Verra's Notebook

Why I Love the Afterthought Heel

I know each knitter has strong preferences when it comes to heel types. This is the sort of conversation between knitters that really confuses the non-knitting public. These crazy people are passionate about the type of heel on their socks?!? Well, as a matter of fact, yes.

Now I place myself firmly in the minority... afterthought heels are not the media darlings that say, short-row heels are. But I stand by my afterthoughts mostly because I tend to wear out my socks in the same place; the heel. With an afterthought heel I can rip out the offending area, easily pickup the sock body stitches and merrily knit myself a new one.

I'm seriously jazzed about not having to trash perfectly good socks -- I have been known to hang on to single or holey socks, stuffing them in a paper shopping bag for the never-to-come day when they'll come in handy, because I just can't bear to throw perfectly good things away. And I can't give them away either, convinced as I am that the good people at goodwill would toss them as well.

Thank goodness for the afterthought heel! I should say, in fairness, that you can replace other sorts of heel as well, I just find the afterthought the easiest. What's your favorite heel type?

A Hat for Ava

A month or so ago I was planning a baby shower for one of my very best friends. We had a week to go before the shower and several weeks to go until her due date. The phone rings as I'm typing away at my computer and it's my friend A, asking if she can add another name to the guest list... her daughter's. Ava was born 4 weeks early and faced with a situation like that, what else can a knitter do but knit a premie hat?

the specs:

1 skein Canopy sport in purple passion
size 3 dpns
tapestry needle

Using a long-tail cast on, cast on 64 stitches and join for working in the round. Knit until hat measures 4 inches with the brim unrolled. Begin decrease rounds:
Round 1 K6, K2tog*
Round 2 K*
Round 3 K5, K2tog*
Round 4 K*
Round 5 K4, K2tog*
Round 6 K*
Round 7 K3, K2tog*
Round 8 K*
Round 9 K2, K2tog*
Round 10 K*
Round 11 K1, K2tog*
Round 12 K*
Round 13 Cut yarn leaving a 8 inch tail. Using a tapestry needle, thread the yarn through the live loops still on the needles, remove the needles and tighten the loop to close the top of the hat. Pull the tail through to the underside of the hat and weave in the remaining tail. Weave in the remaining end.