Gusset or Strong Heel for Top Down Socks

Learn how to knit a flap-less, gusset heel for top down socks. Find out why this technique is also sometimes known as a Strong heel.
Helpful Links
Lifted Increase Tutorial - • Left and Right Lifted ...
Introduction - 0:00
Knitting the Gusset - 1:29
Turning the Heel - 6:44
Final Notes - 12:59
Featured in this Tutorial
Pattern: Sundog Socks - shop.thechilly...
Yarn: Zitron Trekking XXL
Needles: skacel by addi Rocket Squared
Notions: Clover Quick Locking Stitch Markers
#SundogSocks #TheChillyDog

[@susanfoss8122]

Excellent tutorial! Very clear and understandable. It was easy to see what you were doing at all times and you have a very pleasant voice to listen to. I'm so happy I found this tutorial! Thank you!

[@Nanay113]

Omgeesh! I just completed my first fleegle heel turn and it is beautiful! Thank you so much for this tutorial! It’s genius method/technique!

[@nazmaramjaun2077]

hello, is the fleegle heel the same as the strong heel? Tahnk you.

[@adeleb7753]

this is very similar to the fleegle heel reversed... my favorite heel :))

[@cynthiaspear-duncan7661]

I can't wait to try it. You were SO helpful with the Kitchener stitch

[@janeolaan2875]

Super clear instructions and great camera work. Thanks so much!🧦🧶

[@georgewallace6525]

I wanted to drop you a message, I have really enjoyed this heel. I will admit I had to adjust my sizing a bit because the heel fits a bit different. I was able to use this to make a low short sock that my daughter adores. Thank you so much. I am on my third pair of socks this week thanks to you.

[@cbs70]

Thank you for this and all your other videos. You are thorough, very clear, llighting & visually effective & efficient. You are obviously knowledgeable but you present the actual hands-on technique, uou are not long winded, you get to the point, clearly, and well timed. Please keep making these tutorials.

[@carolehastings1902]

Wow I love this method, I’ve only just started to knit socks and this is by far the neatest and easiest heel I’ve seen thank you x

[@thechillydog]

This method is relatively new to me and I don't know why it's not more widely used in patterns. It fits most feet well and like you said, it's easy.

[@alicehoward4031]

Thank you! Thank you!! Great tutorial. Will use this heel for all my future sock knitting!

[@Bobbieliz]

Very valuable demonstration. Very clear instructions. Thank you. I am going to do this for my next sock pair.

[@thechillydog]

It's a nice alternative to a traditional flap and gusset. Something different and it's good to try new things.

[@lburgess3098]

Thank you for such a clear and precise video with no excess of “chat”. A really nice heel which I am off to knit now.

[@yayitadelsur]

I will practice it with my next stockings!!!

[@juliegogo2941]

Makes it easier to count too. Back leg I'll have to review the legs. Took me a minute not in the round...straight knitting. I haven't made much. Thanks

[@adeleb7753]

thank you! :))

[@onwardbe]

excellent thank you so much so easy to follow .. very much appreciated love your socks will be checking out your pattern

[@yayitadelsur]

Very very useful! Thank you!

[@Irisabelhinha1]

Obrigada ensinar😍

[@monawize1]

Great, clear video! Thanks!

[@Lamara5292]

Wish I knew this method when I made a pair of socks !

[@thechillydog]

Sounds like an excuse to knit more socks. 😉

[@yayitadelsur]

Thank you! Very clear, perfect!!!

[@barbs4460]

Excellent clear instructions. I am just wondering if this heel will be hard wearing. The heel flap stitch is reinforced and appears thicker - is this the case. Thank you once again for a very clear video.❤

[@thechillydog]

Interesting question! It's my opinion that the idea of a heel flap being hard wearing is a bit of a myth. Think about your non-handknit socks. Have you ever worn a hole through the back of the heel? I suppose it's possible, but it's never happened to me. As far as the bottom of the heel, I think this construction is just as sturdy as a flap and gusset heel.

[@loesvandervelde2837]

Thank you so much!

