Hiya
I’m struggling to understand the sleeves part of my pattern! It gives a1st and 2nd row but then says ‘cont in pattern as given for back as set inc1 stitch at each end of next and every following 4 th row working extra stitches in to pattern.’ The pattern for the back has 6 set rows -do I start from row 1 again or carry on from row 3? And how do I work those extra stitches in??? Hope someone can help 
Cable sleeves
Welcome to KnittingHelp!
What is the name of your pattern and designer? Which size are you making, the first, second, third…?
Continue on with row 3 through 8 and then repeat these rows. You’ll be increasing at each end on a row 3 and a row 7 of the of the pattern rows.
You want to keep the twist stitch pattern aligned so that it doesn’t jog over when you make the increases. I find it easiest to increase as a knit or purl stitch then work the increase into the pattern on the next row. Rather than have a twist at the end of a row, wait until you have 2sts for the twist plus one more edge stitch before making a twist in pattern.
One way to keep in pattern is to count backward from the twist to figure out what stitch to begin the row with. You can also write out the row on paper, adding the increase sts at each end if that’s easier.
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Thank you so much for your reply. I will give it a go -I just wish they wrote the rows out instead of a novice having to figure it out! 
I’m not sure I’ll know when to add the next twist in -it’s all a bit complicated for me! 
Knitting the main body was fine though!
It’s Knitters Choice, 3 rd size.
It’s a beautiful sweater!
You can just see the underside of the sleeve where the twists are.
For row 3, k1, Make 1, k2, then work the repeat as given for row 3 for the back. For the section after the repeat, p1,T2b, p,k,p,T2f,p1, k2, Make 1, k1. The twists should maintain the position in the repeats as you have been working them.
Somehow I misread the pattern stitch and thought it was an 8 row pattern. Since it’s a 6 row pattern, you’ll increase on row 3, work 3 rows with no increase and then increase on the next row, a row 1. It helps to write out a column of repeating 1,2,3,4,5,6 and then check off the increase rows with 3 plain rows between. That way you can follow the stitch pattern and keep to the increase rows.
If this is all too confusing it’s also possible to just keep the increase sts in stockinette. They’ll be at the inside of the sleeve.
You are a star -thank you so much! What a great forum this is -so pleased I found it! 
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Give it a try and see how it goes. And let us know!
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That’s such a cute pattern!
I hope we get to see a pic when you’re finished.
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Well it won’t be perfect but I’ll try and post if it’s passable!!!
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Oh dear I’m still confused!
I’m sure I’m being really dull, but am I going to end up with a large section of knit/purl under the arm?
In the pattern for the back, each row starts and ends with 3 knit or purl stitches but in the sleeve 1 ST and 2nd row pattern it has 6 knit/purl stitches before and after the repeat section -do I continue this for row 3? Will there be just 3 pattern sections on the final sleeve or 4? I can’t tell from the photo. In addition, they’ve switched row 1 to a purl row and row 2 to knit so do I continue that in to row 3 or resume the same as for the back 
I’ve written it out to check off increases as suggested and that will help - but if I follow your row 3 instructions it won’t be the right number of stitches. I’m sorry to be a pain!
It’s not a pain at all. We’re happy to try to help.
For both the sleeve and the back, the odd number rows are the same in the sense that they are right side (RS) rows or Twist rows. The even number rows are wrong side (WS) rows.
How many sts are you casting on for the sleeve? There’s 12sts in each repeat. It probably enough for 3 repeats of the pattern plus sts at each ends.
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Maintaining a pattern when it isn’t written out exactly row by row, stitch by stitch, is one of the hardest things to do. I had great difficulty with my first projects in maintaining a lace pattern. You will get there and it will become easier with practise and experience.
The sleeve is going to have more knits and purls on the underarm (beginning and end of the row) than the back section had because the sleeve is beginning narrow and widening as it goes up, it is not yet wide enough to fit in another twisted panel. After some increases it will be wide enough for the twisted panel to appear but it is not crucial to make this additional twisted panel and the sweater will look marvelous without it (it won’t look incomplete, some may say it improves the design). You can decide at the beginning of the sleeve if you want to go for the additional panel or not. If not, as salmonmac said, you can do all of the underarm stitches in knit and it will look lovely.
The patternnis confusing you on which rows are which bynstartung the right side with purl rather than knit and I believe this is because it is starting off a reverse stockinette panel where the twisted panel will be produced, it is putting in place the background stitch in readiness for the twisted knit stitches to appear on top as the sleeve widens. If you choose not to put in the additional panel pattern you will knit these instead of purling. Knitting instead will make the increases and seaming somewhat easier and neater.
On the pic I marked up, the purple panel is the area you need to keep in line throughout, you could place a marker before this panel to ensure everything after the marker is worked as per the pattern stitches.
The last 3 stitches of your repeat are K3, these are the columns of stockinette between the fancy panels, you can always check these are in line .
The first set of K3 (written as K3 on your sleeve pattern just before your repeat begins) is the set I have marked in red, these need to always be in line, you can place a marker before these, or you can look ahead at your row and see that your repeat marker begins 3 stitches later, working K3 before the marker will keep these in line.
Placing another marker after your complete repeats will help you identify where you end the repeats, work some number of stitches to the end of the row nd when you turn he marker helps to show where you are on the wrong side row too.
The section between those markers will never change which makes knitting a lot easier.
Outside those markers then, there’s is the section marked red which is the K3 before the repeat.
And there is the section marked blue which is the tricky bit.
If you choose to work without an additional fancy panel appearing then work all stitches in the blue part in stockinette , that is knit on the right side and purl on the wrong side and ignore the part of the sleeve pattern which says to purl some of these as you won’t need the background stitches in place.
If you choose to include the additional panel it will happen in this blue section. On the lowest row in the sleeve it’s just a few purls, as you go up the sleeve you increase on certain rows and when there is enough stitches to work part of your repeat panel you include it. The would happen at the beginning and end of the row, always in the blue section.
Hope this helps a bit and doesn’t cause confusion. One of the key points for me when battling with maintaining a pattern was the shift from “what happens at the beginning of the row?” to “which part of the fabric stays the same, where is that, how can I mark it up to make sure I maintain that section?”
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When the pattern for the sleeve says to continue as given for the back, it’s really referring to the cable pattern. You won’t be trying to fit the back sts row by row onto the sleeve. Just follow the cable progression for the approximately 3 sections of cable on the sleeves. As Creations mentioned, markers are a big help here.
The sts at the beginning and end of the sleeve where the increases occur can simply be knit in stockinette, knit on the RS, purl on the WS. It will probably make for a more comfortable underarm too.
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Wow thank you so much - that is so helpful! I spent all last evening writing bits out but just couldn’t decide what to do with the initial stitches! I’ll have another go this evening. I’m really grateful for your time to explain.
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Brilliant - thank you 
You’re very welcome. Keep us updated with how you get on or if you need more/different help.
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I’m going to second @salmonmac–the sleeve will be more comfortable without the thickness of the cable under the arm. I think plain stockinette is the way to go there.
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Thank you 