I'm making the heel of my sock. I'm following a pattern I got with the yarn I bought.

The only problem is, I dont know how to pick up the stitches on the sides of the heel. The pattern I have says to knit the first stitch, where the other patterns I have seen on the web say to slip the first stitch. Is this going to be a problem later on? The pattern came with the yarn. It should work right?

Then how do you pick up the stitches if they are not slipped?

there is a video in the basic techniques section that explains how to do that :happydance: lol ellie

Is it a mattress stitch that is used then?

I'm a noob knitter!

If you go here (http://knittinghelp.com/knitting/basic_techniques/misc.php) and scroll down to the bottom third of the page you will see a link to the video for picking up stitches. easy peasy!

It is not a mattress stitch. It's a method of producing "live" stitches along either a side edge (as in the case of a heel flap) or along a cast on edge. The video is found here (http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/basic_techniques/misc.php) under "assorted topics", about 3/4 way down the page.

I suspect that if your pattern tells you to knit the first stitch of the heel flap rows, that it tells you to slip the last stitch. Yes? No? If that's the case, it produces the same result in the end.

No, it ends with a knit on each side....

But I've got my heel! I'm not so sure how to go about the gusset though. I dont know how to pick up the stitches on the side so that I end up with the right number. I'm so proud! I have a heel. This is the first thing I've tried beyond scarves and its coming along alot better than I thought it would. Though I have a feeling the end product is going to be a tiny bit baggy.

This is both hard and easy at the same time! Once you figure things out its pretty easy. Until then its like :??

I usually use a crochet hook to pull those first stitches through the side of the heel flap and, although I can't remember who first suggested that to me, I could just kiss them every time I make a sock because that has really made things easier for me. As I pick up the stitches I leave them on the hook and transfer them onto the needle after I know I've picked up enough not to have a hole. Here's another tip I got long ago about socks. Don't sweat getting the 'exact number the pattern tells you to pick up. It's more important to have a nice closed line of them and any extra can just be worked into your ankle decreases later with no side affects.

The pattern I have says to knit the first stitch, where the other patterns I have seen on the web say to slip the first stitch. Is this going to be a problem later on?[color=indigo]You still can slip the sts if you want to. Patterns are suggestions :teehee: not orders! :happydance:

I usually use a crochet hook to pull those first stitches through the side of the heel flap and, although I can't remember who first suggested that to me, I could just kiss them every time I make a sock because that has really made things easier for me. As I pick up the stitches I leave them on the hook and transfer them onto the needle after I know I've picked up enough not to have a hole.

I could just kiss my crochet hook too! I :heart: it for just that reason, although I don't employ mine until I've knitted a few rows beyond, so I can 'analyse' the hole, and then I create a stitch by ducking, weaving, whatever, to close the hole, then work that stitch up to the left needle, and knit it together with the first stitch of that round. It's always resulted in a nice, tightly closed hole for me so far :shrug: Gotta love that crochet hook!

I ruined it!

Somehow it started being garter stitch on the part that would be the outside, instead of the stockinette stitch. I decided to pull out the stitches and start again where I went wrong.

Bad idea! I have no idea how to fix it now. :pout:

I guess I start over again. *sigh*

It was after I started the round again. I'm worried if i start another sock though that I'll just make this same mistake again!

And I was so excited too!