Cast on date around June 7, 2017
Bindoff date August 28, 2017

I used smaller size needles (size3) than what worsted weight normally suggests to make a nice dense cushioning fabric. The natural wool also allows the sole to felt a little with wear.

Used 3x1 ribbing and Sweet Tomato Heel.

Toe up. Increase to 56 stitches for foot circumference.
Instep 3x1 ribbing w slip stitch in middle of the three k st.
Padded sweet tomato heel, increasing and decreasing 25% before and after heel to manage this Two at a Time on one circular. This creates 3:2 stitch ratio on the back/heel .

Sweet Tomato Heel
https://youtu.be/IRc3309JUyc
Padded Sweet Tomato Heel
https://youtu.be/lXPCmhWb2Yk

Measuring for socks and template
https://youtu.be/LKwm3yJON7I

divide sock in half if you’ve not got it this way already, with 1/2 the stitches on one (side of the circular) needle and 1/2 on the other.
start heel when you reach the end of your arch, as shown below. For me, this is when I “just barely” feel the needle under my heel when I fit the sock on.

where to start the heel, when knitting toe-up
increase the number of stitches on your sole needle as follows (I typically have a multiple of 4 stitches on each needle): K2, m1, K4, m1 to last 2, K2. This is about a 25% increase.
Work 3 or 4 wedges of sweet tomato heel (video here).

Begin first heel wedge, (@ right marker before instep sts): WS of Heel section: slip purlwise and purl to end of Heel sts. Turn work.
(Tighten the first slipped st by tugging the 2nd and 3rd sts)
RS of Heel sts: slip first st purlwise and knit to end. Turn.
WS: Sl 1 pw wyif, then purl to last two sts. Turn.
RS: sl1pw wyib, then knit to last to sts. Turn.
Continue until 1” of center heel sts.
Closing gaps on half sts: RS and slip first center heel st, knit across rest of center sts until one st before first gap, lift mother sts before gap up onto left needle tip and K2tog to close gap following it. Repeat last stitch before instep sts, lift mother stitch up on L tip, and K2tog to close gap between heel and instep sts. Work across instep sts. Rotate to face heel sts still on RS. You are working uphill to the center heel sts on this side of heel sts and will be lifting mother st of stitch after the gap. Lift mother stitch up on L needle tip to close gap between heel and instep sts. K1 after closing the gap. Then Lift mother st to L needle tip to K2tog of st after gap on this side of heel. Continue to close the gaps leading up to the center heel sts and you’ll notice the sts on both needles are finally on same row (Heel center sts on L needle ready to be worked). Knit across rest of Heel sts and across instep sts. May start another heel wedge or knit another round if wanting more boundary between wedges.

My variation: I don’t use Cat’s method of hiding the gap(lift “mother stitch up on left needle tip and knit the two sts.together) I use “hoiked stitches” when I do the short rows (in a nutshell, knit - or purl - to end, turn, always slip 1st st of new row PW WYIF, pull yarn over back of needle to hoist 1st stitch up, raising its two legs onto the needle, keep yarn tight, then continue purling or knitting to end of row). When knitting over these “hoiked” stitches treat their two legs as one stitch and “knit them together”.
Note that when I’m doing 2AAT with these heels, I will do a complete wedge on the first sock, then move onto the second, and then knit the “boomerang” rows all around both socks. This brings be around to the first sock again, so I’m ready for the next wedge on the first sock.
When finished 3 “tomato wedges”, knit a row all ‘round the sock, and try it on. If the sock comes over the biggest part of your heel, you are done. If not, make another wedge. It depends a bit on where you start the heel. The further back (towards the heel) you start it, the fewer wedges you will likely need. It also depends on the number of stitches you started with, and the shape of your foot…
Once you’re satisfied with the fit, knit a few rows all around the sock(s), keeping in plain stockinette on the sole side. After 2 or 3 rows, decrease away all those extra stitches you added on the sole: K1, K2tog, K3, K2tog to end. You might need to fudge it a bit, but you’ll need eventually to have the same number of stitches on the front and back of each sock, just like when you started.

sweet tomato hybrid, done over 1/2 the sock sts, 4 wedges

That’s it!

This gives you the option of the sweet tomato heel, but doesn’t require you to use 2/3 of the stitches, like Cat’s original recipe. I find that the traditional recipe is a pain to execute 2 at a time, and also it interferes with most designs on the front of the sock.

But, I am still not 100% satisfied with this recipe. I find that it is still a little tight across my instep (see how some of the stitches at the “edge” of the heel are stretched out in the photo above?), and also that the 4th wedge is just a little too much (I get a slight bulge above my heel where the excess sock fabric collects). So be warned: some tweaking might be required! Put in a lifeline before you start your heel, and that way you can always rip it back easily.

