Newbie Needing Pattern Help! :\

General Knitting
1

I have now completed this pattern 3 times!!! Each time with different results! I cannot figure out what is going on! Please help. Newborn Slippers.

Here are some points that are confusing me…

[COLOR=“Red”]Cast on 14 sts.
Working on garter st throughout, as follows:
Inc 1 st at each end of next row and EOR 2 times. 20 sts.
[/COLOR]
So, do I cast on then inc starting with the very next row, or do I knit a row and then start the increase?

Next,
[COLOR=“red”]Work 3 rows even.
Dec 1 st at each end of next row and EOR 2 times, ending with WS facing for next row. 14 sts. This completes the sole section.[/COLOR]

Again, do I work 3 rows, and then decrease on the 4th row, or knit one more row and then dec. It confuses me when it says “next row”…like saying NOT this row, but Next row. OR is it saying to knit 3 rows, then on the very next row (4th), decrease?

Also, NO WHERE in the pattern does it establish a WS, so how do I know which side is WS. This is very important because all of the mess ups might be happening because of which side I THINK i’m on…might be different than the side the designer thinks I am on???

Finally (since I can’t post the entire pattern out of this book), the next section says “Shape Heel”…

[COLOR=“red”]Cast on 4 sts at beg of next row. 18 sts.
Inc 1 st at beg of next row and EOR 2 times, ending with WS facing for next row. 21 sts.[/COLOR]

Cast on 4, then do the increase on the first “cast on” that’s on my LH needle? It’s actually the 4th, or last, sts that was cast on. Again, because the WS note does not help me.

The next step in the pattern is:

[COLOR=“red”]Shape foot opening:
Bind off 12 sts at beg of next row (for foot opening). 9 sts.
Work 9 rows, ending with WS facing for NEXT row.[/COLOR]

There is one more section to shape the other side of the heel and foot opening, but if I can understand the above, I think I can finish.

You know what would really help me as a beginner, as this is a beginners book? Show what the pattern looks like knitted at the end as a flat piece. That way, I can tell which sides the cast ons and bind offs are on. Even if WS is up to me, and I keep the WS the same at all times, then I could see what side to do what. My flat patters are NOT looking like they will form ANYTHING but a UFO!

Please help me!
Thanks,
Mark

2

Ok, so at the beginning of the pattern, it says to increase at EACH end of the next row and EOR 2 times.

So, do I do the following…

Increase row
Knit row
Increase row
Knit row
Increase row
Continue on pattern, or do one more row of knitting before continuing on to next line of pattern?

In other words, do I end with an increase row, or a knit row?

3

Can we have the name and a pattern link please?

4

When a pattern says “next row”, it means the very next row. Don’t put in an extra row. For the beginning of the pattern, it would be:
Cast on
Increase row
Knit row
Increase row
Knit row
Increase row
Continue on pattern

The same goes for the decrease section:
Decrease row
knit row
dec row
knit row
dec row (RS)

Since the last of the dec rows for the sole tells you that you’ll end with a WS row facing [I]for the next row[/I], that means that the last dec row was a RS row. You can use that as a marker for right side from now on and you can even work backwards in the pattern to determine whether row 1 is a RS or WS row. Place a safety pin or other marker on the RS so you’ll know for sure which is which.

For the cast on:
Cast on 4sts
Increase
Knit
Increase
Knit
Increase (RS)
In effect, when you cast on 4sts you could instead cast on 5sts and save yourself having to increase into the 4th cast on stitch in that first increase row.
Even when the pattern is in a book, the name of the pattern and the name of the book can help. It might help when you go to knit the second slipper to number the rows continuously throughout the pattern and to keep notes on RS/WS amd where you increased or decreased, just to save your sanity.

5

I will have to look tonight…Ironically, it’s in a hardback book that I picked up years ago that teaches how to knit…lol. However, the section on reading patters is a little ify.

