needle

Arrange stitches on 2 needles (making sure you have them straight) and Kitchener/graft the toe.

Toe up sock instructions

CO 12 with Judy's magic cast on.

k12, arranging the st equally onto 3 needles (4 per needle)

K1, M1L, k to end of needle

k plain

on each needle k1, m1L, k to last st, m1R k

rep last two rounds until 17 st per needle, 51 in total

k1, m1L on first needle only, K other needles plain - 52 st total

Rearrange st onto 4 needles, 13 on each needle (if using DPNs.  if preferred you can wait until immediately before gusset increases)

K until 10.5cm short of desired foot length.

Gusset increases

needle 1 - start of the foot - k1, m1L, k

needle 2 - k to last st, m1R, k

needles 3 and 4 knit plain.

Do this increase round every three rounds (note - I forgot when making the test sock and did it every other round, it wasn't the end of the world but I have little feet).  Continue until 68 st in total, 21 each on needles 1 and 2, 13 each on 3 and 4.

Turn heel

K 27 m1L.

Turn, sl1, p11, m1R

Turn, sl1, K10, m1L

turn, sl1, p9, m1R

Turn, sl1, K8, m1L

turn, sl1, p7, m1R

Turn, sl1, K6, m1L

turn, sl1, p5, m1R

Heel flap

k15 ssk turn

sl1, p24, p2tog, turn

sl1, k24, ssk, turn

Repeat last two rows until 26 heel st, 52 in total.

Your heel is now turned and you can knit plain up the leg for as long as you like.  5 cm short of desired leg length, switch to k1p1 rib.  Cast off loosely .