circular needles query

[zats_clear]

Starting parameters:  I love to knit on circular needles.  I am learning to knit.  I am working on Dirty Girl Dishcloths from the Chicks with Sticks Guide to Knitting book  

Problem:  I am now working the dishcloth that involves purling and I am pretty darned sure that I am not doing it right.  I know I am doing the purl portion correctly, but I believe I might be mucking something up with the using of circular needles and right side/wrong side stuff.  I am not getting that defined square in the middle I should be with k5, p40, k5 and I am confoooooooooooooosed!

Plea:  Any ideas?  tia!

Comments

[ames]

I'm only guessing here, both at what you're doing and at the pattern, but here goes. The way the pattern should go, based on the pictures on Ravelry, is a two-row pattern where one row you do the K5, P40, K5, and the next row you knit all the stitches. Does that sound like what you're doing? That would give you a 5-stitch border of garter stitch on the side, and a nice flat stockinette square in the middle.

[zats_clear]

*headdesk*

step 2 - K5, P40, K5
step 3 - knit
step 4 - continue steps 1 and 2 for 40 rows

Yes, my problem appears to be reading the actual directions!

thank you so much! I am, apparently, a knitwit

[ames]

I'm glad I helped! And believe me, the inability to read directions persists - I can't tell you how many times I've had to rip things back because I skipped a line in the pattern.

[damned_colonial]

*grin* glad this was sorted out so quickly! I was about to suggest something else entirely, and would have been wrongity wrong wrong ;)