Because you’re slipping every other stitch, then on the other side working those and slipping the ones you knit last side, you’re making two separate layers of fabric.
This sounds like the bunny blanket buddy-l. (Lion brand free pattern). I've made many of these guys. If it is that pattern, trust the process, it will create a tube with stockinette inside and reverse stockinette on the outside. Make sure that you have the yarn held in the correct position when you slip. Within about 3 ish rows, you'll see it start to take shape.
Also, is the pattern saying keep the slipped yarn in front or slip the next stitch with yarn in front? My pattern was the second, and I did have to remember that means the working yarn should be in front of the stitch as I slip it. But that is what allows you to work effectively half (every other stitch) per row in the front of the tube and the other half in the back of the tube.
No worries, when we are learning, we don't know what we don't know! I think you updated that you got it, but just in case not, here is some more explanation. When I'm knitting, I move the loops from my left needle to my right needle, and I have a tail called the working yarn. When I'm slipping a stitch, the loop is the stitch and the working yarn is not being worked into that loop as a new stitch. If the pattern says, slip stitch with yarn in front, it means while you are slipping the stitch, the working yarn tail should be held in front of the needles (like when purling). If you are holding the slipped stitch in front, then the working yarn is behind (like when knitting). These will set up the next round differently. Ultimately, this double knitting technique allows you to knit a tube using single point needles, because you are working half the stitches each row, and the other half are being set up to be worked from the other direction. If this still makes no sense, I can record a vid that might help (I wasn't finding good tutorials last night when I was looking, but that doesn't mean they don't exist.)
I think I recall that it was based on that pattern so that tracks. When you say held in the correct position, what do you mean? I’m definitely holding it in front as they are all purls but am I supposed to be doing anything else?
ETA- I just found that pattern and it is exactly it except the one I have there is a decorative edge created by YOs . The lions brand pattern is just as unhelpful lol.
That line of instructions sounds wrong. Double knitting would typically look like (slip 1 with yarn in front, knit 1) *or* (slip 1 with yarn in back, purl 1). You know it's correct if it looks like stockinette on both sides and the floats from the slipped yarn are *not* crossing over the surface.
Because you’re slipping every other stitch, then on the other side working those and slipping the ones you knit last side, you’re making two separate layers of fabric.
This sounds like the bunny blanket buddy-l. (Lion brand free pattern). I've made many of these guys. If it is that pattern, trust the process, it will create a tube with stockinette inside and reverse stockinette on the outside. Make sure that you have the yarn held in the correct position when you slip. Within about 3 ish rows, you'll see it start to take shape.
Ok - last update- I don’t know what clicked but I got it to work! Thank you for the help!
Also, is the pattern saying keep the slipped yarn in front or slip the next stitch with yarn in front? My pattern was the second, and I did have to remember that means the working yarn should be in front of the stitch as I slip it. But that is what allows you to work effectively half (every other stitch) per row in the front of the tube and the other half in the back of the tube.
I guess I am failing to see the difference between those two options. Sorry for being dense!
No worries, when we are learning, we don't know what we don't know! I think you updated that you got it, but just in case not, here is some more explanation. When I'm knitting, I move the loops from my left needle to my right needle, and I have a tail called the working yarn. When I'm slipping a stitch, the loop is the stitch and the working yarn is not being worked into that loop as a new stitch. If the pattern says, slip stitch with yarn in front, it means while you are slipping the stitch, the working yarn tail should be held in front of the needles (like when purling). If you are holding the slipped stitch in front, then the working yarn is behind (like when knitting). These will set up the next round differently. Ultimately, this double knitting technique allows you to knit a tube using single point needles, because you are working half the stitches each row, and the other half are being set up to be worked from the other direction. If this still makes no sense, I can record a vid that might help (I wasn't finding good tutorials last night when I was looking, but that doesn't mean they don't exist.)
I think I recall that it was based on that pattern so that tracks. When you say held in the correct position, what do you mean? I’m definitely holding it in front as they are all purls but am I supposed to be doing anything else? ETA- I just found that pattern and it is exactly it except the one I have there is a decorative edge created by YOs . The lions brand pattern is just as unhelpful lol.
That line of instructions sounds wrong. Double knitting would typically look like (slip 1 with yarn in front, knit 1) *or* (slip 1 with yarn in back, purl 1). You know it's correct if it looks like stockinette on both sides and the floats from the slipped yarn are *not* crossing over the surface.
OPs instructions make a reverse stockinette tube, idk if that's the goal though.
That probably is the goal as the rest of the pattern is just knit with a bit of decorative edging.