Sock issues. Trying to get the perfect gusset is harder than I hoped.
My usual gusset, which I have already established has far too much gusset material, starts at about 3.5 inches and doubles the stitch count on the heel needles. When the gusset is done I move onto a pretty wide heel. The socks fit, but there's slack for the entirety of the gusset, so they stretch out real quick. And waste yarn.
The gusset I was trying, which I just tried on (have not done the heel, but I got to the point where normally I'd start the heel): start gusset at 4.5 inches, increase sts on heel needles by about 2/3. There is almost exactly that amount of slack, and the sock is way too short to start the heel.
I think what's been going on with my socks previously is that they were too short but the excess gusset let them stretch big enough. I want them to not have to stretch that way tho, since it can constrict my toes a bit which is increasingly not great.
Excuse the awful pictures. But look at that slack, it's ridiculous. The body of the foot fits greats otherwise. But that excess is basically all of the gusset. So I don't think I need any gusset at all at least up to that point (I may add a stitch every 10 rows or so bc that would probably help keep the fit even).
People who are more experienced with socks pls help. I don't think I can omit the gusset entirely; I tried that when I first started sock knitting and i could never get my heel in the sock. Totally unwearable.
Maybe I do a very rapid increase gusset in the last inch or so before the heel ?
Advice appreciated.
