Help with Big-Foot Bunny

[aliloveland]

I usually don't mind spending a couple hours figuring something out with knitting, but I think I've spent about six on this one! Please help!!!

This is a pattern from Zoe Mellor's Knitted Toys. It is the Big-Foot Bunny. I'm using size 6 straight needles and ggh Samoa. I've made the body and head and the inner ears and soles of feet.

I'm having problems with the feet and legs. The pattern says "Stocking/stockinette stitch." and then:

1. P5, turn and work 8 rows stocking/stockinette stitch on these sts. Cast/bind off. (Heel). Do I cut the yarn after I bind off? Sometimes she gives instructions to "break the yarn," but not on this one...

2. WS facing, slip next 4sts onto safety pin, rejoin yarn, p5. Work 8 rows on these 5sts. Cast/bind off. (Heel). Do I cut the yarn after I bind off?

3. RS facing, pick up 8 sts from heel to safety pin, k4sts from safety pin, pick up 8 sts from safety pin to heel.

So, I tried to do this with cutting the yarn after making the heels in steps one and two. And then I tried picking up the stitches to get the 20 stitches back on the needle. It just looked so messy and there were two big holes where the top of the heel was joining the leg. So, I guess I didn't count the stitches correctly when I picked up the eight? Then everything was so stretched out, I just frogged it.

[MerigoldinWA]

Where does this series of directions fit in with the rest of the "feet and legs"? You don't tell how many stitches you have on the needle when it says to P5. Do you just have 5 and is this right after the CO or where are you? It sound like you maybe have more on the neede. It would be good to know a little more.

Without more to go on I would say that after step 1 you cut the yarn, because in step 2 it says "rejoin yarn". After step 2, I don't know. You need to start picking up stitches in the area from the heel to where the stitches are on the safely pin.... To get there would you need to break the yarn and start again, or are you there? It usually doesn't matter that much if you cut the yarn when maybe you didn't need to, it just means more ends to work in, but it will not be the end of the world.

[aliloveland]

At step one there are 14 stitches on the needle.

At step three when everything is picked up/knitted back on there are supposed to be 20 stitches on the needle (the 8 pick up from one side of heel, 4 knitted off of safety pin, 8 picked up from other side of heel).

Step one is the transition into the heel, with after step three beginning to go up the leg.

I think I'm getting confused because the pattern is not consistent about telling you when to break the yarn. So, sometimes the yarn is not where it should be for me to continue the pattern. And then I think I've done something wrong... maybe I should just be cutting it.

Also, I think I'm not counting the stitches correctly when I'm picking them back up (like you would do on a sock - I've only had one sock lesson).

[MerigoldinWA]

Cut the yarn after step 1. I'm still not 100% sure on step 2. If it ends with the bind off on a knit side I think you will be in the right place to continue without cutting the yarn. You'd just start picking up stitches right there, heading down to your 4 stitches on the safety pin. You'd pick up 8 stitches along that side knit the 4 off of the safety pin (put them on a needle to make it easier), then pick up the other 8 up the other side of the heel. But if the BO row is on a purl side you would need to break the yarn.

Also, I think I'm not counting the stitches correctly when I'm picking them back up (like you would do on a sock - I've only had one sock lesson).

Are you talking about the 8 stitches you pick up on each side of the heel? You just count each loop you pull up onto the right hand needle until you have 8. If you mean you are not absolutely sure where to put the needle to pull up the 8 stitches, I'd say there is probably an optimum way to do it, but if you don't get it perfect it will still work. Sometimes on things like this I pick up more than it says and then on the next row knit a couple together at the needle changes to get rid of them. Keep track of what you do and do the same thing on the other leg if you can. When you are all done if there are gaps or anything a stitch or two carefully placed with a tapestry needle will close them. Don't worry about it too much. There are no exact rules, just try to get it to turn out looking as good as you can, whatever it takes to accomplish it.

[aliloveland]

I'll give it a go again! Thanks so much for taking the time to help me. I think sometimes I just need some pattern assurance.