I get binary about heels

I thought of a way to illustrate what’s going on with some heels. Imagine each one below represents one stitch in a short row while zero is the needles not engaged

regular heel - peak row ½ of the stitches
111111111000000000
111111110000000000
111111100000000000
111111000000000000
111110000000000000
111100000000000000
111000000000000000
110000000000000000
111000000000000000
111100000000000000
111110000000000000
111111000000000000
111111100000000000
111111110000000000

sweet tomato heel - peak row ⅔ of the stitches
111111111111000000
111111111100000000
111111110000000000
111111000000000000
111100000000000000
110000000000000000
2 rows knit plain
111111111111000000
111111111100000000
111111110000000000
111111000000000000
111100000000000000
110000000000000000
2 rows knit plain
111111111111000000
111111111100000000
111111110000000000
111111000000000000
111100000000000000
110000000000000000

y heel - peak row ½ of the stitches, for 1 wedge, the second either has more or less stitches than the first
111111111000000000
111111110000000000
111111100000000000
111111000000000000
111110000000000000
111100000000000000
111000000000000000
110000000000000000
111000000000000000
111100000000000000
111110000000000000
111111000000000000
111111100000000000
111111110000000000
111111111000000000
111111111100000000
111111111110000000

y heel has one wedge that is larger than the other so that when you look at the heel of the sock you see a ‘y’ on either side of it. The ‘y’ I illustrated is for a larger heel. It may also be shorter. Really it depends on the shape of the foot.

Personally I like a deep heel but I think mr gobbism’s feet need it less. I suppose if I make socks for more people I will find different heels work better for each. A big future challenge for me is my mother’s feet. She had polio as a child and her feet are shaped quite differently as a result.

Anyway, if you add up the number of short rows, you’ll see that the sweet tomato heel typically is deeper than the standard heel but one may eliminate a row or 2 from 1, 2, or 3 wedges if you like.

Cone of yarn

I wound some yarn onto a cardboard cone. I did it the old fashioned way

This next image is from a Creelman Brothers Manual.  I do not have the same sort of swift but my bobbin winder is quite similar.  With an old fashioned bobbin one must be very careful in how it is wound.  A cone allows a lot of leeway as it already has a good slope but since I over filled it I had to be careful.

It is worth enlarging the second image for the text about Bobbin-winder Operators.

I don't like to photograph my worksite

because frankly I am messy.  I have been working on a little design on my Legare 400 but it is a christmas surprise so I cannot elaborate.  But what I can share is that Cat Bordhi's sweet tomato heel is a good design for a circular sock machine.

I actually am getting to know this thing which I have decided to call Black Bette because she has been my bête noire.  She is Quebecoise so of course French.

I just finished cranking a pair of thigh highs which don't quite match for several reasons including not keeping track of the tension.  I'd like to make myself a bunch of pairs of stockings and then to figure out how to size them for someone whose legs are not as thin as mine.  I think I might have a friend or two willing to be a guinea pig.