i’m a beginner, attempting to knit a simple stockinette stich sweater for my baby. i’m stuck on these directions:
“Shape Shoulders: Cast off 8 sts at beg of next 2 rows and 8 sts at beg of foll 2 rows. Leave rem 24 sts on a holder.”
does this mean i’m to bind of 8 stiches on each end of the piece, then 8 more on the inside after knitting a row? (as in, symmetrically?)
must be pretty simple, but i’d hate to make a mistake after completing the piece… please help!! :?? [/b]
You can’t bind off at the end of a row, so they have you only do it at the beginning. So on the next rows, bind off 8 at the beginning and finish the rows.
Yes, you will be a row “off”, but it really doesn’t make a difference. Every sweater with bound off shoulders is made this way. 
if i understand correctly, the directions should then yield more rows in the middle of the piece than at the edges. is that correct?
Right. It’s called a step decrease, very common on shoulders–you decrease gradually and it adds a slight slant to the shoulder edge.
i think i’ve got it now. thanks!