Help with 'turn' in pattern for baby bootees

#1

I’ve just started knitting some bootees (from a Debbie Bliss baby book) and I don’t understand the pattern (I deliberately chose the easiest sounding pattern, or so I thought).

With a cast on of 36 stitches, and 21 rows already knit, it says:

Shape instep

Next row: K24, turn
Next row: K12, turn

K24 rows on this set of sts only

  1. Is that 24 rows including the first two, or as well as?
  2. If I knit 24, then turn, there are 12 stitches left on the needle when I turn - the next row calls for 24 stitches. Is this correct - do I stitch to the end of that row and then stitch another 12 stitches of the next row?
  3. What does 'on this set of sts mean?
  4. I’ve already tried this by carrying on to next row when I ran out of stitches (and frogged it). Where the turns occurred, there are holes in the knitting. Is this correct?

Thanks in advance for your help. :slight_smile:

#2

As I see it, you knit the first 24, then turn your work. You will leave the other 12 on the needle. This is short row shaping, when you only knit part of the rows.

Work 12 back. This should be the center 12. I believe you work these 12 stiches for 24 rows. So there will be 12 stitches on each side of these that are not knit for now.

#3

Ahhhh…penny drops…so the pattern means knit 24 rows of those 12 stitches, not 24 of the two rows? Now it makes sense - thank you. :thumbsup:

#4

I’m back again. :oops: I worked the rows of 12 stitches fine, left them on the needle and broke off the yarn as the pattern said, but now it says:

with right side facing, rejoin yarn at base of instep and k up 12 sts along edge side of instep, k across 12 sts of instep, k up 12 sts along other side of instep, k remaining other 12sts (60 sts total).

I am completely confused again. Is it telling me to knit up the side of the knitting (so not the actual stitches)? How do I do this with only 2 needles?

If it helps, I’ve drawn (badly) a picture of what the knitting looks like at the moment.

B is the section that was knit an extra 24 rows - A and C are the same size (although you wouldn’t know from the picture :smiley: )

Again, thanks for your help.

#5

I think I’ve got it. It is confusing because I haven’t knit booties for a while and don’t do socks. I do, however, have a bootie pattern where the directions are similar.

BTW, don’t worry that your picture isn’t an exact replica! I wouldn’t be able to post one at all.!

OK this is what I think:

RS is facing. have 12 st on right hand needle. If your pic is rs facing, slip the middle 12 over to the left.

Attach your yarn at the base of the B section. Pick up 12 stitches along the right side of B, knit across the top 12 of B, pick up 12 down the left side of B and then knit across the last 12. Those stitches, together with the 12 on the needle will give you 60.

I assume, from my pattern, that you will knit out the foot part then start decreasing for the toes. They’ll be a couple of seams to do when you’re done.

Sound right? I’d hate to mess you up, but it does make sense to me.

#6

That’s sort of making sense, although I’ve never had to knit the sides of knitting before. I take it I knit the first 12 stitches before knitting round section B, or those stitches will be a row shorter than the others.

Thanks for your help - I think I’ll pick it up again tomorrow when I’m ‘fresh’. :smiley:

#7

Back at your very first post, the directions said, knit 24, turn, k12. Those last 12 stitches that you didn’t knit are short a row already. I think this will even things out.

#8

Wow, my first answer post in this category! :happydance: Finally. Now, let’s see if I can explain it right. :thinking:

I did a bootie pattern almost exactly like this and what I had missed many times was that I had to put some stitches on a stitch holder. Put the stitches on Section A on a stitch holder. Then you are going to stitch along Section C, pick up your stitches between C and B, stitch along B, pick up stitches between B and A and knit along A.

Are these being seamed up along the botton and up the back of the bootie? That is the way that mine were done. If they are, then once you have them all stitched up after this, it will make more sense to you. You will see where it is going to shape up the toe and foot area.

Let me know how it works out in the morning. Good luck!

#9

I finished off a pair of booties knit in the same way.

Basically you and knitting them top downwards, and when you are finished you will seam them along the bottom and up the back. It looks a little weird to start but trust me, they will turn out beautifully!

The short rows you knit first are the instep of the bootie, you then knit around that instep to form the sides and front of the foot.

Once you get to knitting it will sort itself out and take shape!

#10

Well, I’ve spent all morning reading the new Harry Potter book, so I thought I’d have a look here before picking up the knitting again. And I’m sorry to say, having read the replies, I’m even more confused now. The pattern doesn’t mention a stitch holder, or short rows, or leaving any stitches to one side. :thinking:

Thanks for your replies - I’ll give it some more thought and see if the penny drops.

#11

I think your pattern leaves the stitches on the needle rather than a stitch holder. As long as the center 12 are on the left needle you shouldn’t have a problem picking up the stitches you need to.

#12

I’m sorry to have confused you. I just know that the pattern that I worked on, which looks very similar to yours, mentioned a stitch holder. A stitch holder is just something, kind of like an oversized pin, that holds stitches until you get them back on the needle again. If I confused you more, then disregard my post. :wink:

#13

No, don’t worry, I was already confused. :smiley: The pattern doesn’t mention a stitch holder, but then, it doesn’t mention a lot of things that people have brought up here, so I guess it’s knowledge you’re meant to have from ‘somewhere’. Thanks for the reply. :slight_smile:

#14

Yea, don’t you hate that when patterns say they are meant to be easy or simple and then you can’t understand it. :shock: I had problems with my booties as well, but then after many answers from the KH crew and just plugging along, I finished them and they turned out really great. I think yours will too! :wink: