Help with baby booty pattern

I am very much a beginner knitter but I wanted to try this super cute baby mary jane booty pattern so I gave it a whirl. I used needles too big for my yarn so it came out like monster sized but that’s ok I just wanted to make sure I could do it.

The pattern is here:

The only problem I had with the whole thing was the part where it says “Rejoin yarn where you started binding off 21 stitches. Cast on 12 stitches using cable cast-on method.” What it’s having you do is add on 12 stitches to the nine I already have on the needle to make the little strap. Well, first of all I didn’t quite understand the cable cast-on method (I tried watching the video but it didn’t seem to help me much) so I just used a regular cast-on on the needle that the stitches were already on, thus I ended up with twelve cast-on stitches at the top of the needle, followed by the nine regular stitches from the work. I proceeded to just go ahead and knit them all in order like that which did serve to knit the two pieces together and create the strap…but it was killer ugly. Don’t take my word for it…I have pictures… (see attached).

Does it only look like this because I used the wrong cast-on method to add those stitches or did I do something else wrong? Unfortunately I’m totally a visual learner so if anyone knows how I can do this properly on the next shoe please be as descriptive as possible. A picture or video would be awesome but unless someone just wants to make this shoe that would be a bit much to ask I know.

But ANY help is much appreciated.

Thanks!

That little loop happens when you cast on sts to existing ones. It can be minimized by knitting the first CO st through the back loop to twist it and make the hole smaller. For now, see if you can work some of the extra yarn into the sts next to it, or run another piece of yarn about 2-3" long through it and pull up the loop.

ok so i didn’t necessarily do it wrong? i just need to try and make it tighter? would it have been helped by using the cable cast-on that they recommended rather than the long tail cast-on that I actually used?

I think it would have helped to do the cable cast on. I made a miniture or fake bootie, just starting with the 39 stitches you have after row 19 and doing what it says from there. I took pictures of what I did, but it looks like you are doing well, you just need to try the cable cast on. What Sue says about knitting through the back loop is probably a good idea too.

Here’s what I learned from my experiment. When you are ready to rejoin the yarn to add the stitches, put the stitches that were on the holder on a needle so that you can work on the end that is at the edge of where you bound off the stitches. Hold the needle with the new nine stitches in your left hand. Insert the RH ndl (right hand needle) between the first and second stitches at the working end of the LH ndl. Yarn around and draw up a loop. To position the new loop on the LH ndl pull it up with the RH ndl tip, rotating the RH ndl tip away from yourself and down (or whatever it takes) so that you can insert the LH ndl into the loop from the front (like you were purling it). This twists the loop a bit as it goes onto the LH ndl. Then before I snug the new stitch up I insert the RH ndl between the new loop and the next stitch on the needle (doing it then makes it easier to get in). Keep pulling up new stitches until you have added your 12 and have a total of 21 again. (With the cable cast on you are knitting the new loops up working between stitches instead of into the end stitch like on a knitted cast on.)

Then knit back across the 12 new stitches and you can knit into the back loop of the first of the 9 original stitches to tighten the slight gap even more if you’d like.

If you still don’t get the cable cast on, I could try posting my pictures of me doing it, but I don’t know if they would be any improvement over the video. :slight_smile:

oh wow that makes sense…i should just do the cable cast on like in the video but just pretend that those 9 stitches were already cast on and just keep going…ok that makes sense…we’ll see if I can actually pull it off lol…i have already started a second shoe so that help…

thank you so much!

Yes, to add sts in the middle of knitting, use knit or cable CO. The st already on your needle is like the slip st when you’re starting out. Or, you would think of the sts you’re adding to as ones you’ve already cast on.

that’s perfect! i did the correct cast-on and then i knit that first stitch of the original nine in the back loop and not only is it much tighter, but the tail can be given a tug once it’s all done and it pulls tighters and closes any tiny gap! perfect!

Thank you guys so much!!

:thumbsup: