Slipper pattern, finished Heel, beginning Gusset-need Help!

#1

I’m making these slippers. I often struggle with comprehending written instructions. :wall:

I have just completed the heel flap, and am about ready to begin the gusset. The next instructions read:

With right side of heel facing, slip the heel stitches (working from right to left) onto the instep needle. Pick up and knit 11 gusset sts (on-site demo) along the left side of the heel flap.

Okay, I do understand how to “pick up and knit” stitches. What’s confusing me are the instructions right before the ‘picking up knitting’ part.

To clarify, the pattern suggested working these on a circular needle, leaving the extra stitches on the circ needle while working the heel flap on dpns. I don’t like working on circs, so I am doing the entire thing on dpns. The heel flap I just completed is on one dpn, and all the remaining stitches are on a separate dpn. I’m really confused by the instructions to…

With right side of heel facing, slip the heel stitches (working from right to left) onto the instep needle.

I’m not sure which is the “instep” needle. They aren’t talking about the stitches I’m to pick up are they, since they said to pick up and knit (not slip) those? :roll:

Am I making myself clear enough that anyone can help me understand what I need to do? :pray:

#2

That’s a really weird instruction :?? . I’d just leave those heel stitches on the dpn that you have them on, and use an empty dpn for picking up stitches along the heel flap edge. The instep stitches are the ones that were on hold while you were doing the heel flap. Those will be the stitches that you knit immediately following picking up the stitches. Then, take another empty dpn and pick up stitches along the other edge of the heel flap (the same # of stitches as the first edge, very important) Finally, knit HALF of the stitches that were left after your heel turn, looks like that’s 7 stitches according to your pattern, and that point is now the new beginning of round.

It says to place markers on either side of the instep stitches, but that’s not really necessary if you are working on dpns. On dpn#1 you will have half of the heel turn stitches and the stitches you picked up on the first edge, on dpn#2 you will have all of the instep stitches, and on dpn#3 you will have the second set of picked up stitches and the other half of the heel turn stitches. For the next set of instructions where you are doing gusset decreases you will do them at the end of needle #1 and at the beginning of needle #3 instead of before and after the markers as your pattern tells you to do (if you were working on a circ).

#3

Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! :cheering: That makes perfect sense to me. The thing is, I have knit socks before (only a couple of pair, many months apart), so I’m somewhat familiar with the concept. I’m not experienced and confident enough yet, though, to know when a pattern’s instructions don’t make sense. I just assume I can’t make sense of it. :oops:

I really appreciate your help, and am off to finish that slipper. :happydance:

#4

Those instructions would be enough to make anyone scratch their head – it’s rather poorly written.

Glad I could help.

xxx