Turning the heel
The shaping of a sock's heel so that it curves under the foot. Often done using short rows.
Explanation
Turning the heel is the magical moment in sock knitting where the fabric transitions from a straight tube into a three-dimensional shape that fits around the foot. This is achieved using short rows (such as German Short Rows or traditional wrap-and-turn short rows), where you only knit across the center heel stitches, gradually incorporating the side stitches on each row until the heel curve is formed. After turning the heel, you typically pick up stitches along the sides of the heel flap to continue knitting the foot.