Center bind off neck shaping

I am knitting a bottom up sweater and have reached the neck shaping part - and I have tried several times to work the pattern but the pattern makes no sense to me!

Shape Neck
Place a marker on each side of center 13 (15, 17, 17) (19, 21, 23) sts for front neck.
Row 1 (RS): Work in St st to first marker for left side of neck; join a 2nd ball of yarn and bind off sts between
markers, remove markers, work in St st to end of row for right side of neck – 41 (44, 47, 53) (56, 59, 62) sts
remain for each side of neck.
You will now work both sides of neck AT THE SAME TIME using separate balls of yarn.
Rows 2 and 3: On first side, work in St st to end of side; on 2nd side, bind off 3 sts, work in St st to end of
side – 38 (41, 44, 50) (53, 56, 59) sts for each side when all bind offs have been completed.
Rows 4 and 5: On first side, work in St st to end of side; on 2nd side, bind off 2 sts, work in St st to end of
side – 36 (39, 42, 48) (51, 54, 57) sts for each side.
Rows 6 and 7: On first side, work in St st to end of side; on 2nd side, bind off 1 st, work in St st to end of
side – 35 (38, 41, 47) (50, 53, 56) sts for each side.

I managed to do row 1 (knitting , binding off the 17 stitches according to the size I am making) and knitting to the end

Now I am confused:

Row 2 first side

Is the first side the first side of the shoulder/neck?
And then
ROW 3 would be the start of the other side of the nexk /shoulder? If so how would both sides have the same amount
Of bind offs at the end???

Please help this dumb sweater was supposed to be for Christmas ….

Thank you!!!

Welcome to the forum!
Ok, you worked the first row, row 1 which is a RS row. The designer is calling the side you just knit the first side (or first shoulder). As this looks like directions for the front of the sweater, this will be the right shoulder as you wear the sweater.
Both sides will alternate with bind offs so the sides will be even although the bind offs at the neck edge will be offset by one row. This won’t be significant.
On Row 2, purl across the first side, drop the yarn strand. Pick up the strand for the second side, bind off 3sts and work to the end of row.
On Row 3, knit across the second shoulder, drop the yarn, pick up the strand attached to the first shoulder, bind off 3sts and knit to the end of row.
You’ll continue in this manner, alternating sides and bind offs. I find that making a diagram helps me keep to the pattern.

What is the name of your pattern and designer?

THANK YOU !!! It’s working!!!

Katherine

Excellent! Enjoy working the rest of the sweater.

Would you have a look at the rest of the shaping?

Do I continue binding off from the neckline or is it supposed to be off the shoulders now?

image0.jpeg

Shape Shoulders and Continue Neck Shaping

Next 4 rows: On first side, bind off 5 (6, 6, 7) (8, 8, 9) sts, work in St st to end of side; on 2nd side, bind off

1 st, work in St st to end of side – 23 (24, 27, 31) (32, 35, 36) sts for each side when all bind offs have been

completed.

Next 2 rows: On first side, bind off 5 (6, 6, 7) (8, 8, 9) sts, work in St st to end of side; on 2nd side, work in

St st to end of side – 18 (18, 21, 24) (24, 27, 27) sts for each side.

Next 4 rows: On first side, bind off 6 (6, 7, 8) (8, 9, 9) sts, work in St st to end of side; on 2nd side, work in

St st to end of side – 6 (6, 7, 8) (8, 9, 9) sts for each side.

Next row: On first side, bind off rem 6 (6, 7, 8) (8, 9, 9) sts; on 2nd side, work in St st to end of side.

Bind off rem 6 (6, 7, 8) (8, 9, 9) sts.

Most of the bind offs in this part of the pattern are from the armhole edge. They are making the slope of the shoulder. There are several bind offs of one stitch at the neck edge (“Next 4 rows:”) at the same time.
So again, on the first side (a WS row) bind off the given number of sts, purl to the neck edge, drop the yarn and pick up the strand attached to the second side, bind off one at the neck edge and purl to the end of row.
On the RS bind off the sts for your size, knit across to the neck, drop the yarn and pick up the strand attached to the first side, bind off one stitch and then knit to end of the row (armhole edge).
Repeat this once more. The following directions are only bind offs from the armhole edge to shape the shoulders.
I sometimes make a diagram showing where the bind offs are and the stitch number to bind off just to keep sanity. Then I can check off the bind offs as I go.