[@almaochoa5544]

Thank you

[@amandas.439]

Do you have to increase on first stitch or are you doing it because of the stitch pattern? Is is okay to increase after 1 stitch at beginning/1 stitch before the end of row? Thanks!

[@sherryhetman6941]

Hi, I've done the Fleegle heel and my instructions say to increase to double the heel sts minus 2, then for the heel turn it says to knit to 2 sts past the center then turn purl to 2 sts past center , purl 2 tog and purl 1. Would this be the same for the strong heel if I wanted to start my heel turn 2 sts past the center?

[@vadec5909]

Thank you very much for a clear explanation!!! Does you Sundog pattern use these techniques, if so I will be getting it? Thank you

[@thechillydog]

It sure does. This video was designed especially to provide knitting support for the Sundog Socks pattern.

[@Kaila999]

I have never seen needles like those- notched! What brand/model are they? And why are they notched, ie what situations call for them. Thanks. (BTW I happen to be wearing socks right now that have Strong heels. I learned to do them from a sock making book. I’m not sure they’re quite right for my feet...a bit floppy, even though the basic sock pattern is one I love, originally with a heel flap heel...maybe I’ll try the Strong on another pair of socks.)

[@thechillydog]

The needles are addi Rocket Squared. They are ergonomic, rounded-square needles. The texturing prevents your stitches from slipping around and helps create very evenly spaced and sized stitches. Have you ever tried short row sock heels? They produce a lot less fabric where the ankle transitions to the foot. You may like the fit better.

[@Kaila999]

The Chilly Dog Thanks, I’ll give those heels a try!

[@sallycunningham9608]

like your stitch markers where do you buy those please

[@thechillydog]

Search for "Clover Quick Locking Stitch Markers". They're available at many local yarn shops as well as online.

[@brenda18015]

Hi what size needle are you using ,its the nicest tutorial i have seen ,i want to try and make this sock thankyou

[@thechillydog]

If I remember correctly, I used 2.5 mm needles that were 20 inches long.

[@thoughtsofjoyk]

Excellent tutorial!!! I have a question regarding the increases. Can I use kfb? I never seem to ever pick up the proper stitches to make an increase. That’s one of the reasons I want to try this method. Thanks in advance! 😊

[@thechillydog]

Hi Joy! Using kfb will give you a slightly different looking gusset line on the sides, but consider it your personal design choice. As far as the math, the overall shaping will be the same, so you should be fine.

[@thoughtsofjoyk]

Thank you for the reply. 😊 I hope it doesn’t look ugly. Is there another increase that doesn’t require picking up stitches?

[@thechillydog]

Yarn overs, but they would create noticable eyelets. You could try to knit and purl or purl and knit the same stitch, but those may look odd.

[@thoughtsofjoyk]

Maybe I should just learn how to do the lifted increase properly! 😝 Thank you for replying. Stay safe!

[@amandas.439]

@@thechillydog what if you use YO increase and then knit through back loop on the knit round? Would that still create an eyelet?

[@almaochoa5544]

Great tutorial!!! I do have a question I just started knitting socks followed instructions but for some reason it looks really really big, what am I doing wrong..

[@thechillydog]

Here are my guesses. 1 - You chose to knit the wrong sock size. Generally, you want your finished sock (after blocking) to be 5-10% smaller than your foot measurements so it has negative ease and hugs your foot. 2 - Your gauge is not the same as the pattern gauge, so the sock you are knitting is not the same size as the designer's pattern. Or 3 - Everything is fine. There have been times that I have knit a sock that looks too big or too small and then when I'm done it fits just fine. Good luck!

[@nazmaramjaun2077]

how do you calculate when to start the gusset heel?

[@thechillydog]

For a top down sock with this style of heel, the gusset is started when you finish knitting the leg of your sock. In this case it's not so much a calculation, but a personal preference for how tall (knee high, mid-calf, ankle...) you want your socks to be.

[@janitleerisser]

Will this heel method generally make a longer sock as the actual heel is placed differently than a typical slip and turn heel with picking up stitches?

