Knitting Tutorial - Sawdl Welsh Heel Socks

Cuff-down socks with a traditional Welsh heel. To get your copy of the pattern to follow along, visit my website here:
verypink.com/2...
Information like the yarns I used and the needle sizes is all on my website:
verypink.com/2...
You can add this pattern to your Ravelry queue here:
www.ravelry.co...
The book I reference - The History of Hand Knitting by Richard Rutt.
My sock blockers are from Knit Picks.

[@charlottejenkins6423]

I can't be the only one who likes the sound of the needles on the blocking board. Its very gentle and rhythmic and nice.

[@elizabethprice2543]

I have been subscribed to your channel for quite a while and I've learnt heaps from watching your tutorials so imagine my excitement when I came across your tutorial on knitting Welsh socks! I am Welsh, my first language was Welsh until I learnt English at school at the age of five, I was taught to knit as a child but only recently, in my retirement, have I had the time to fine tune my knitting skills which includes the knitting of socks. Having watched your video and having recently visited the National Wool Museum of Wales, I was inspired to find out more about Welsh socks. You may be interested to read 'A Christmas Stocking Full of Welsh History about Socks' by Mark Lucas, a curator of the museum. I have now completed two pairs of socks with Welsh 'sodlau' (plural of sawdl) and expect to knit many more as gifts for friends and family which will include a potted history of their sock knitting heritage. Llawer iawn o ddiolch i chwi 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Many thanks!

[@ohaiClemmy]

I hope I don't sound too strange but I could seriously watch you knit all day. It looks so easy when you do it

[@annparsons6238]

I’ve lived in Wales all my life and yes I do knit socks but have never seen this pattern before ! I will certainly be giving this pattern a try - using Welsh wool of course ! Thank you also for all your clear and well explained tutorials .

[@myphotoworldjeankd4001]

Just wanted say a quick Thank You for the suggestion of the Twisted Rib, this has turned out to be a better solution for the ribbing on my “Social Media Mitts” (fingerless gloves). It looks much nicer and gives me an alternative to the same old thing knitting. This knitting community is so wonderful with all the information that is shared. I refer back to your sessions many times when I get stuck on a stitch or a technique. Please keep up the good work.

[@CookwithCatalina]

I've been knitting through the back loop all the time thinking that this is how is done. I am glad that I was actually doing the cool stitch :))

[@momaltier]

Karen altier 2021 Thank you Staci. I have made these socks many times. Fit so Perfectly. Your tutorials are so detailed and easy to follow along with your nice voice Your Kitchener stitch makes it so easy. I have all your sock and hat patterns Thank you again

[@knitwit9928]

best tutorial on the kitchener stitch I've seen.

[@mt9551]

It looks so easy when you do it! Going to give it a try after I finish my first pair on 9” circulars. I really appreciate your videos and patterns, after buying so many books and videos that left me confused, you truly make it simple to follow, so many thanks!

[@sovereigns1grace]

I love sock construction so much too! I really love your technical description "cram a stitch in there" LOL!! You are priceless :D Can't wait to get my current socks off the needles so I can try this new technique!!

[@withthesehands1631]

Just found out with new updated DNA results that I'm part Welsh, so I think I'll give this a try. I'm also part Portuguese, so I'll use Portuguese purling which is much easier and faster than any other way. I've learned to knit watching your videos so thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!

[@GKDmomma]

Wow. Love this heel. My sock knitting needed a little something new, so THANKS!

[@Moonbeamglider]

Brilliant, Kitchener demo. Thank you Margot

[@traceyleeherbert2326]

Wow! I love this heel and the chat! How easy is this sock. I am going to buy the pattern and make this for my next sock. Great demo!

[@giuliacicci8779]

As always a great tutorial. Will try this method on my next pair of knitted socks. Thanks for your continued guidance to knitting techniques.

[@danbev8542]

Love your tutorials, Staci! Thank you!

[@LoveByHH14]

These are adorable! I just finished my first pair of sling heel socks and have sock fever! These may have to be the next pair I make.

[@helencaudill1583]

Can't wait to try this pattern ... looks amazing. Thank you

[@HappyGnoux]

super interesting pattern and I love the colours you chose! very pretty^^

[@karoljelbert1996]

Thank you for an excellent podcast....

