So, I tried the second sock knitting based on my understanding of the pattern. Of course it looked A LOT different, and didn’t fit as well as the first. Which actually was a good thing, because all I had to rip back was the heel. I have to admit a sense of relief that I didn’t have to rip back the entire first sock back to before the heel. Of course the response when I told the recipient what my plan was (to try the second method, and see what was better, and then rip the wrong one back), was to ask why they had to match in the first place.
Probably a good question, and one I’ve asked myself in the past. But when my socks didn’t match previously it was stripes, or maybe a missed wrap or short-rows that weren’t perfect, not a full inch difference in heel flaps.
I’m still not sure which is correct. I’ll have to knit another pair to see if I can figure it out. For now, though, it looks like these will fit just fine. So, one week later, I’m back to where I was last Monday. So, it’s back to the heel flap I go.
I knit alone 