HELP with Little Baby Monkey Hat by hatsandnothats.com

How-to Questions
1

I have made the first part of the monkey hat and now I am stuck on the earflap construction. It makes no sense to me at all. I hope someone can help as the pattern creator has not emailed me back yet.

EARFLAPS ( make two ). With dp needles and A color cast on 3 sts. Make a cord 5" long.
Next ( RS ) row: Slip 1, ( K1,yo,K1 ) in next st. Knit 5 sts.
Next ( RS ): Slip 1, K1, m1, K to last 2 sts, m1, K1, P1.
Rep last 2 rows until 17 ( 19 ) sts total. Cut yarn. Leave all sts on holder.

First she has marked two RS rows. Obviously only 1 can be a RS. Next if I start with the 3 sts from making the icord then the 1st row of the pattern should make 5 sts. Sl 1, (k1, yo, k1) in next st {So in 1 st I knit 1 w/out pulling off the left hand needle, do my yo, and then k1 into the same stitch.} This created 2 more sts. I end up with 5 on my needles but she says Knit 5 sts. I assume she means that I should have 5 sts on my needles.

Then the next row I can’t do b/c it would require more than 5 sts on the needles to complete the row. Right? Am I missing something? Should I use a different method for making the earflaps as long as I end up with the 19 sts I need on my needles? I wish she’d email me back.

Oh if I do the M1 with the bar between the left and right hand needles I actually do have enough to complete the row but there are holes in my knitting then from the yo’s. Maybe they’re supposed to be?

2

I’m thinking that the k5 sts is actually a separate WS row, then you go to the next RS row and inc 2 more sts. The m1 is not a kfb but an inc that puts the new one between 2 sts so you can do that on 5 sts. Then repeat the WS row of knitting all sts alternating with the 2nd inc row.

To prevent the holes when you lift the strand, knit them through the back loop so there’s a twist in the new st. Or use a backward loop m1 inc which shouldn’t leave a hole as long as you don’t pull the yarn tight.

3

Thank you! Ha! Now that makes sense! I am doing the bar increase as you suggested. I wasn’t even thinking about the K5 being the next row. So I will only repeat the K across and then the 2nd RS row until I have the correct # of sts on my needles. Whew this thing was stressing me out. It doesn’t happen often that I get stuck on a pattern!