I don't know about the Mary Maxim circular knitters, but the Addi Express talks about using short rows for heels and toes -- when you reach a heel, you go back-and-forth decreasing rows on 1/2 the stitches down to about 1/6 the circle, then increase back up to 1/2, then continue cranking right the way around for the foot, then do the same for the toes ... that leaves you with a toe-top to kitchener shut on to the top of the foot.
Which isn't as bad as it sounds, since you can knit a "chimney" (term borrowed from Lucy Neatby) easily out of waste yarn on the machine to show you where to kitchener next. That's basically the same as how you do one on the antique sock machine with its 80 or 72 or 60 or 54 needle cylinder (72s and 60s are most common, 80s and 54s are harder to find,but they are out there -- heck, I have a 100, those are like hen's teeth)
44 stitches on the mary maxim one, eh? hmmm ... if the needles are big enough, that might do an adult sock in worsted -- boot socks, great this time of year!
