November 27, 2021.
This is my 3rd sock using Weldon’s Practical Sock Knitting First Series. See here for a brief description and some useful links.

For this sock I have chosen to do the Welsh Heel and a Round Toe.

I fell in love with the little stranded-work detail in Nancy Bush’s Welsh Country Stocking in the book Folk Socks. She uses a Dutch Heel for the sock. However, I thought a Welsh Heel would do more justice to the name of the sock.

I followed Nancy Bush’s instructions for a Welsh Heel for a 64 st sock on pages 18-19 of her book: Knitting Vintage Socks. She also works a Welsh Heel in the pattern Lichen Ribbed Sock on page 26 of the same book. She works a Star Toe of Three Points for her sock. However, I will work a Round Toe as she does for her Welsh Country Stocking.

A short description of these vintage heel and toe patterns may be found in Elizabeth Prose’s PW article Knit A Pair of Victorian Era Socks.

Old Norwegian Cast On (aka German Twisted Cast On) 64 sts on US #2 (2.5mm) needles with white. Knit the socks on US 1.5 (2.5mm) circular needles using magic loop.

Knit 14 rows of k2,p2 ribbing followed by 14 rows of stockinette in CC before starting the stranded chart. My gauge on dpns is slightly looser than on circulars. So I knit the chart on dpns and switched back to magic loop for the rest of the sock.

I knit 40 rows in MC (Flax) before starting the heel.

Welsh Heel

It’s about Socks. I have not been able to check the accuracy of this claim but I believe a Welsh heel is also called a Taffy Heel.

Weldon’s says, “The heel has a “taking-in at the bottom, and is strong, though not perfectly smooth.“

The Welsh heel is knit on 1/2 + one seam st. So, for a 64 st sock, the heel is worked on 33 sts, including a seam st.

In Victorian times, the seam st would often run along the entire length of the sock from top to the heel. However, I did not want a purl or garter st seam running down the entire length of the sock or even on just the heel. So, I knit the seam st in stockinette.

Instructions for a Welsh Heel: Work a 33 st heel flap for 32 rows, slipping the first st purlwise. This forms 16 V selvedges along the side.

Heel turn: slip the first st, knit to 10 sts of the seam st, yo, k2tog, k5, k2tog, k1, purl the seam st (I did a k1), k1, k2tog (I worked this as an ssk), k5, k2tog, turn. Row 2 (WS): yo, purl to 10 sts past the seam st, turn. Repeat until all side sts are knitted in. Do not work the yarn over on the last purl row. There will be 17 sts on the needle after the last purl row is finished.

Pick up 17 sts on each side. Knit a standard gusset, decreasing sts on either side until the original number of sts remain.

Round Toe

I knit 37 rows in MC after the last gusset decrease and the first row of the toe decreases.

Here is Roxanne Richardson’s Round Toe video. It teaches you the details of a round toe construction and how to modify it for your specific needs. She works the decreases over 8 sts. So her required stitch count is always a multiple of 8.

Weldon’s Round Toe is worked on a multiple of 10 sts and is quite tall. I followed Nancy Bush’s instructions for a slightly modified Round Toe in her Welsh Country Stockings where she works K6, k2tog instead of K8, k2tog. So my decreases are worked on multiples of 8. I started with 64 sts. Here is what I did:

Row 1: k6, k2tog, all around. 56 sts remain.
Knit 6 rows.
Row 8: k5, k2tog, all around. 48 sts remain.
Knit 5 rows.
Row 14: K4, k2tog, all around. 40 sts remain
Knit 4 rows.
Row 19: K3, k2tog, all around. 32 sts remain.
Knit 3 rows.
Row 23: K2, k2tog, all around. 24 sts remain.
Knit 2 rows.
Row 26: k1, k2tog, all around. 16 sts remain.
Row 27: K2tog all around. 8 sts remain.
Pass yarn through remaining 8 sts and pull to close (as in a hat).

Toes are done over 27 rows. I knit the stranded pattern on Rows 2 to 7 of the toe decreases.

Measurements after blocking:
Cuff to beginning of heel flap: 16.3cm; 6-7/16”
Cuff to bottom of the heel: 25.3cm; 10”
Back of the heel to the tip of the toe: 23.5cm; 9-1/4”
Ankle (diagonal): 12.8cm; 5”
Width (leg circumference): (10.2 x 2)cm; (4 x 2)“
Width (ball of the foot): (9.7 x 2)cm; (3-5/8 x 2)”

The sock fits a US size 8 foot. The heel looks good and feels comfortable. Although not bad at all, the round toe is not the most comfortable on a wide toe like mine. The fit will be better on someone with a more rounded toe.

Overall, I quite like the sock.