Tip-Toe Through the Patterns

The last time I could make it to Knit Night Mistress Kelley taught me how to make a Turkish toe. The time came to pick up stitiches around the square and I couldn't undo the provisional cast on. Silly me ripped out the whole thing and started reading some of the million other things I found on toe-up socks. I found what looked like clear directions on the Net; Wendy's Toe-up Sock Pattern. Then I read Twisted Sister's Sock Workbook and Simple Socks. I learned how to do a cool provisional cast on with a crochet hook but I'm throughly confused about the rest of it. The Wendy's pattern looks like hourglass toes but I'm doing something wrong with the short rows. Maggie Righetti was no help either. I think it's time to go back to the Turkish toes.