Understanding Bernat Camo Pants Pattern Directions

#1

I’m making a pair of the Bernat Camoflauge pants. I made another pair a year ago, and realize I am stuck on the same instruction again. Here’s the instruction:

LEFT LEG
Beg at waist, cast on 87 (93-101-115-127) sts.
Beg with a knit row, work 2 rows in stocking st.
[B]Shape back[/B]: Next row: Knit to last 12 (13-
14-16-18) sts. Turn. Leave rem sts unworked.
Next row: Purl.
Rep last 2 rows 5 times more.
Next row: Knit across all sts.
Beg with a purl row, cont in stocking st until
work at [B]center front (shorter end)[/B] measures 7
(7½-7½-8-8) ins [18 (19-19.5-20.5-20.5) cm],
ending with a purl row.

If short rows shape the back, how does the short end become the center front?

The first time I made these, I ended up putting the waist band on backwards, unpicking it from the picked up stitches, and grafting more stitches than I ever want to again in life.

So, is the shaped side the front or the back? Bernat has no errata page.

#2

Without reading the whole pattern… it makes sense to me that the shorter end would be the front. The short rows are going to add length to the back side so there is more room for the wearer’s bum.

#3

I made these…they mean the stitches that you didn’t keep knitting, turning back and forth. The panel will look like this

 ____   << and they mean measure from this short end

___|