by Lucia Light

Achilles, the hero of Homer's Iliad had only one weak spot – his heel. He ultimately died from a wound to his heel.

Unlike Achilles, these socks will not ‘die’ once the heel is wounded, i.e. with a hole. The heel can be easily re-knitted without affecting other parts of the sock.

I’ve been knitting socks for a long time, and for a long time had been grafting or mending holes in them. It was easy to deal with holes in the toe area - re-knitting is fast and the rest of the sock is not affected. It is a different story with holes under the heel and in the back of the heel. Traditional heel constructions do not solve the problem, as socks wear out beyond the area where the heel can be partially re-knitted as in peasant heel or afterthought heel.

The Achilles’ Heal [spelling intentional] sock is knitted top down, the heel has a flap, and a gusset, and it is re-knittable, since it is knitted after the rest of the sock is completed. It is knitted in the round, and covers area well beyond the traditional heel construction, where the holes usually arise.

SIZE
Women's medium
(See Pattern Notes for suggestions on resizing)

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Foot circumference: 7.5 inches
Foot length: adjustable to fit.

MATERIALS
Yarn
Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock [80% Superwash Merino Wool, 20% Nylon; approx 435 yds per 100g skein]; color: Rockwell: 409, 1 skein


Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
US #1.5/2.5 mm needles for working in the round
One spare circular needle of a similar size to be used as stitch holder.
US C-2/2.75mm crochet hook

Notions
yarn needle
Waste yarn for provisional cast on – approx 3 ft
Stitch markers

GAUGE

PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]

Notes on Resizing:
This pattern comes in one size due to the unusual construction and the large repeat for the pattern stitch. You can resize by working at different yarn at a different gauge. A thicker yarn with appropriately larger needles (e.g. a heavy fingering weight yarn that knits to 28 sts/4 inches) gives a larger size. A finer fingering weight yarn that knits to 32 sts/4 inches with appropriately smaller needles gives a smaller size.

(We do not recommend simply changing needle size to get a different gauge, as a sock knit too loosely will wear out very quickly!)

M1R: Insert left needle, from back to front, under the horizontal strand which lies between the stitch just knit, and the following stitch; then knit into the front of this loop. 1 stitch increased.

M1L: Insert left needle, from front to back, under the horizontal strand which lies between the stitch just knit, and the following stitch; then knit into the back of this loop. 1 stitch increased.

Chevron Stitch Pattern – Worked in the Round.
Over a multiple of 16 sts.
Round 1: K1, M1R, k5, k2tog, ssk, k5, m1L, k1.
Round 2: Knit.

Chevron Stitch Pattern – Worked Flat.
Over a multiple of 16 sts.
Row 1 [RS]: K1, M1R, k5, k2tog, ssk, k5, m1L, k1.
Row 2 [WS]: Purl.

Instructions for the Crochet Chain Provisional Cast-on can be found here.

DIRECTIONS
Cuff
CO 64 sts.
Distribute across needles as you prefer and join for working in the round.

Ribbing round: [K1, p1] around.

Work Ribbing as set for 35 rounds total.

Knit one round plain.

Leg
Work in Chevron Stitch Pattern for 20 rounds.

As this point, you’ll work only on the first half of the round. Slip the 32 sts of the second half of the round to the spare needle. These 32 sts are the sole of the foot, and will be used later to form the heel.

Foot
Work 31 rows in Chevron Stitch Pattern (worked flat) on first 32 sts of the round to form the instep.

Using the crochet hook and waste yarn, CO 32 sts onto the unused needle that was removed when you slipped the sts to a holder. These stitches will be the sole of the sock. Distribute sts as you prefer and join for working in the round with the instep stitches. Start of round is at start of sole stitches.

Foot round: K 32 sts of sole; work in Chevron Stitch Pattern (in the round) to end of round.
Work as set until sock measures 2 inches short of full foot length, ending with Round 1 of Chevron Stitch Pattern.

Final foot round, place markers: K sole sts, k6, place marker, k to 6 sts before end of round, place second marker, k to end of round.

Toe shaping and toe decrease
Round 1: K to 3 sts before end of sole sts, k2tog, k to first marker, k2tog, ssk, k5, m1L, k2, m1R, k5, k2tog, ssk, k to end of round. 3 sts decreased.

Round 2: K1, ssk, k to end of round. 1 st decreased.

Round 3: K to first marker; k2tog, ssk, k5, m1L, k2, m1R, k5, k2tog, ssk, k to end of round. 2 sts decreased.

Round 4: K to 3 sts before end of sole sts, k2tog, k to end of round. 1 st decreased.

Round 5: K1, ssk, k to first marker, k2tog, ssk, k5, m1L, k2, m1R, k5, k2tog, ssk, k to end of round. 3 sts decreased.

Round 6: K around.

Round 7: K to 3 sts before end of sole sts, k2tog; k to first marker, k2tog, ssk, k5, m1L, k2, m1R, k5, k2tog, ssk, k to end of round. 3 sts decreased.

Round 8: K1, ssk, k to end of round. 1 st decreased.

Round 9: K around.

