I am trying to knit the baby shorts from Debbis Bliss' Essential Baby.
I have casted on 72 and did 10 rows of 1x1 rib. Now I am supposed to: k6, turn, sl 1, p to end , then the next row is k12, turn, sl 1, p to end, then k18, turn, sl 1, p to end, and so on (so, I am essentially working short rows, I guess, as I am shaping the back of the shorts). Well, if I follow these instructions, I get big weird gaps in my work where I turned. I know how to knit, turn my work, slip stitches and purl, but its just not coming out right. I feel like the pattern is missing something or implying something that I am not catching....Am I supposed to be wrapping and turning? If I do I will throw off the stitch count. Anyone dealt with this before?

In order to fill in the holes created when you turn, you need to apply a short row technique. Either the turn and wrap method, or the turn and yarn over method. Both are a way to essentially insert an extra loop, which when you finally come back across it after the short row shaping, you will then do a k2tog essentially closing off the hole. There are tutorials for each here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyXWn2LLUC0
http://nonaknits.typepad.com/nonaknits/2005/04/yarn_over_short.html

Thanks. I was figuring I probably needed to do wrap and turns instead of just turns.... Do pattern often just tell you to turn without wrapping and you just assume you should wrap and turn?

Yes, it has been my experience that patterns just assume you know to do that. Which, in my opinion, is not a very nice way to help out new knitters trying new stuff. A good designer should, in either the directions or abbreviations, tell you which method they used. Or, be specific if they really DON'T want you to do this.