Hosed again

I am very, very, very tempted to quit sock knitting. I simply don't understand it.

Where to begin? The pattern says to start the heel flap with the wrong side facing. Uh, OK. They both look the same to me. Which is the wrong side? That turned out not to me the major source of confusion. I just went ahead and knitted figuring that if I was wrong about the wrong side, so be it.

No, the first question was how I was supposed to divide the stitches. Oh, I know that I was supposed to put half on one needle, but would it have killed anybody to explain that you put the stitch with the working yarn on that needle and move the rest onto the other end? The books assume more knowledge than I feel I have as a beginner. As I attempt in vain to knit slightly more complicated things, I can feel my patience wearing thin.

After referring to several books and websites and gleaning enough to feel like I might be ready to move on, I knitted the heel flap. I'm guessing that I messed up somewhere along the line. It doesn't look right, but I don't know how to explain.

Then it was time to turn the heel. Again, instructions failed me. It took a long time to determine that I wasn't supposed to knit every stitch on the needle before turning. The actual knitting wasn't difficult, but having the faintest idea about what I was supposed to do was. Per the pattern, I ended up with six stitches, so best I can tell, I turned the heel OK. But who knows?

This is how I see it when working on the sock.

Here it is flipped over. Note how the ribbing and other section don't stay consistent on both sides.

Now I'm at the point where I must stop because I'm extremely frustrated. I haven't a clue how to pick up stitches or with what needles and where they're supposed to go. Apparently I need to pick up sixteen of them. Photos and written directions are as clear as mud, and I've had it.

Dishcloths may not be a thrill a minute to knit, but I don't feel like throwing everything across the room in disgust either. *raised fist* Socks!!!