Welcome!
Did you photograph the cardinal at your feeder? Wonderful photo.
Yes, heel turn is too elongated causing the gap.
Did you continue working short rows, each time working together one of the center sts and one of the end sts? You should end with the same stitch number as needle #1. Then start knitting in the round again.
Which size are you making?
@engblom We need your sock expertise please.
You are supposed to only work on the center stitches and decrease on each side of them. From the photo it looks like you knitted all across the needle before doing the decrease. Maybe you mixed up the sizes and knitted/purled too far?
That photo was an accident in the post. Im usually so tech savvy but that was not intentional. Yes! I photographed the cardinal. Got a new telephoto lens and sit from my office and shoot photos. Cardinals, 3 variety of woodpeckers…its a lot of fun. Happy you liked it! I knit a practice sock because it was my first toe up and when I looked at it there was no issue. I realized I was not knitting the stitches on either side of the gap together-in fact not sure there was a gap. This is what happens when I think I’ve mastered a pattern and attempt to watch tv while knitting and get lazy. oops. I ripped it back to the end of the gusset round where i start turning the heel. That was heartbreaking but it could be worse. I’ll remain focused until the heel is complete this time.
You nailed it! That is exactly what happened. I ripped it back to the gusset and will redo. Thanks so much for the response!