Adventures in Heel Knitting

I've been knitting socks for a long time, and I've knit a lot of socks. I've tried different methods and styles in that time and have always seemed to come back to a traditional top-down heel flap sock. It's just something I can do without having think. Doing the same thing again and again can leave you in a bit of a rut, though, so I felt like it was a good thing to do for myself as a sock knitter to try something new.

The Fish Lips Kiss Heel has been out for nearly three years, and in the past few months it has seemed like every podcaster I watch or listen to has been doing it. It seemed like it was high time I give it a try. I'm really not sure why I hesitated for so long -- after all, the pattern costs only a dollar and is very detailed -- other than the fact that I have not had great luck with short-row heels in the past. It did not seem like a huge sacrifice to try it on one pair of socks (I do wear my other socks with short-row heels, even if they're not my favorite), and I figured that knitting that pair in handspun would make it more enjoyable. So I dutifully had the Mister trace my foot to make my template, did all my measurements and calculations, and cast on.

I made quick work of the foot, no doubt in part because the way I spun the yarn makes me knit faster to see the colors change. By this morning, I was ready to start the heel, and it only took me a couple of rows to get the hang of it. By this evening, I had a completed heel.

I do like the look of this heel and found it easy to knit, but time will tell if I really like it. I've got to wear the socks a bit and get a better sense for how they fit my foot. If I like them, I can see myself using this heel method a lot, especially when I'm knitting with handspun and want to use up as much as possible. Is it crazy to think that I might become a converted toe-up sock knitter?