[@verypinkknits]

Thank you - this is my knitting instruction channel, my audio podcast can be found here (or in your favorite podcast app): verypink.com/category/podcast/

[@janitleerisser]

Have you done a tutorial for the gusset/strong heel? It requires no pickup of stitches but I don’t get it. If you could do a walk thru/tutorial and breakdown of the strong heel would be most helpful. As it seems to lengthen the sock so understanding how it lengthens would be wonderful for cuff down

[@jjbing3]

I have to buy 150 grams of yarn for these size 11 feet. I’m watching this video because I love your videos even though I prefer toe up!! 😏

[@verypinkknits]

You probably don't need more than 100 grams if you're knitting women's socks, which are much narrower than men's. I wear size 10.5, and I used less than 100g on my socks (more than one pair).

[@jjbing3]

VeryPink Knits It’s a man foot. 😂

[@heather7862]

I have weirdly small feet for my height, normal foot size (7) but they just look too small for my body

[@batya7]

Nice. Love the striping on your sample.

[@thadisbostock3196]

Wow thanks for this tutorial.

[@denisekrupa4343]

Cuff down with a heel flap are my favorite socks to knit. I look forward to getting this pattern and trying the Welsh heel. Just curious: do you think the purl line serves any structural purpose? Or is it just the convention to do it?

[@verypinkknits]

The line of purl stitches doesn't do anything structurally...it is really just there to show "this is a Welsh heel". :)

[@madelinevinitsky5396]

I always knit socks cuff down on double pointed needles. I enjoyed this tutorial.

[@carlajewett1091]

Over the years, I’ve made about 200 pairs of socks for a local charity and have never been able to use the longtail caston as there is no stretch. What magic dust are you using to get the sock past your heel and where can I get some? Carla Jewett

[@ambrosiabelladonna630]

When you wear the socks can you feel the purl stitches under your heel?

[@brittany45]

Speaking of extra yarn, howcdo you add in a new ball so it won't unravel/have a knot? Would spit-splice work if the yarn has nylon in it?

[@peaceoutpeaceout4267]

You make many different types of heels which do you like the best and why??

[@verypinkknits]

I don't think I have a favorite...I like to mix it up and keep it interesting. I guess I can say that my favorite heel is whatever heel I'm currently knitting! :)

[@alexanderciesielski9051]

Currently working this project. Love the pattern! Finding that I must have added a stitch or two in a few of the transition sections. Possibly a factor of using Addi Flexi-flips instead of double pointed.... Anyway, no big deal, just did a few surreptitious k2tog. Gotta get sock dpns and a 9 inch circular.... Still valued the opportunity to try the addis. Enjoyed them once I got used to them. Also, do you find that the men's sock is a bit wide or loose? I bought 200g to figure out the sizing... Could be my gauge. Gonna try the first one on and then choose whether I want to knit the next one in men's or switch to knit two more womens.

[@verypinkknits]

Alexander - the men's sock size is made to fit a B (average) width foot. If your sock is wider, please check your gauge. You may need to adjust your needle size.

[@dainka65]

Where do you get the darker colored double pointed needles you are using? I love those!

[@dawnhaycook1234]

I like the look of that I’ll have to try it

[@myse7enkids]

Can this heel method be used in toe-up construction? I absolutely hate to knit socks top down and have to A) kitchener the toe and B) wonder if I will run out of yarn. Possibly stems from the days when I was VERY poor and had to buy a single 50gr skein of the cheapest sock yarn I could find, divide it into 2 balls, and knit shortie socks toe up until I just ran out of yarn. I'm not that poor now but still prefer the toe-up construction.

[@verypinkknits]

I think it would be possible to rework this heel for toe-up, but it would require a completely new pattern. The way it's constructed means it won't really easily swap in/out that way.

[@Melmaz32]

Thank you! Cool heel.

[@bradcasali]

I have a pretty normal size foot for a dude (size 10), but kind of wide, and I usually have yarn to spare with 100 grams for crew length socks. Though, I do think this is relative to each person--I knit my socks at fairly negative ease and usually on size 0 needles. Also, depending on how the yarn labels 'fingering' sometimes I don't get a full crew length if it's particularly thick 'fingering weight' (i.e. more like almost sport).

