Maggie's Instructions for Short Rowed Heels and Toes

After short-rowing down to the desired number of stitches (~1/3 of total heel stitches) and wrapping the final stitch on the right-hand side --

With RS facing, work back all the way across the heel stitches, picking up and knitting all the wraps. Reverse.

Slip first stitch, work across all heel stitches picking up all the wraps on the other side of the heel. Reverse.

Slip first stitch, work across the heel stitches, past the center heel, to the same point where you stopped shortrowing down. Wrap next stitch. Reverse.

Work across, past the center heel, to the corresponding stitch on the other side. Wrap. Reverse.

Continue "short-rowing up" by picking up and knitting the wrapped stitch and wrapping the next one, until the all the heel stitches are worked. On the last two rows, slip the first stitch after reversing. On the last row, work across, slip the last stitch. With left-hand needle, pick up the top strand between the last heel stitch and the first instep stitch, twisting it on the
needle. Slip the last heel stitch back onto the left-hand needle and knit these two stitches together. Continue knitting across instep. Pick up the top strand between the last instep stitch and the first heel stitch, twisting it on the needle, and put it in front of the first heel stitch. Work these two stitches together tbl or ssk. Continue around.

I generally work the toes as above, but add at least two and sometimes three rows of plain knitting between the short-row sequences on the heels. It makes for a better fit (IMHO).

**Note: When working short row toes, it is necessary to Kitchener stitch them together across the top of the sock when finished.

Do you wonder why I say "reverse" instead of "turn"? Because I got tired of turning my work! All those sharp needles flopping around, and having to re-tension the yarn tail every turn got tiresome. After the initial learning period I find it's much simpler and faster to knit backwards across the row instead of turning. (This technique is also useful for bobbles and, although I've never tried it, for entrelac.)