Possible tweaks: increase every 3rd stitch rather than every 4th for a 33% increase in the number of heel sts. I judge I probably need 4 more stitches for a good fit. Then, make the last tomato wedge narrower (instead of turning when you’re 2 stitches short of the end of the row, turn when you are 3 or maybe even 4 stitches short). This will reduce the width of the last wedge by a few rows.

How to: Working the wedges in a contrasting color is not hard. Here’s what I found worked best: ?Work the last set-up round before the first heel wedge in the Main Color (MC), BUT work the very last stitch (the one just before marker A) in the heel color (HC). Begin your wedge in the usual way: turn, slip one, purl across… Continue working in HC until you have completed the last turn and are knitting across the top of the wedge working the “thanks mas.” Stop one stitch before marker A, drop the HC and pick up the MC. Work the “Thanks Ma” on that final stitch using the MC, then continue around with MC for the desired number of full rounds. I used 3 rounds of MC between the wedges.
If not doing contrast color, use 2 rounds.

When working a “Thanks Ma” where the “daughter” stitch is one color and the “mother” stitch is a different color, you will get a neater appearance on the knit side if you lift the mother up and over the daughter stitch. You should end up with “Ma” to the left and “daughter” to the right, both on your left needle. Then you knit them together. I call this the “Thanks Ma, you’re tops!” maneuver.

I did not break the yarn between wedges -- just stranded it up the back until I was ready to start the next wedge. Don’t strand it too loosely -- it will loosen up after you work the final “Thanks Ma” at the end of the wedge. Strand it firmly but not so tight it puckers the fabric.

I will be putting these socks to the ultimate performance test this fall: a 5-day hike in the French Tarn Gorge!
Tight gauge for wool hiking socks:

Dense gauge like w Guernsey for better wearing socks:
http://gansey.blogspot.com/2008/02/good-socks.html?m=1

Jogless stripe:
http://techknitting.blogspot.com/2007/01/jogless-stripes....

EZ sewn bind off is stretchier and lies flatter than Icelandic.
Icelandic will still be stretchy, looks same front and back, has a thicker I-cord feel to it, can be done on needles instead of darning needle w long length of yarn.
http://knitfreedom.com/bind-offs/icelandic-bind-off

Standard US and UK Sock Chart
http://kateatherley.com/2017/08/10/foot-size-tables/

Camping split finger gloves
http://redirect.viglink.com/?format=go&jsonp=vglnk_15...

http://www.knittingparadise.com/t-148009-1.html

Men’s socks w small cable Rib
https://knitty.com/ISSUEw11/PATTjava.php

Yarn Harlot Earl Grey with small cable each side
http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2007/08/30/earl_gr...

Men’s Dress Sock
https://pdf.ravelrycache.com/crystaldiva/536607/Petty_Har...

CO 80 stitches with cable cast on and started K1 P3 K1 for half an inch before decreasing K1 P2tog P1 K1 down to 64 sts. I learned this from Lucy Neatby’s Craftsy class 2016 KAL, and it makes a nice stretchy cuff.

https://youtu.be/LKwm3yJON7I
Sock Template
First, you’re going to add a few lines to that template:

1. Draw a line 0.75” back from the end of your heel. This is the “flap line”.

2. Now draw another line 2.5” away from the flap line, towards the toes. This is the “gusset line”.

The distance between the flap line and the gusset line determines the height of the heel flap when you are knitting toe-up socks with flaps (includes Fleegle/Strong style flaps). 2.5” is what I use for ladies’ medium sizes; for men or those with larger feet, you might add 0.25” to make a 2.75” flap - in other words, move the gusset line a little further forward towards the toes. The location of the flap line stays fixed.

cardboard template with placement guides

Now you have 3 lines to guide you for different heel constructions:

1. ankle-bone line = placement for short-row heels (like FLK), sweet tomato hybrid heels with no extra added stitches, and traditional afterthought heels
2. gusset line = placement for deeper after/forethought heels, starting point for gussets for toe-up flap heels, fleegle/strong heels, insertion point for sweet tomato heels, and extra-deep short row or hybrid sweet tomato heels (extra deep meaning you need to add 6-8 sts to the sole sts all at once at this point, which get decreased away all at once when you’re done the heel).
3. flap line = where you stop increasing for toe-up heel flaps / modded fleegle heels, and start actually turning the heel.

What I’ve learned from playing with this template is that you can start your heel construction anywhere between the gusset and ankle bone line - but the further towards your toes you start, the deeper the heel needs to be for a good fit. Making a deeper heel is accomplished by adding stitches, either all at once (like for Sweet Tomato Heels done over 2/3 of the sock’s stitches, or as per Sweet Tomato Hybrids which add them all at once), or by creating a gusset (Fleegle/Strong, flap heels), or by adding them as part of the afterthought construction (those little gussets I add in my “improved” afterthought heel).