There is nothing more exciting than finding out about a new sock heel construction. I first read about the Fish Lips Kiss Heel on a sock knitters forum and eagerly bought the pattern.
Fish Lips Kiss Heel is designed by Sox Therapist and is available on Ravelry.com. I read through the detailed instructions and watched the two stitch techniques on Youtube and then decided to use the heel construction with my normal basic sock pattern.
I chose a lovely sock yarn from my stash for knitting these socks – Roam Fusion colour 2023 Fosse.
Casting on 60 stitches and joining into a round, I used 2.75mm double pointed needles to knit 14 rounds of k1, p1 rib. The leg consisted of 50 rounds of stocking stitch. At this point I was ready to follow Sox Therapist’s instructions for knitting the Fish Lips Kiss Heel from page 9 of her pattern.
I must admit I had to think about what I was doing as I knit this heel. The finished heel is a excellent. It is comfortable. It fits my heel neatly. More importantly, there isn’t a single gap in this heel. It looks great. So I decided to try using the heel construction for the toe on these socks.
I continued knitting 44 rounds for the foot but next time I would knit 46 rounds as I prefer my socks to be a bit looser than these are. These socks have exactly 10% negative ease.
When I had finished knitting the foot, I followed the instructions for knitting the Fish Lips Kiss Heel again to create the Toe shaping. When I had finished knitting the toe, I used kitchener stitch to graft the toe stitches to the instep stitches.
I’m delighted with the finished socks which are very comfortable.
While walking Bene past the Spruce wood on Sunday, Neil and I noticed the dappled sunlight lighting up an old culvert between the trees. It was magical with the dappled light flickering across the carpet of moss, pine needles and ferns. Not much grows in the darkness beneath the spruce trees. The twigs of the trees were draped with trailing streams of moss.
The perfect place to photograph these socks. But, I’ve got to admit standing on the sharp little pine needles was a little like receiving a foot massage from a hedgehog.
Hi. Ok, I’ve mastered the TSK and TSP and have finally successfully completed these on one sock. ( Please don’t ask me to knit two socks at a time on the magic loop. That’s just for masochists!). But when do I pickup the front stitches and start knitting all around? And where does that extra 1” in the upper heel come in and how /when do I do that?
Just curious about how you use this heel for the toe. Is there a need/method for joining at the end? I just bought the pattern but haven’t got it yet to download and am wondering how similar it may be to the Priscilla Gibson-Roberts method I learned years ago and use for toes but have not used for heels.
I used kitchener stitch to graft across the top of the toe where it joined the foot.
Hi there – love your blog. My prob with the FLK heel is the 2nd half. I was left with larger hols than the short row. On the 2nd half of the heel when starting to increase in width and length, am I still doing TSKs? I thought the pattern said to just knit them, which I did and wound up with the holes. Please help. Any step by step on that part would be great. Thank you! Lynne
I would love for someone to get permission to make a video tutorial making a full sock from cuff to toe using this heel pattern. I am 79 years old and been knitting for years and some of the instructions are just not clear to me. I have a pair of socks for my brother started on circular needles and am stuck at the heel. I want to use this heel pattern … which I have purchased … so bad but just can’t understand when and how to start this heel from the leg of the sock. I never pay for patterns but I did for this heel … and I certainly would for a full tutorial of a sock pattern. Thank you kindly.
I am SO glad I am not the only one. I haven’t been knitting for that long, perhaps 5 years and have done top-down socks successfully. I wanted to learn a new technique and started the top-up with the wrap and turn technique. I was not impressed by the result but consoled myself with the thought that it’d be better next time. Then I found the various posts on the fish lips heel and, of course, the name is so catchy, how can one resist? I have frogged this sock too many times. Sigh.
Youtube Search box produces several viedoes to watch on thuis heel!
I am so in agreement with this. I purchased this pattern soon after it was released and still haven’t been able to use it. I simply get lost in all. Those I instructions.
I’ve been using the FL heel for years now and I love it so much that I can’t imagine why I would bother trying anything else now…so much for all my sock books. I did not like any of the other heels (and the math) I made for years cause they tended to look like a handmade sock…which some family members don’t appreciate. However…I can’t imagine why I would want to use the same technique for the toes?? I hate grafting!! I started using the toe up approach…and can do it in my sleep now…as well as the FLH although being awake helps. LOL! So far…the heels have wore well and I worried that not having a double thickness or similar heel would mean I’d have to darn these socks. Not so far and they are almost invisible…and the negative ease seems to keep the heel cup from cupping out or slipping sideways. I told my granddaughter to NOT try and make socks by any other pattern when she is ready…but to let me show her this FLH first…then if she wants to follow other patterns…so be it. I love NOT having to count or pick up stitches…which means I can take these with me where-ever I go and knit without worrying that distractions might make me miss a count or a pickup.
