At The Same Time

#1

Hi all,
Now, I know this has been asked before and I’ve had a look at some of those answers. But it just seems what my pattern asks for is different, and a little more complicated, and so I’m getting myself all in a fluster trying to work this out!

I am knitting a cardigan and have got to the shaping of the neck and arm, which must be worked at the same time. So, the pattern gives me instructions like:

SHAPE FRONT NECK
K to last 4sts, K2tog, K2
K two rows
K2, skpo, K to end
K two rows
These 6 rows set neck shaping
Cont. to dec one st on next and every 3rd row until 20decs worked on neck edge. AT THE SAME TIME:

SHAPE ARMHOLE
K two rows
BO 6sts, K to end
K one row
K2, skpo, Kto end,
K three rows
Rep last four rows eight times more
K2, skpo, work to end
K one row
Rep last two rows 12 more times [three sts]
Cast off

Now then, I understand both parts of the pattern of course. What I don’t get is how I’m supposed to work 2 such detailed instructions at the same time!!! I only have one end to work with. Do I need to attach another ball of yarn in (though I don’t know how I’d then work with the 2 ends to do it). OR do I need to sit and write out this pattern so that both parts are done together?

[U]For example[/U]:
Taking the first 3 rows of both parts
NECK
K to last 4sts, K2tog, K2
K two rows
ARMHOLE
K two rows
BO 6sts, K to end

Together it would be:
Row 1 = K to last 4sts, K2tog, K2
Row 2 = K
Row 3 = BO 6sts, K to end
Here I combined the first 3 rows of each part to make one pattern…

Is this what I need to do? If so, that’s a lot of sitting and writing out of a pattern (when they could have just written it altogether anyway…). If it means something else can people let me know? From the pictures of the cardigan, the front pieces do not look like they have been made with 2 ends, so it must be all done with one ball of yarn!

This is a long question and probably a bit confusing, but I really want to finish my first garment and this is stopping me from doing that! Please help!!

#2

It’s all done with one ball.

You’re decreasing at each end of the piece, but not always on the same row.

I usually make a little chart, numbering the rows on each edge of the pattern and listing them side by side. For example:

Neck…Arm
1…1
2…2
3…3
4…4
5…5
6…6
1…7
2…8
3…1
1…2
2…3
3…4
1…1
2…2
3…3
1…4 etc.

#3

You only need to use the one working strand of yarn. Writing out the pattern the way you have:
“Together it would be:
Row 1 = K to last 4sts, K2tog, K2
Row 2 = K
Row 3 = BO 6sts, K to end
Here I combined the first 3 rows of each part to make one pattern…”

is exactly what I do. It takes a little extra time but it saves you time and effort in mistaken rows or shaping and ripped out knitting. The directions repeat for the neck and the armhole, so it may not be so tedious to write out.

#4

Don’t panic, you don’t need 2 balls of yarn because it looke like you’re only working on each shoulder separately, not both of them. It’s just that you’ll follow one set of directions for the armhole edge and the neck edge.

Begin with the neck shaping - k to the last 4 sts dec, knit 2, then turn and do the WS row. That’s the same ‘k 2 rows’ of the armhole shaping. Then BO 6 sts and knit to end, don’t do anything at the neck edge, and turn to work the WS row - that’s one of the ‘k2 rows’ of the neck shaping direction.

Next row, k2, dec, knit across and turn (2nd row of k2 rows for the neck) then k2, dec and knit across. Then k a rs row, a ws row and that’s the 3 rows of the armhole shaping and will be 2 rows for the neck shaping. Do the dec on the armhole edge and the neck edge on that row, then you repeat the dec series.

Basically, you’ll dec on the neck edge every 3rd row, and on the armhole edge every 4th row. Once you do the first decs on each edge, then it’ll be much easier to do because you can count the number of decs each edge to see where you are. It may help you to write down the instructions as you’ve done, or you can follow what I’ve written, which is a little wordy. I was thinking it out as I typed…

#5

Thanks to all of you; lots of ideas and I now know where to start :slight_smile:

I think I’ll manage to finish it before Christmas now! Since it’s my first garment and I’ve only been knitting a few months, I think I’ll write it all out to give me a bit of confidence with it and to make sure I don’t mess up [I]quite[/I] as much :wink:

I’m sure with more time and practise all this stuff will start making sense, but for now I’m just relying on the help of lovely people like yourselves to sort me out and keep me right! Thank you