Round 10: K to 3 sts before end of sole sts, k2tog, k1, ssk; k to 3 sts before end of round, k2tog, k1. 3 sts decreased.

Round 11: K1, ssk, k to end of round. 1 st decreased.

Repeat Rounds 10-11 3 more times.

Round 18: K1, ssk, k to 3 sts before end of sole sts, k2tog, k1; k1, ssk, k to 3 sts before end of instep sts, k2tog, k1. 4 sts decreased.
Repeat Round 18 5 more times until 10 sts rem.
Round 24: K1, ssk, k to 3 sts before end of sole sts, k2tog, k1. STOP HERE.
Redistribute stitches so that each needle has 2 sts from the sole and 2 sts from the instep. Graft toe closed.

Carefully unravel the crochet chain of the provisional cast-on and return those sts to the work needle(s), ensuring you have 31 sts. These are the sole stitches.

Setup round: With RS facing, rejoin yarn and knit across the heel flap stitches. Pickup and knit 31 sts along the first side of the instep; k across 31 sts on the sole needle; pickup and knit 31 sts on the other side of the instep. 125 sts.

Round 1, place markers and redistribute stitches:
K1, pm, [sl 1, k1] 15 times, pm, ssk, k15. This is the end of the heel flap stitches. K15, ssk, k27, k2tog, pm, k15. This is the new start of round. 3 sts decreased; 122 sts total: 63 sts on heel flap; 59 sts on sole.

Round 2: K to 2 sts before first marker, k2tog, k to end of round. 121 sts; 62 on heel flap; 59 on sole.

Round 3: K to 2 sts before st marker, k2tog, [sl1, k1] 15 times, ssk, k to end of heel stitches; k15, ssk, k to the last 2 sts before st marker, k2tog, k15. 4 sts decreased.

Round 4: Knit.

Rep Rounds 3 and 4 9 more times and work Round 3 once more. 77 sts rem.

Round 24: K to 2 sts before marker, k2tog, k30, ssk, k to end of round. 2 sts decreased.
Round 25: K to 2 sts before st marker, k2tog, [sl1, k1] 15 times, ssk, k to end of heel stitches; k15, ssk, k to the last 2 sts before st marker, k2tog, k15. 4 sts decreased.
71 sts rem, 36 sts on heel flap, 35 sts on sole.

Round 26: K1, k2tog, k30, ssk, k1. 34 sts on heel flap. STOP HERE.

The area under the heel will now be knitted flat in short rows on the 35 sts on the sole.

Continuing on the sole sts, work as follows:
Short row 1 [RS]: K20, w&t.
Short row 2 [WS]: P6, w&t
Short row 3 [RS]: K6 work wrapped stitch together with its wrap, k1, w&t.
Short row 4 [WS]: P8, work wrapped stitch together with its wrap, p1, w&t.
Short row 5 [RS]: K10, work wrapped stitch together with its wrap, k1, w&t.
Short row 6 [WS]: P12, work wrapped stitch together with its wrap, p1, w&t.
Short row 7 [RS]: K14, work wrapped stitch together with its wrap, k1, w&t.
Short row 8 [WS]: P16, work wrapped stitch together with its wrap, p1, w&t.
Short row 9 [RS]: K18, work wrapped stitch together with its wrap, k1, w&t.
Short row 10 [WS]: P20, work wrapped stitch together with its wrap, p1, w&t.
Short row 11 [RS]: K22, work wrapped stitch together with its wrap, k1, w&t.
Short row 12 [WS]: P24, work wrapped stitch together with its wrap, p1, w&t.
Short row 13 [RS]: K26, work wrapped stitch together with its wrap, k1, w&t.
Short row 14 [WS]: P28, work wrapped stitch together with its wrap, p1, w&t.
Short row 15 [RS]: K30, work wrapped stitch together with its wrap, k2tog. 34 sts on sole.

Round 2: K1, ssk, k to the last 3 sts of heel, k2tog, k1; k1, ssk, k to the last 3 sts of instep, k2tog, k1. 4 sts decreased.

Round 3: Heel needle: k1, ssk, [k1, sl1] rep to the last 3 sts, k2tog, k1; k1, ssk, k to the last 3 sts of instep, k2tog, k1. 4 sts decreased.

Repeat Rounds 2 and 3 4 more times and work Round 2 once more. 21 sts rem.

Round 13: K1, ssk, k1, sl1, k2, k2tog, k2, ssk, k5, k2tog, k1. 17 sts.

Round 14: K1, ssk, k2, k2tog, k2, ssk, k3, k2tog, k1. 13 sts.

Round 15:K1, ssk, k2tog, k2, ssk, k1, k2tog, k1. 9 sts.

Turn the work.

Sole needle [WS]:Sl1, p2tog. 8 sts remain

Rearrange the needles so that each needle has 2 sts from the sole and 2 sts from the heel sides of the sock. Graft heel close.

FINISHING
Weave in ends.

Lucia is a long-time knitter and knits in Toronto, and whenever she is not skiing or hiking or kayaking around Toronto on weekends with her husband and friends. She learned knitting from her grandmother in Russia at the age of 5-6.

She can be found on Ravelry as Luciaknitting.