odd heel flap

So I'm working on a child's sock in the Cloverleaf Eyelet Rib pattern, for a CIC sock, as part of the Six Sox knitalong.


I'm using a 36 stitch cast on, Emu Superwash wool DK weight, knitting it on 2 size 6 circulars. I decided I wanted to try to continue the stitch pattern down the top of the foot. The stitch pattern has a base of p1, k5, which wouldn't come out symmetrically on the top of the foot. So when about to start the heel flap I went ahead and took the first P1 from the heel side and moved it to the end of the instep needle, so that needle now has p1, k5, repeat, ending with a p1, which should be fine.

So for the first time I'm working a heel on an odd number of stitches, 17 instead of the 18 I'd usually have. I'm using the eye of partridge heel flap, which modifies quite naturally for an odd number of stitches. What I'm wondering about is how long to make the heel flap. Normally I'd use 18 stitches and 18 rows, so it's square, then be ready to start turning the heel on a knit row. With the 17 stitches, I'm trying to decide if I want to use 16 rows, 18 rows, or use 17 rows and start turning the heel on a purl row.