The question

Hello! I am knitting a pair of baby socks and have reached the heel; in order to decipher the rather confusing instructions, I turned to the "knitting sock heels" web page by Catherine Wingate. It's been very helpful, but I would really appreciate some help interpreting the following:

"In order to prevent 'holes' [in short-row heel], where you turn mid-row and work back, most knitting references suggest that you anchor the work by wrapping the next unworked stitch before turning and, when you later work that stitch, work the wrap as well"

My question is, how do you "wrap" a stitch"... and then also, how do you work that later (which perhaps will be self-explanatory once I figure out this wrapping business!)

Thanks in advance for any advice!
Elizabeth

And the answer...

Elizabeth -- here are some step-by-step instructions which I hope will help you.
It looks more complicated than it really is, so just follow along and soon
you will see what is happening ...

Wrapping a stitch when you are on a knit row:
Step 1. Work up to the stitch to be "wrapped",
Step 2. Slip the next stitch with yarn held to the back of work,
Step 3. Bring yarn to front and turn work to other side,
Step 4. Slip same stitch with yarn held to back of work,
Step 5. Slip next stitch with yarn held to front of work.

Wrapping a stitch when you are on a purl row:
Step 1. work up to the stitch to be "wrapped",
Step 2. slip the next stitch with yarn held to the front of work,
Step 3. bring yarn to back and turn work to the other side,
Step 4. slip same stitch with yarn held to the front of work,
Step 5. slip next stitch with yarn held to back of work.

Hiding yarn wraps at the turning stitch when you are on a knit row: Work to the turning stitch. Insert right needle tip from front to back under yarn wrap, then into stitch on left needle as to knit. Knit the yarn wrap and stitch together.

Hiding yarn wraps at the turning stitch when you are on a purl row: Work to the turning stitch. Insert right needle tip from back to front under yarn wrap, then into stitch on left needle as to purl. Purl the yarn wrap and stitch together.

Note 1: always slip stitches as if to purl
Note 2: Most people omit step 5 and just work the next stitch after the wrapped stitch instead of slipping it; I use the method that includes step 5 to make a smoother transition to the next row (there is only a one-row-high jog instead of 2 rows).
Note 3: These instructions assume you are knitting stitches off your left-hand needle point onto your right-hand needle. If you are working instead from right needle to left, please adjust instructions to agree with your direction of work.

Good luck and happy knitting,
Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer