Need help with bootie pattern

How-to Questions
1

Hi All. It’s been a while since I’ve posted; don’t have as much time these days as I’d like to catch up on everything!

I am making this hat and sock set for my niece’s first birthday: http://p2designs.com/pdfs/ptn-duckySox.pdf
(She loves to say DUCK! DUCK! It’s too cute.)

Anyway, I’ve never made booties or socks and I am stuck. I had to start over this weekend because I made such a mess of it!

Here is where I don’t know what to do:
begin heel:
NOTE: HEEL IS WORKED IN BACK & FORTH IN ROWS ON NEEDLES 2 & 3
OVER 13(15/17) STITCHES.
needle 1: knit 6(7,8 ) p1, k 6(7,8 ).
heel pattern:
row 1 *Slip 1, k1 repeat across from *
row 2 Slip 1, purl across
Knit in heel pattern until you have 10 (10/12) heel flap rows.

Ok - So, I knit the the first 15 on needle one ok. Then I continue to knit row 1 on needles two and three. However, there are an odd number of stitches total for needles two and three, so I don’t get how row 1 would work. Also, do I knit back and forth on needles two and three? I did this the first time and I ended up with the last stitch always getting slipped and it became this tight lone stitch.

Any help would be really appreciated! I have a feeling I might be back after, well, if, I can get through this part. Her birthday is this Saturday so I am stressing!

Thanks all!!

2

No one?? :verysad:

3

Um… yeah. The Slip 1, Knit 1 heel SHOULD be worked on an even number of stitches. This pattern NEEDS tweaking. Sometimes I really do not understand pattern writers. :??

Here’s my suggestion… increase one stitch on the needle holding 7 stitches, so both needle 2 & 3 hold 8 stitches each. Continue with the heel as written. When you get to the foot (after the gusset) you can decrease that one stitch if you want, or wait until you get to the toes.

In all honesty, the pattern should start with 2 more stitches on all sizes, so that when you divide for the heel and gusset, both will hold an even number of stitches. It’s really silly that they didn’t do that. My guess is that the pattern writer doesn’t knit socks. :doh:

BUT… it is a REALLY adorable pattern! :slight_smile:

4

Thank you so much Silver!

After looking at it for a while and several other sock instructions (including your tutorial, which is great by the way), I began to wonder what the deal was. :thinking:

I think I’ll e-mail the pattern people and see what they say to it. Maybe they will fix it on their website so other folks don’t have the same problem. Just really confusing for a beginner!

Here I go! :XX: