Drops house elves slippers WS/RS confusion

#1


Hello
I am confused about which is the RS and which is the WS. I’m also not totally sure that it matters but its slightly bothering me because at the make up stage it says to put WSs together, sew, then turn inside out so that WS is now RS. Then they are felted so I suppose the felting may have better results with a particular stitch type on the outside.

Basic instruction is
Cast on row in edging colour
K 5 rows
Change to main colour, work st st and decrease row
on this row I considered it a WS row as it is row 6, making the assumption that row 1 was RS. However as I needed to change colour I decided to knit this row rather than start with WS row of st st, purl, as I would get in knots trying to change colour and weave in the ends on a purl row. I also felt it would be a neater colour change if I knitted this row because you get that dashed line of colour on the purl side don’t you?
Anyway, I knitted it and kind of thought what does it matter, it’ll be okay.

Pattern continues
Work 17cm
Cast on new stitches at end of every row from RS
When work measures 50cm cast off stitches at beginning of every row from WS.
When work measures 73cm purl 1 row from WS.
I no longer know if I am knitting the right side or purling the right side and just really confused.
I think the cast on at end of row is the knit row (at end of row turn, cast on, then purl).
I think the cast off at beginning of row is the purl row.
I’m not sure about the purl row mentioned, is it just the second row of st st?? Or is it saying that I should do a purl row amidst my knit side? But then why would I do that when they are just plain simple felted slippers?

Is the knit side the right side?
And that end purl row would be the wrong side anyway?
And at the end when it says sew wrong sides together that would be purl on inside, then turn inside out so purl on the outside?? I’m half guessing it felts better with the bumpy purl.

Sorry. I know this is a long confusing question :confused:

I do have an additional question, just in case anyone got this far and is still reading!
Last 5 rows are knit, it says change to second colour or leave as main colour. I don’t understand why the colour would change here when the contrasting band has already been produced at the beginning of the work. What are these last 5 rows making?

Thanks for reading :blush:

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#2

The video at the end is helpful at seeing the overall shape of the slipper.

It’ll help to put a marker on the RS of the slipper, the V or knit side of the stockinette. The purl row is on the purl side, a continuation of the stockinette.
As far as the contrasting band, the video helps you to see where the contrasting bands at each end come together.

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#3

Thank you for your reply.
The video helps me see where the colour change would be and makes sense. I feel a bit daft not realising before.
But it doesn’t make sense with the RS/WS confusion i have.

What you have said really helps, it confirms my original thoughts about RS (knit side of st st) and WS (purl side of st st) so now I can go ahead with working the pattern shaping.
Thank you for confirming the purl row to be done on the WS is just a continuation of the normal st st, it was this instruction that caused me to question which was the RS and WS as I couldn’t work out why it had been stated this way.
However, at the end it says turn inside out. This is the other part which caused me to question the entire pattern and which was RS and WS.
I am to put together with WS together, the purl side then, and sew. But then turn inside out? This isn’t done on the video. On the video it is felted with the knit side on the outside, but the pattern says turn it inside out so the WS become RS.
Is it just that this particular pattern calls for it to be felted with the reverse st st as the right side and they don’t show this on the video because it is a general video for a range of patterns?

This is quite possibly the simplest pattern ever and yet I’m still feeling stuck. I suppose in the end it wouldn’t really matter which side was on the outside when its felted. I don’t mind a bit of wrong.

#4

The purl side in the video is to the inside. Seam up with the purl sides together. Then turn inside out so that the purl side is to the outside. In the video at about 34 seconds you can just see the seam on the inside of the felted slipper.
If you’d prefer the knit side to the outside in the finished slipper however, just reverse the seaming.

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#5

Just realised the colourwork will be wrong too.
I was looking at the picture on the pattern which has the dark grey main colour and a stripe of white.
I mistakingly thought there must be a turn down at the ankle creating the stripe because the pattern says to start with the contrast colour.
But there is no turn down is there?
Hmm…

Little man is expecting cerise main colour with sea blue stripe.
Could I pick up and knit a few more rows at the leg end in my main colour (cerise) to produce a slipper that looks more like the pattern photo of the grey and white?

#6

Aha! OK!
So on the video they just don’t show turning it inside out.
I got it.
Thank you :blush: Thank you :blush: Thank you :blush:

#7

Sure. You can arrange the colors as you wish and add a couple more rows, too. If the cull is too long you’ll need to be sure to shape it while wet to make sure it doesn’t become too tight when it dries.
The directions for seaming have an opening in the front turn back if you like or you can seam all the way up and turn a cuff.

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#8

Thank you.

Now I’m wondering if it does actually already allow for that turn at the cuff which makes the stripe but it just doesn’t say this in the pattern instruction.
I think I’ll see how long it looks once I get there, and then decide if I can turn it down or if I need to add some rows in the cerise at the cuff.
I’m assuming if I am going to tun it down I should:
A) seam the turn down on the opposite side to the main seam
B) sew it down before felting so that the turn down is sealed and permanently flat

There’s a bit of guess work in the colouring and finishing of this pattern. Do you think my guesses are right about the cuff to create the pattern of the dark grey and white slipper?

Thank you for your help, I really appreciate it.

#9

That all sounds reasonable. I’m not sure about stitching the turn down before felting but I don’t have experience felting. Maybe someone else can advise on that aspect or you may have to go ahead and give it a try. I wonder if felting a small circular swatch that models the turn down would help.

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