Help with slipper pattern

[The Spider]

Hi, everyone. I'm trying to knit this pair of slippers for my mom for her birthday, but the instructions for the heel flap have me a little confused. I'll post them here:

Heel
[on 22 stitches]

Knit 11 sts past the marker, then turn and work back over the stitches you've just worked [ignoring the other 22 stitches on your needle, which will be held to become the instep] and

Heel Row 1: sl 1, p 21, turn
Heel Row 2: s1 1, k 21, turn

Repeat these 2 rows 11 more times or until the heel flap is about as long as it is wide.

The entire pattern can be found here: http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter02/PATTfuzzyfeet.html

The part I don't understand is how, if I cast on 44 stitches total, work the heel on 22 stitches, and I knit 11 past the marker, shouldn't there be more than 22 stitches left on the needle? Also, if I knit 11 past the marker, then turn and work back over the stitches I've just worked, then those heel row instructions don't make sense to me either. Is there a typo, or am I just not getting something here?

[brendajos]

you will have more stitches on the needle and you will be working some but not all the stitches are part of the heel. once you are working it, it will make sense. Trust the pattern on this one!

(this part of socks and slippers is my favorite part....the next part...not so much...lol)

[The Spider]

Does the marker signify the center of the heel flap? If so, then I think it makes more sense. Knitting 11 past the marker, then turning and working back over them, then past the marker an additional 11 stitches (22 total, as per the pattern) would make a bit more sense. Is that what they mean?

[suzeeq]

These are instructions for short rows. You're only working on the middle 22 stitches and later on will join with the 11 stitches on either end so you're working on all 44 again.

sue

[The Spider]

So the marker DOES signify the center of the heel flap? I can understand that 11 + 11 (on either side of the marker) makes 22 for the short row (with 22 left over to pick up stitches from later), I just didn't want to knit the wrong 22 stitches.

[knitqueen]

I've made these, and I was confused about the exact same part. It seemed to me that it was worded poorly. You knit 11 sts past the marker then turn your work. Start row 1 of the heel flap portion immediately after turning, and work the heel flap on only the first 22 sts that are there facing you, starting with a wrong side row. The rest of the stitches will be completely ignored until after you finish the heel flap and the heel turn. The remaining 22 stitches can just be kept on the other dpns until the time comes that you need them again.

[knitqueen]

Yes, the marker is the center of the heel flap.

[The Spider]

I think I get it now. Those first 11 stitches past the marker seem kinda "extra", though.

[The Spider]

Thanks a bunch, y'all! I don't think I've ever posted something on a message board that was answered so quickly and completely before!