[@verypinkknits]

Good to know, thank you!

[@jakelinesaraiva]

Интересно, была ли сделана третья часть этого видео урока по носкам?

[@verypinkknits]

Да, есть только одно видео, все три части здесь.

[@nicolecox2151]

Does the YO in the heel turn have structural significance?

[@sharondonovan1403]

Hi stacy i really like your channel. I like these socks will be my first time knitting socks.......... What is a good yarn to substitute for wool. Im allergic to wool. Thanks

[@angelofsnow76]

www.onebagger.com/7-merino-wool-alternatives-dont-know/

[@Kattolio]

Thank you for this pattern. I love the heel :-) I noticed that you used the Long Tail cast on for the cuff. I've had large calves since I was little and very skinny (not so anymore, lol) and this CO method does not work well for me. I end up using Jeny's Slip Knot CO. I find it works even better for me than the Long Tail CO or Chinese Waitress CO and I think it looks better too.

[@verypinkknits]

Yes, I address this in the pattern. I use the LTCO, but if you want a little more stretch, I recommend German Twisted CO: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5Tannarft6ff6s

[@GKDmomma]

Thanks for noting this . I also need a little more stretchiness in my cast-on.

[@Kattolio]

@@verypinkknits Thank you for the information and link to your always helpful video!

[@eleanork3692]

Amazing

[@heatherhaigh]

thank you, I will try this

[@bikrgran]

I'm going to stop and make question notes, as they come up, or I'll forget. Will the KBL increase, decrease, or not affect the stretchiness of the rib? Why did you slip the first st of the heel flap? (I'm a toe-up, short row knitter)

[@verypinkknits]

I haven't tested ktbl rib next to regular 1x1 rib to get an exact measure of the stretchiness, side-by-side. But I can say that the rib I use in this sock is plenty stretchy enough. The first stitch of the heel flap is slipped to make it easier to pick up stitches for the heel gusset.

[@verypinkknits]

If you're working from the written pattern and you have questions, feel free to contact me at [e-mail], thanks.

[@facultysuccesscoach]

The measurement for the length of the cuff....Is that from the top of the cuff including ribbing, or is it just under the ribbing? I know that's a silly question, but the length is given after the rib is complete. :)

[@helencaudill1583]

would the ribbing be tighter using this method? if so, could I go up one needle size just on ribbing then change to smaller size for body of sock?

[@verypinkknits]

No, this ribbing isn't typically tighter than regular 1x1 rib.

[@helencaudill1583]

@@verypinkknits may I ask your opinion, I tend to be a tight knitter for ribbing would it be okay to go up needle size just for ribbing then switch back to size in pattern? Never tired this but thinking. Thank you for all your amazing videos.

[@verypinkknits]

That probably isn't necessary, but you can use a larger needle size for the rib if you want to try it.

[@helencaudill1583]

@@verypinkknits ... sounds good, will stay with pattern as is and needle size as is. Thank you so much.

[@elenabeyers2088]

What was that cast on. I did not recognize it. Is it in the pattern?

[@verypinkknits]

You can use a long-tail CO or a German Twisted CO for this pattern. I have videos on both of those techniques.

[@IslandLady76]

Where did you get your 9" circular needles?

[@verypinkknits]

They are available at WEBS, www.yarn.com.

[@pratimalele8645]

What yarn do you use for stocks? I knitted few socks but all of them created holes on wearing, like few times. Where am I going wrong. I used Malabrigo 100% wool sock yarn

[@baylah4952]

Rather than 100% wool go for a yarn that has some nylon in it for durability.

[@verypinkknits]

Yes - some nylon in the sock yarn does help with durability. Also, if you're knitting the socks to be pretty tight (or short on the foot), they will wear out faster. You might try knitting them a bit longer in the foot, to create less wear on the heel and toes.

[@pratimalele8645]

VeryPink Knits Thanks for a prompt reply.

[@jakelinesaraiva]

Я не вижу конец носка.

[@verypinkknits]

Это все в шаблоне ... Я не демонстрирую каждую часть носка в видео. видео должно сопровождать письменный образец.