Confused by pattern math

Hi, I’m trying to knit the Melusine cardigan in Phildar, which has a recommended gauge of 16 stitches and 24 rows/10 cm. Here’s where I’m running into trouble: image|996x330 Screenshot 2024-07-01 at 7.16.05 PM

If my math is correct, 30cm from beginning should be around 72 (i.e. 24x3) rows based on the gauge. Given that the instructions tell me to do decreases on every 4th row, I believe that’s an additional (6+7+3+2+1) x 4 = 19x4 = 76 rows for shaping the raglan (sorry the image is cut off, but the full instruction reads "cast off 1st 6 times, then cast of 1st 7 times, 2sts 3 times, 3sts twice, and 5sts once, hence the 6+7+3+2+1 in my math), suggesting the shaping portion should be slightly longer than first 30cm of undecreased rows. However, the sizing guide instead shows this: Screenshot 2024-07-01 at 7.19.28 PM

Am I missing something? Have I done the math incorrectly or misread something? There aren’t instructions to change needles or the gauge so I’m at a loss as to how 76 rows could be a full 8cm shorter than 72 rows? Thanks!

Welcome to the forum!


It seems to me that the schematic is off in the first size and the others that I’ve checked. There aren’t any problems noted on Ravelry although there are relatively few projects with notes.
I would go with the instructions and ignore the schematic in this case.

It would be reassuring to contact both Lovecrafts and Phildar to see if they have any light to shed on the question. Your math looks fine to me. The wording of the decreases for different sizes seems strange, for example “…cast off 1 st 6 times, then cast off 1 st 7 times…” Why not combine these?

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Hello
I suggest putting a life line in before you start the sleeve cap so your stitches are safe if you need to frog back and rethink these shaping numbers.
The maths works out at 31.66 cm for that cap section which is, as you said, longer than the full, length sleeve.
The photo looks like quite a close fitting, tailored kind of look, not a big slouchy sweater. The schematic of 22 cm sounds about right for a sleeve cap to me whereas 31 to 32 cm sounds really out of proportion with the rest of the cardigan.

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