[@thechillydog]

Great question. It does add length to the instep (top of the foot) of the sock. I just did a video that compares this heel shaping method to two others, kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJOxY2avYsllaJI, if you'd like to see how different heels change the fit of a sock.

[@cbs70]

Is it me or does this heel solve how to knit a top-down with a gfleegle heel sock? Any other heel constructions in the near future?

[@thechillydog]

I'm always on the look out for new-to-me heel constructions. 😉

[@amarasharon]

I have a question when doing the increases on the heel sts. The first increase you lift the right leg of the st below. But when you get to the end of the heel sts, you pick up left leg of the stitch 2 two rows below. Can you explain why 2 rows below on the last heel increase. Thank you. Sharon

[@thechillydog]

Great question, Sharon! The sts being lifted are actually in the same round. Think of the rounds of sts as generations. The round of new sts you are forming are the child sts, you are knitting into the parent sts and the round below that is the grandparents. For the first increase, the child hasn't been formed yet, the parent is at the tip of the left needle, and I pick up the right leg of the grandparent. For the second increase, the child st is at the tip of the right needle, with the parent below it, and I pick up the left leg of the grandparent. Whenever I'm doing lifted increases, I remember to always give my grandparents a lift. 😉

[@laurabuche5191]

Hi everyone! thank you very much for the explanation. I was wondering about the increases, why is "minus 4" ? is it a rule or just means 10%ish rounded to an even number? I want to try the method but with a different gauge, hence the question. Thanks in advance to any fellow knitter who may respond. Greetings from Argentina!

[@thechillydog]

The minus 4 isn't related to gauge, it's related to how many stitches away from the center of the heel you plan to begin the turn heel shaping. When the turn heel shaping starts one stitch away from the center, you need to make gusset increases until you double the number of heel sts minus 4. If you want to start the heel shaping at the center of the heel then you need to make gusset increases until you double the number of heel sts minus 2.

[@laurabuche5191]

@@thechillydog Thank you very much! very clear!

[@gwenaverehendrix6668]

Is it the same process if you want to make the heel wider? Say 8 stitches before decreases start.

[@elainebos]

How does the fit of this sock heel compare to heel flap and gusset? If a person has a high step what modifications would be necessary for this type of heel?

[@thechillydog]

As is, I think this method gives a good fit for people with an average to high instep. There is slightly more diagonal heel circumference than the standard flap and gusset and the sock has a much more anatomical shape. I've never worked out the math for making modifications, but I'm pretty sure you would need to knit the heel across more than half of the sock sts, not just knit extra gusset increase rounds.

[@elainebos]

Thank youl.

[@sandracasagrande3825]

Isnt this the fleegle heel? And this can be done toe up too? And on your left side increase why do you go 2 sts below ?

[@thechillydog]

Yes, gusset heels can be worked top down or toe up. Although I generally don't go into the lore of how people's names/brands get attached to general techniques, in this case, Gerdine Crawford-Strong's name is often associated with the top down version of a gusset heel and Susan Glinert Stevens' website name "Fleegle" is associated with the toe up version. As far as the increase, it's just how the increases in my pattern were defined.

[@sandracasagrande3825]

@@thechillydog thankyou!

[@sandracasagrande3825]

Are there directions for this heel doing toe up?

[@thechillydog]

You can check out this video for a toe up version of the flap-less gusset heel, kzbin.info/www/bejne/mqO6aKWiZcSnmKM.

[@princessnadia808]

Are you able to do these toe up?

[@thechillydog]

You can make gusset heels from the toe up. The overall knitting process is the same, but the turn heel for the toe-up version is at the back of the leg instead of the bottom of the foot.

[@intheparlance]

Isn't this the same as the Fleegle heel?

[@thechillydog]

Sort of. Knitters like to attach their own names to everything, so when this style of heel is worked from the top down it's called a Strong heel (after Gerdine Crawford-Strong) and when it's worked from the toe up it's a Fleegle heel (after Susan Glinert Stevens' blog).