What is a short row heel?
It is a heel that is similar to a commercial sock heel. You knit one fewer st on each row to gradually decrease the number of sts that are knitted. The non-knitted sts are just left on the needle. When the heel width is reached, you knit one more st on each row to gradually get back to the original number. This creates a diagonal line across the heel. Short row heels are worked the same whether the sock is toe-up or cuff-down. There are many different variations to make the heel look symmetrical and without holes along the diagonal line. Instructions can be found in many sock knitting books or http://www.tattings.com/knitted/heel.shtml. Many of the free sock patterns listed above also use short row heels. Many commercial patterns also use short row heels. Priscilla Gibson Roberts book Simple Socks includes detailed directions.
