Completely Confused on a Pattern

How-to Questions
1

Hi everyone,

I started knitting this pattern and I have gotten to the point where I have to shape the neck but I am completely confused by the directions. The pattern is located here:
http://www.estelledesigns.ca/images/FreePaterns/RIBANDCABLETOP.htm

and the part I’m confused on is the following:

Shape Neck
For 1st, 2nd and 3rd Sizes Only
Next Row: K3, patt 17[18 : 20], turn.
Complete first side as follows:
*** Cont to dec 1 st at armhole edge as before on 2nd row, at the same time dec 1 st at neck edge on next 5 rows. = 14[15 : 17] sts.
Cast off.
Sl center 30[32 : 32] sts onto a st holder.
With RS facing rejoin yarn at neck edge of rem 20[21 : 23] sts and patt to last 3 sts, K3.
Complete second side to correspond with first side from ***.

Currently, I have 70 stitches on my needle and the way I’m reading this is that I’m supposed to knit 3, knit in pattern for 17 stitches and then I’m supposed to turn. Well, at this point do I turn the work and add another ball of yarn? How would I work this. Then to continue further, I’m supposed to decrease one stitch at the armhole edge but it says “as before on 2nd row” but before I was decreasing on the first row. Also (sorry for dragging this one) it says that AT THE SAME TIME I’m supposed to decrease one stitch at the neck edge on the next five row to equal 14 stitches but I’m working with 17 so if I decrease one and then five that leave me with 11 stitches on my needle.

Did I confuse you guys yet? LOL

Any help you could provide on clarifying these questions would be greatly appreciated. This is my first garment and I would really like to finish it properly.

Thanks a bunch,

2
  1. When you turn, your yarn is still on the needle so you don’t have to attach. you just turn your work and knit back the other way. You’re shaping the shoulder.

2)What if it said decrease “as before on 2nd row” read it like this–decrease as you did before on the first row, but do it on the 2nd row.

3)As I see it, you should have 20 stitches on the needle, the three you knit before you turned, and the 17. 20-6=14

  1. You will have to attach yarn to the second shoulder.

I hope this is clear. :smiley:

Congrats on your first garment!

BTW you might want to hold off on binding off the shoulders put them on a holder, and then do a three-needle bind-off to join shoulders. This was one of the BEST finishing techniques I ever learned.

3

Thank you so much. Your explanation makes so much sense. I need to learn how to stop over-analyzing everything and open up to simplicity (big challenge for me :rollseyes: )