[Knitting] Rhiannon Socks Technique Question (xposted to advanced_knit)

[kniteracy]

I've just started Cookie A's Rhiannon Socks. I've had the pattern and wool for over a year, but stuff got in the way, my dog ate my homework, and I gave at the office.

Now, I teach knitting both beginning and special techniques, at a shop in London, but I've just got past the top 1" of ribbing, and I'm stuck! Aie!

Here's the relevant bit of the pattern:
FOLDOVER CUFF:
Set up round: *K2, purl 4 stitches through the back loop without removing stitches from left needle; with left needle in front of right needle, purl 4 stitches again through the front loop, sliding stitches off left needle (4 stitches increased).

I see what this is saying, I just can't manage to *do* it! I get to p tbl number three and everything just wants to slip off the needle. Can anybody suggest a trick that'll make this technique easier? Because I'm about to go for just doing a straight increase and not worrying with the cable setup, as it's not like anybody's going to notice that I didn't make the cable increases exactly the way she said to in the pattern.

Comments

[pondside.livejournal.com]

it almost seems as though you create the 4 purls in a fan from the back of the one stitch.

I can't remember, are you a picker or a thrower?

[telynor.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's what you're doing. This is the base of a cable that you basically knit backwards, as it's meant to be folded over as a cuff on the top of the sock.

I knit continental/German/with the working wool in my left hand, though I'm comfortable with English (throwing) knitting when I have to strand.