Hi Knitting Squirrel,
I am trying the Fish Lips Kiss Heel for the first time. I bought the pattern on Ravelry and am following it however, like you, I have 60 stitches total, not 64, so 30 stitches for the heel. So the instructions say to do the TSKs and TSPs until you have 1/3 of each on either side, 1/3 stitches in the middle and two unknit stitches on the end. Well, that’s fine if you are starting with 32 stitches. But for 30 stitches, if you have 10 stitches in the middle, you have 9 TSKs and 9 TSPs on the sides (and the two unknit stitches on the edges). Which is more important? The 10 stitches in the middle, or having 10 TSKs and TSPs on the sides. If I have 10 TSKs and TSPs on the sides, I will have 8 stitches in the middle. How did you handle this?
Thanks
Hi Devi, I didn’t worry about the 1/3 in the middle. I went down to 8 stitches in the middle. It worked perfectly. Happy Knitting, Nicolette
i found you and love your blog. my question for you is how do i actually start the flk heel for the toe with a top down. i am to the part of getting to the decrease for the toe and i am stumped as to how to start the toe using the flk heel directions. i saw that you had done it on yours and loved it. any help would be greatly appreciated.
Basically I treated the toe as though it was the heel. I knit the first half of the FLK heel (as the toe) continuing on from the sole half of the foot. Then I did the second half of the FLK heel (as the top side of the toe) and when I’d finished it, I grafted the stitches from this to the stitches on the top of the foot using kitchener. I didn’t do anything more complicated than that. The only difference was that I continued the shaping of the FLK for an extra couple of rows before turning to do the top of it. I hope that helps.
wow i am just now reading this answer from you. I am so sorry but never got anything telling me you responded. I am confused still even after reading your answer to my question. once i do all my twin stitches and have the 2 that are left on my right needle, i then continued around only til i got to the end of the stitches for that needle(which are the stitches i used for the flk ) once i got to the end of that needle i then had half on 2 needles, then started the grafting. i did not go all the way around. are you suppose to go all the way around once you finish the flk heel for toes? I am so sorry if i have confused you here.
Hi, I can not figure out how to knit the heel😳Is there a video tutorial somewhere? I have searched all over internet but I cant find any. Does anyone know??? I managed to knit until the triangel, but then it is stop. Please help…
Hi Lena, As the FLK heel is a paid for pattern, there isn’t really any tutorial video that I know of. The designer has two youtube videos showing how to do the twin stitch knit and the twin stitch purl that are used when knitting the heel. I only use the heel part of the pattern from page 9 to page 11. I hope this helps. Best wishes, Nicolette
Lena, Try searching for YouTube videos on shadow wrap short row heels. I hope it helps when you attempt the FLK. Read pages 9-10 and follow each step.
I have a question. Everyone is enjoying the fish lips kiss heel. I, however, seem to have a block about it. I have some 50+ years experience knitting. I have no trouble following a pattern. I’ve done numerous projects, following the pattern without help. But this one has me. I’ve followed the video, downloaded the pattern, and tried knitting a sample. I just don’t get it. Do you have a tutorial or can you point me in the right direction? I really need help. Thank you.
I’ve found the fish lips kiss heel reasonably straight forward. However, it isn’t my favourite heel and I tend to use it when I am doing an afterthought heel on a sock. Because I don’t knit it often, I always have to watch the two youtube videos to remind me of the two stitches. They are pretty helpful. I don’t have a tutorial for this heel as it belongs to the designer. I don’t follow all the instructions in her pattern, I tend to just use the few pages of instruction from about page 9 to the end of knitting the heel. Sorry I can’t be of more help. Happy Knitting, Nicolette
Just found your blog through a link on Knitting Paradise forum digest where your site was linked for knitting the Strong Heel. As often happens to me I had to check other postings on your blog, a total time suck, but very pleasant I must say.
My question is: having knitted up various heels for your socks do you have a favorite? One you use as your ” go to” heel?
Yes, I have a “go to” heel that I love knitting without having to think about it. It is the dutch/square heel. I love knitting it. I don’t have to think about it and I can knit it in the car without having to do much counting. Do you have a favourite heel construction? Hope that answers your question Joan. Happy sock knitting, Nicolette
Wow, just recently discovered your blog and it is amazing! I love, love, love you beautiful socks, hope mine will someday look this nice. Since I’m new here, please forgive me if this question is redundant, but do you ship to the US? Oh how I would love to see your country!
Hi Mary Alice, I’m delighted that you enjoyed visiting the Knitting Squirrel’s blog. Once you’ve knit your first sock you will be hooked. If you can knit, purl, increase and decrease, you can knit a sock. It really is so much fun!
