Knitting a Earflap with Cables in the round circular needles

How-to Questions
1

Okay, here is my dilemma, I am a newbie when it comes to knitting, and I love it!

I started a hat project called “Hearts and Cables,” so I finished the ear-flaps, which ends at Row 16. Once I started adding the stitches in between the two ear-flaps on Row 17 (see below) for the body of the hat instead of k1 and p3 I am actually p1 and k3. All the stitches are backwards or inside out, and for the life of me I do not know how to get the stitches on right to where I can follow the pattern!

Row 17: ECO 12 sts at end of 2nd ear flap, slide over 1 st ear-flap and k1, p3, 2/2 LC, p3, k1 across ear flap, ECO 24 sts [60 sts].)

What I am doing wrong! Like Row 18-21 (see below) instead of p4, k4, p20, I am actually k4,p4,k20!

Row 18-21: P4, k4, p20, k4, p28 [60] Row 22: *P4, k4, p4, PM, repeat 4 times until end of row marker

Help!

2

You probably cast on or joined with the stitches on the far side of the tube instead of closer to you, then knit the wrong direction. I understand the ECO to be the e/backward loop CO which puts the sts at the end of the row on the ear flap. It may work better for you to do the knit CO as if at the beginning of the row, then turn and knit the sts on the other earflap. Turn the knitting, CO 24 stitches then turn back and with the new sts on the R needle, join them to start row 18.