I ran across a pattern where it states to:
Row 7 (dec row): K20, k5, (k2tog)5x, k5, k20 (55 sts)
The K20, k5 ??? What does it mean?:knitting:
They both mean knit. The K20 is probabably capitalized because it’s at the beginning, like in a sentence; some word processing programs do it automatically.
So, in this case k25 ?
Ordinarily I would go with what Sue said, but in this case, it does look like maybe they mean something different between the capped [I]k[/I] and lowercase [I]k.[/I] Is there a list of abbreviations somewhere near the top of the pattern that tells you what’s what?
Also, could you give us the name of the pattern or a link to it? That might help.
It looks that way - k 25, then k2tog 5 times and k25 again leaves 55 sts. Notice at the end of the row both 'k’s are small, so I don’t think think there’s anything different about the larger K except that it’s first.
Yeah, but why didn’t they just say “K25” or “k25” rather than saying “K20, k5”? That’s what threw me off!
Why separate these two directives if they’re asking you to do the same stitch?
Sometimes patterns are written oddly like that to show the 5 edge sts separately from the other stitches. There’s no different [I]meaning[/I] in how it’s written, just that it’s different.
Did a quick search, I think this may be the link to the pattern:
I can’t see any reason for the separation. In the next odd numbered row, the stitches are grouped as a k25. Sometimes, as Sue noted, sts will be separated this way to help you see the pattern sts across different rows but that’s not the case here. Looking at the shawl, it’s all knit.
Very pretty pattern, too.
Yeah, that’s written weirdly is all, but doesn’t mean anything. The rows with the K10 have a large k at the beginning and smaller one later too. It could be just a typo that they split the k25 into k20 and k5, just ignore it and k 25 sts, just like the next RS row.
And that? Is the question for the ages. When archaeologists uncover the remains of our civilization in a million years, they will be scratching their heads pondering the same thing. And you think WE’RE confused …
I like the pattern in the link. Thanks for this, I hope to make it soon; have just the wool for it.
I know I’m showing my age here. But I think somebody doesn’t know (or care) how to properly type. All I could think of was “Typewriters Gone Wild”. I think there’s a movie and a sequel in this somewhere. What was that Steven King thriller? Maximum Overdrive where all the mechanical things came alive and tried to kill people?
I remember Word Processor of the Gods. Some days I could happily use a delete key. 
I read one of his stories about cars and trucks turning on people trapped in a diner or some such thing.
is anybody else knitting this shawl? I am up to row 7, and having difficulty with the stitch count. It goes all over the place. I’ll start over…
Yes, the increase rows and decrease rows alternate on every RS row adding and taking away 5 sts on each. On the inc rows make sure you’re not doing too many YOs or leaving some off; on the dec rows, watch the same on the k2tog. The YO doesn’t include a stitch, it’s just wrapping the yarn around the needle and is anchored by the k1 that’s between each one.
I agree with SuzeeQ. The capitalized K occurred just because of the auto-correct feature at the beginning of a new sentence. There is no differentiation that I’ve [I]ever[/I] seen in [I]any[/I] pattern between K and k. If there was a differentiation, it would most certainly be in the abbreviations paragraph in the pattern.