Thanks,
Mark

6

Makes perfect sense now! So, when it says "WS facing for next row, you don’t know that yet…they are telling you that since it’s the first time they say it in the pattern! Gotcha!

I knitted my third attempt last night (since the pattern is not that big), and I think I got it 90%. 1) I added in extra rows by assuming wrong on the “next row” 2) I increased at the wrong end of the heal section, so the toe is flat, and the strap that meets the other side of the strap around the heel is rounded…lol.

Other than those two items (which aren’t fixable) It looks correct now instead of looking like a snow angel (seriously). Next I will nail the pattern and take notes for the other slipper.

The part about casting on 5 instead of 4 since there is an increase starting the next row…I can’t do that can I? Since the increase is to help shape the piece? Just curious.

Finally, my next step will be to fold the sole over and seam it all the way around. Would I use a mattress seam? I am NOT experienced with seaming, but I have now watched about 30 minutes worth of 2-minute long YouTube videos on the matter.

I am making these slippers for practice. They were listed as intermediate, but for anyone that doesn’t have the pattern questions, it would’ve been a breeze! I am going to knit them in a neutral color (seafoam green) and donate them to the needy. I do not know anyone with a newborn right now and donating them to someone is the thing to do!

Thanks again everyone, you rock!

7

Donating handmade items is such a nice thing to do. Glad you have the slippers working.
Oh sure, you can either cast on one extra or make the increase on the next row. Either will work.

8

The first time I knit baby slippers it seemed really confusing, but I got through it and you will, too!

9

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone that replied to my post. I have now completed one of the two slippers and wanted to post a picture online.

A couple issues…I do not understand seaming. Well, I understand it, but I do not know how to do it correctly! I wish one of you lived close enough to me that I could meet at a Starbucks or something and have you show me how you would knit the seam on the other slipper.

I basically started with the back “strap”/heel section and sewed that together vertically and tied those ends off. Then, I started on the toe and worked my way around. Luckily, I did it good enough that the two lengths matched up perfectly! I was worried that when I got to the end, I would have 6 sts left on the top, and 1 left on the bottom, but I didn’t have a single ‘extra’ sts. So, that tells me that I made it right.

My biggest problem is that my cast on and bind off sts are NOT the same. So, looking at the slipper, the foot opening across the top of the foot…one side is a cast on, the other a cast off. The cast on is stretchy, the bind off is stiff, so you can tell the difference. I will try the recommendation of using a bigger sized needle to bind off next time…BUT, I held it really loose and didn’t even wrap my finger when I did the bind off…oh well, it’s close enough that a non-knitter probably wouldn’t notice.

Thanks again for everyone’s quick reply and advice!!! Off to the other slipper, then add ribbon, then off to the donation point!

BTW…Salmonmac, I took your advice and took row notes on the pattern so that the second slipper will turn out exactly the same!

:woohoo:

10

The picture for your entertainment!

11

That’s sooo cute! :thumbsup:

12

That’s a darling slipper. The pair will be 2x cute!

Is it possible you could use a provisional cast on, then BO those sts as well as the last ones you knit to make it match? There are various stretchier BOs that you might look at also. I’m sure we can come up with links if you wish.

I’ve been following this thread but as I’ve not done baby shoes or slippers or booties, I wasn’t sure what’s what with the pattern. The not stretchy enough BO I’m familiar with.

BTW :heart: your avatar.

13

Yes, provisional cast on is usa good way to match the cast on and cast off. Here, it might be easier to do a cable cast on and the usual bind off (see this article, method 3).
The slipper is adorable! Very nicely done and well worth all your effort.

14

Thank You! I would love to experiment with different BO’s to find one that works better for me…in different situations. I will look around for some other How To’s. Thanks for the Avatar compliment…It makes me smile!

Thanks everyone for the help up to this point…I am going to finish the other slipper this weekend, and hopefully sew in some ribbon. I will also post the name of the book and the pattern once I get off my lazy rear axle!

15

Thank You, and Thank You!