Yes, I ship to the US.
It is lovely here, but really, it would be so nice if it would just stop raining. We had great weather for our 2 weeks away but it has rained most days since! Happy Knitting, Nicolette
I just purchased the FLK heel pattern and finished my first pair toe up magic loop two at a time. The Ravelry group Sox Therapy has a thread on doing FLK toes on a toe up sock. I spent hours reading every post. And then dove in. You do a Judy’s Magic Cast On with the number of stitches you will need for the body of the sock. On one side of the cast on you do the FLK heel. When you are done with that you are ready to work in the round with the second half of the JMCO. I was skeptical, but did a sample toe and it worked beautifully. The socks fit so nicely.
Hi Jennie, thank you so much for your very helpful comment and information. I definitely want to try this. Nicolette
Wow that is great! I can’t wait to read through the threads! Thanks so much for posting. I can’t wait to try!
Look forward to hearing how you get on!
That’s how I knit my socks now too. I bind off using Jenny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind off
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-GqitE8Qt8
I love the Fish Lips Kiss Heel! I am wondering how would I use it as the toe for toe up socks? Your socks are beautiful!
I’ve only knit one pair of toe up socks and with those I cast on at the toe which wouldn’t be possible with the Fish Lips Kiss Heel. I think the only way you could do it would be to start with a provisional cast on of half the stitches needed for knitting the foot, knit the heel, then pick up the stitches from the provisional cast on to continue knitting the foot. That way you wouldn’t have any grafting to do. This is just a suggestion as I haven’t tried doing it myself and was just pondering over your question. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out.
I was just thinking the same thing! It will be my first pair of socks ever so I am super excited to try it! I will let you know how it goes! Just found your page and I am living it!
If you have any questions when you are knitting your first sock, do ask and I’ll help if I can. Look forward to seeing your finished socks!
Thank you! I was saw in a thread on Ravelry that some are using Judys Magic Cast On also to do a toe. I am using Worsted Weight Yarn and a size 8 to do a practice sock. I used the provisional cast on and I think it looks good. When I get further along I will post a picture. Thanks so much for your help!
Hi Peggy, have a look at Jennie’s very helpful comment. This is definitely something I’m going to try. Happy Knitting, Nicolette
That’s the way I did it. Came out great, even with acrylic worsted!
This is great! Being a relatively new knitter (been knitting for almost a year now), I have found that I have a passion for knitting/wearing cozy colorful socks. I just discovered the Fish Lips Kiss Heel after trying out several other heel methods. While waiting for the yarn I plan to use for my next pair of socks, I decided to to practice the Fish Lips Kiss heel by itself with some scrap yarn. When I was done I thought, “Hey, this would make a great TOE.” I Googled to see if anyone else had tried this. So here I am 🙂 I plan to give it a go with toe up socks as soon as I get my yarn.
The Fish Lips Kiss Heel works really well as a toe. It’s very comfortable to wear and not little gaps. Just had a little bit of bulk at the side of my toe but I’m thinking about how it could be made smoother.
Hiya knitting squirrel. I too have just purchased the fish lips kiss heel pattern from the sox therapist on the ravelry store. It appears to be ingenious. wow!! I LOVE knitting sox from the toe up. It is so much easier. No 2nd sock syndrome and no darned Kitchener. I hate it. You have just got to start knitting toe up socks!!! I wish my mother-in-law was still alive so she could make socks the new way. She always used 4 needles. I guess I will have to fiddle when I make the socks using the sox therapists recipe so that I can try doing the fish lips kiss heel in reverse on the toes.
Hi Margie, thank you for your comment. I really enjoyed knitting the fish lips kiss heel. I actually just slotted it into my favourite basic sock pattern and then used it for the toe. It worked wonderfully well for the toe as there were absolutely no little gaps anywhere in either the toe or heel. But quite a few kitchener stitches to do across the top of the toe. I knitted the WYS Holly Berry Christmas Socks pattern for my mum for Christmas – it was a toe up pattern – and I’ve got to admit I made heavy weather of knitting it. Mum loves the finished socks. I’ve bought felt soles to sew onto them to turn them into slipper socks. I will try knitting another pair of toe up socks though. I just got Wendy D Johnson’s book Socks from the Toe Up and thought I’d try knitting one of her patterns. Happy New Year, Nicolette
Great Heel, Very comfortable !!
I love that heel, especially because you can work it toe up or cuff down. It’s what I use for all my short row projects now. I hadn’t thought of using it for a sock toe though! Next pair I’ll give it a try.
It is a great heel. Very comfortable. Using it as a toe has worked wonderfully well, no little gaps or ladders. I’d love to hear how you get on.