Afterthought heels

In the previous post, I professed my love for the Twisted German Cast-On. Today I'd like to say how much I enjoy the Afterthought Heel (AKA, the Peasant Heel). It takes me so long to knit a sock that the thought of wearing holes in the heels makes me cry. And me when I cry is not a pretty thing--red nose, puffy eyes and lips. It's like Ronald McDonald with a hormone imbalance.

Luckily I learned how to do a completely re-heelable sock from Dawn Brocco's site. I had tried the brilliant and practical "Moccasin Sock" from EZ's Knitter's Almanac, but I hate both picking up stitches and grafting with equal animosity. But with the Afterthought Heel, I only have to pick up six stitches (I pick up three in each corner rather than the four DB recommends) and since it uses a star pattern decrease, there's no grafting, either. It's the perfect sock for someone as impatient and uncoordinated as I am.

Here's a picture of the instep side (I'm Magic Loop-ing it):



And the temporary heel stitches which will be pulled out and rearrange on the needles: