Baby sandals In Baby Cashmerino Book

[wannabe]

HELP!! I am trying to knit the sandals on page 42 and 43 in this Baby Cashmerino Book:

http://www.debbieblissonline.com/Book.asp?bid=32

Does anyone have any experience with this teeny tiny little pattern that is driving me crazy?

P.S. Of course my husband says: "That is not a drive--it is merely a putt!"

[Abbily]

P.S. Of course my husband says: "That is not a drive--it is merely a putt!"

Mine would likely say the same about me!

I don't have any experience with this book, but since no-one else has answered, I thought I would offer to look at the part of the pattern that is giving you trouble, if you want to type out that part.

[wannabe]

HI Abbilly: Thankx for the offer! I am working on the right sandal (looks like an old fashioned Mary Jane). I have 25 rows of garter stitch, which have formed the basic shoe(two sides, and a little bit of toe). It will be joined on the bottom or under side of the foot and at the heel. The problem I am having trouble with is the "instep". That part of the shoe that comes up from the top of the toe (kind of like a tongue) and is joined with a strap over at the top. So here is the part that gives me fits. I can do the toe(instep )piece, but when I get to the end I have too many stitches left on my kneedle.
From the basic 25 rows (64 stitches on the needel) the instep reads like this:
K36, skpo, turn
sl 1, p8, p2tog, turn
sl 1, k8, skpo, turn
Repeat these two for seven more times
Then work first of the two again: (sl 1, p8, p2tog, turn)
Next row is Sl1 k to end
K17,k2tog, p8 skpo, k1 (total 44 stitches)

It seems to me that: if I start with 64 stitches, I should have reduced down a total of 17 stitches to 47 stitches. But the pattern says I will have reduced down 20 stitches to a total of 44. I always end up with too many stitches still on my needle.

Thanks for taking the time to help--

[Abbily]

I get reduced down 20:

K36, skpo, turn (-1)
sl 1, p8, p2tog, turn (-1)
sl 1, k8, skpo, turn (-1)
Repeat these two for seven more times (-14)
Then work first of the two again: (sl 1, p8, p2tog, turn) (-1)
Next row is Sl1 k to end
K17,k2tog, p8 skpo, k1 (total 44 stitches) (-2)

Add all those together and you get 20 stitches reduced.

Does that answer your question, or am I missing something?

[wannabe]

Ok, that's a good start--now, I need to understand how it is that I have an even number of stitches left over. Sorry, I have ripped this out so many times, I have lost track of how many are usually left on --it is approximately 6. My thought is that I am doing something wrong with the skpo. Any ideas?

[Abbily]

skpo means slip one stitch to the right needle without knitting it, then knit the next stitch, then pass the slipped stitch over the knitted one (like you would if you were binding off a stitch). Is that what you're doing?

Also, you're knitting short rows here, so you're not knitting to the end of the row most of the time- you're turning before the end. If you've done short rows before, then you can tell me to shut up. I just thought if you haven't, that could be what is messing you up.