Am I understanding the pattern instructions?

How-to Questions
1

Hi,

I’m knitting the Berroco Montparnasse Cardigan. I’m taking up knitting after a couple of decades.

The instruction reads:

With straight needles, cast on 1 st.
Row 1: (RS) Knit 1
Row 2: Purl 1. Working in St st, cast on 5 sts at beg of the next 12 rows, then 4 sts at beg of the next 12 rows, end on WS - 109 sts.

This is how I proceeded:
On row 2, Using “advanced casting on”, I cast on 5 new stitches at the beginning of the row, then knitted across that row using the Purl stitch.
On row 3, Using “advanced casting on”, cast on 5 new stitches at the beginning of the row, then knitted across that row using the Knit Stitch. etcetera…

The piece seems to increase in size on both sides by 5 stitches on each row and has a staggering increase. It seems to match the picture of the pattern piece. Could someone please double check my understanding of the pattern and make sure I’m using the correct techniques, before I proceed.

Thanks so much. So glad I found this forum.I live in Hawaii and don’t have any friends that knit to get advice from.

Sughs

2

On row 2 your should have done the purl first and then cast on.

3

I think you would purl the stitch, turn, and CO with the RS facing, so you would knit the 5 CO sts, turn and CO, then purl that row.

4

Thanks for the reply. By the method of advanced casting on, I end up with the first stitch, but I haven’t been alternating the purl and knit stitch at the beginning, rather using the knit stitch, then casting on the next 5 stitches and purling/knitting across the row. Let me unravel and try it again.

Sughs

5

Hi Suzeeq

I’ll include below all the original instructions for the back piece, after the instructions, I have my own interpretation and some questions.

[B]Original Instructions read[/B]:
With straight needles, cast on 1 st.
Row 1: (RS) Knit 1
Row 2: Purl 1. Working in St st, cast on 5 sts at beg of the next 12 rows, then 4 sts at beg of the next 12 rows, end on WS - 109 sts

Dec Row (RS) K1, SSK, k to last 3 sts, k2 tog, k1 - 107 sts. Rep this dec every 4th row 31 times more, then every Rs row 0 times - 45 sts. Work even until piece measures 25" from beg measured straight up from center point, end on Ws. Bind off.

[B]My interpretation:[/B]
So, would the instructions if I re-wrote them read:
Row 1: (RS) Knit 1
Row 2: Purl 1
Row 3: CO 5 stitches
Row 4: CO 5 stitches and purl across row

I tried doing something similar to this at the beginning, the piece had a gradual increase on only one side, whereas the pattern piece was shaped more like an upside down triangle with gradual increases on both sides.

I’m starting to confuse myself here.

Sughs

6

By “advance cast on” do you mean a long tail cast on?

7

With straight needles, cast on 1 st.
Row 1: (RS) Knit 1
Row 2: Purl 1. Working in St st, cast on 5 sts at beg of the next 12 rows, then 4 sts at beg of the next 12 rows, end on WS - 109 sts

Hi Sughs,
Cast on 1.
Row 1: Knit your one stitch. (turn to do the next row)
Row 2: Purl your one stitch. (turn to do the next row)

Here I have a question for you…I have never heard of a cast on called “advanced cast on”. Maybe you are using one of the knitted cast ons? I guess you could call them an advanced kind of cast on and hence, “advanced cast on”. On my sample of trying this out I used a knitted on cast on. (see further down about the cast on I used)

Row 3: Knit on 5 stitches (using the 1 stitch you have to knit the first one into), then knit across the 6 stitches you now have. (turn)
Row 4: Knit on 5 stitches (using the first one at the end to work into, I actually purled them as I made them instead of knitting and that worked). Now purl across the 11 you now have. (turn)
Row 5: Knit on 5 stitches, knit across the 16 you have. (turn)
Row 6: Knit (or purl) on 5 more, purl across the 21.

You keep working that way adding 5 new stitches at the beginning of each row 12 times, then keep doing it 12 more times adding on only 4 at the beginning of each row. You, of course, knit or purl the stitches you add on to keep them in stockinette. After you have added 5X12=60 and 4X12=48+the 1 stitch you started with you will have 109.

How to do the knitted on cast on (in case this is not what you do, and you want to see it) is shown on a video on this page. CLICK HERE Scroll down to “Knitting On”.

On the purl rows I did the same thing she is doing here, but instead of knitting the stitches as I added them, I simply purled them and put the resulting stitch on the needle the same way Amy shows it here.

If you do it the way I said you will get a fabric that grows on both ends like a triangle, which is what you want. Good luck.

8

I tried doing something similar to this at the beginning, the piece had a gradual increase on only one side, whereas the pattern piece was shaped more like an upside down triangle with gradual increases on both sides.

You were casting on the same side of the piece. CO 1, k1, turn and p1. Then turn and CO 5 sts, knit across 6 (the original and 5 new ones); turn and CO 5, then purl across 11 sts. Add new stitches to the beginning of each row, then knit or purl according to whether the RS or WS is facing you on that row.

9

^
Yeah, what she | said.