Armholes, shoulders, and back neck

How-to Questions
1

Hi everyone!

I’m a relatively new knitter so I’m having basic problems understanding patterns. I apologize if this question has already been asked and answered on this thread…>.< The pattern I’m looking at right now is for a sweater and I don’t understand much of it. Here’s the pattern:

Shape armholes: Bind off 7 (8, 9, 10, 11) sts at beg next 2 rows - 52 (58, 62, 68, 72) sts. [B]Work even[/B] until piece measures 22 3/4 (23 3/4, 24 3/4, 25 1/4, 25 3/4)", end after WS row.

Shape shoulders and back neck: [B]Work in pat as established across 18 (21, 22, 24, 26) sts[/B], join 2nd ball of yarn, [B]bind off center 16 (16, 18, 20, 20) sts for back neck, work across rem 18 (21, 22, 24, 26) sts. Working both sides at once, bind off 2 sts at neck edge twice and, AT SAME TIME, bind off 5 (6, 6, 7, 7) sts at shoulder edge twice, then 4 (5, 6, 6, 8) sts once.[/B]

The bolded parts are the parts that I don’t really understand. Can anyone make it simpler for my tiny beginner’s brain? XD I appreciate the help! Thanks a bunch!

2

[COLOR=Red]Work even[/COLOR] means no decreasing or shaping.
[COLOR=Blue]Work in pat as established across 18 st…bind off 16…work across remaining 18:[/COLOR] now that you have done that…you cannot turn your work around and work back across the full span. Why? Because the bind offs in the middle are a chasm. So now you are forced to work the 18 stitches of each Side by themselves. That is why you have to join another ball of yarn to one of them. The other one has the old ball of yarn.

You can work them at the same time…that is…for example…work Row 1 for Side A with one set of needles…then work Row 1 for Side B with its set of needles. Then turn the work around and work back of Row 2 for Side B and then Row 2 for Side A. Etc.

Follow the neckline bindoffs as appropriate for each Side, and when it applies…maybe the same row will have bindoffs for neckline edge and bindoffs for shoulder edges. That is what AT THE SAME TIME refers to.

I would make some notes row by row…to get it clear in your mind.
I make notes all the time. It helps!

3

You don’t have to work each shoulder on its own needles, but they do need their own strand of yarn. You can work each side separately, or both at the same time, thinking of the sides as being the same row, just broken in the middle and working only on the outer parts.

4

Thanks a bunch! I hope this turns out good!

5

Check back with us! We’d love to hear how things went!!! :muah: