I’m not sure if it’s just me, but I really am confused about how to interpret the instructions for a slipper that I’ve started. I’ve knitted many years and am not a novice, but I haven’t been able to do much for the last few years due to health issues. I’m back at it, moderately, and wanted to make these slippers.
If someone can explain to me what I’m not getting, I’d appreciate it. This slipper is knitted on four dp needles and from the toe up and I’m at the point where it says you repeat the K1 P1 ribbing (in the round) until it measures 7" (my choice in size here) and then it says,( I have 24 sts at this point on three needles) "Working back and forth in row, cont in ribbing for 4 1/2 in more–piece measures 10 1/2 in.from toe. Join back of heel: Place 12 sts onto each of 3 dpn. Holding these dp parallel with RS tog, use the three-needle BO (see Glossary) to join back of heel. Cuff:etc…
My question is: Have they left something out? I have three needles of 24 sts divided and it says (at asterisks) "working back and forth??? I’ve made socks, and something seems missing here.
HELP!
Welcome to KnittingHelp!
There may well be something missing. What is the name of your pattern? Is there a designer given or a book title or yarn company?
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ribby-slipper-socks
Had the pattern in a box for awhile, but just found it here on the internet.
Edited to add: I’m sorry, I should have tried that first, so I’ll go and try to get help at that site. Thank you for your reply. I’m kind of out of the loop with knitting anymore.
Thanks very much for the link. I’ll be happy to look at the whole pattern assuming Interweave will send it relatively soon.
I just tried to get help at that site, and there’s nothing recent at all. 2016 on the slipper pattern that someone just stated they were going to do. I really WOULD appreciate your help here. Thanks so much.
I have the pattern downloaded…will put it up in few minutes
Rnd 6: *K1, p1; rep from * around. Rep Rnd 6 until
piece measures 3 (4, 5, 6, 7)" from toe tip. Leg
opening: Working back and forth in rows, cont in
1×1 rib for 3 (3½, 4, 4½, 5)" more—piece measures 6
(7½, 9, 10½, 12)" from toe. Join back of heel: Place
9 (9, 9, 12, 12) sts onto each of 2 dpn. Holding these
dpn parallel with RS tog, use the three-needle BO (see
Glossary) to join back of heel.
Thanks very much but don’t post the pattern here. We have to respect copyrights even on free patterns. We should be able to download by ourselves from Interweave.
should I delete it?
I have the pdf but don’t know how to share it to you. Is that not proper either? It’s a free pattern.
OK, you’re about to knit the opening for the foot. To do that, you’ll need to knit back and forth on the 24sts. You can choose a spot for the opening and turn to the inside and knit back over the sts you just finished. Once you’re back to the initial turn, turn again to outside of the slipper and continue like this until the entire piece measures 10.5".
The join of the 2 halves of the heel means moving the sts to 2 needles and working 3 needle bind off.
Thank you for your help. I appreciate this so much. I just felt something that was omitted, and I’m so unsure of everything anymore…getting old…
Thanks so much again. Should I delete the pasted pattern that I posted?
OK, all taken care of. It’s smart to question the knitting instructions and this is a great place to do that. Sometimes it becomes clear just in talking about it. And inevitably, you aren’t the only person with the same question.
Good luck with the slippers. Post a photo when you finish too. We’d love to see them.
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Will do but dealing with a shoulder condition so it might take awhile between icings. Thank you so much.
I’m sorry to have to tell you that I’m a little denser than I originally thought. I can’t for the life of me, STILL understand this instruction. What am I missing? How can I work back and forth with the 24 stitches when I can’t get them onto one needle after they’ve been knitted in the round. It’s not possible to do that, or at least I can’t understand how. Are you saying to divide the 24 stitches onto two needles and then just use 12 to knit back and forth on?
I’m so sorry to be this confused, but I’ve been dealing with a lot of pain for some months now, and I’ve just gotten settled to try this again. My mind is a bit foggy when it comes to understanding instructions anymore. I tend to thing backwards.
Thank you for your help.
I have just watched a video on how to knit in the round and then knit flat and then go back to knitting in the round. Apparently if I had been using a circular needle I would have been able to do this, but since the pattern only told me to use double-pointed needles, it was really confusing. I think I might be able to continue if I get myself a circular needle now.
I really NEED patterns to jump out and SHOW me as I’m getting too old to understand things anymore.
Thanks for putting up with my questions.
I’m sorry that you’ve been dealing with pain. That makes everything more difficult.
Don’t think twice about the questions. This concept of knitting back and forth after knitting in the round is a bit strange but it will work, even on dpns.
When you have reached the required length for your size, work to the end of a dpn. Turn that dpn, the one with the sts you just finished knitting, as you would at the end of a row. Switch the dpn to your left hand and work across those sts again. Continue on with the other dpns, one after the other.
You’ll be knitting on the inside of the tube that you made but that’s ok. When you finish knitting on the 3rd dpn and are at the tiny gap made by the first turn, turn again to the outside or RS (right side) of the slipper. The gap will keep getting larger as you continue and it’ll be easier to see. You can clip a marker or safety pin to a stitch to remind yourself where it is if you want.
This video is about the reverse process, knitting flat then joining in the round but the very beginning shows that you can knit flat on a series of dpns.