Decoding Poncho Pattern Instructions

#1

Hello everyone! I’m a relatively new knitter, so far, all I’ve made is a scarf and a headband, which were sinple knit/purl combinations. I picked up this Bernat poncho pattern, and I get to the part where I would start my second colour, and I see these instuctions I don’t understand.

With colour A, work 8 rows in stocking st. (Next 8 rows of Stripe Pat are complete). Keeping cont of Stripe Pat, proceed in stocking st as follows:
Next Row: (RS)K1. Sl1. K1. psso. Knit to last 3 sts. K2tog. K1.
Beg with a purl row, work 5 rows even.
Rep last 6 rows 1 time more. 96 sts.

So, if I’m reading this right, I take my new colour A, work a row of knit, a row of purl (x4) for the stocking stitch. OR is a “row” or stocking stitch both the knit and purl row counting as 1. So what 8 rows of stocking stitch really means is knit one row, purl one row (x8).

Secondly, how do I “slip next stitch purlwise / knitwise” ? Isn’t there only one way to slip a stitch over a needle?

Thirdly, what does it mean to “Begin with a purl row, work 5 rows even”? I purl the next five rows in their entirety? That’s all?

This seems far more complicated than it has to be…

#2

Each row is one row. So 8 rows of st st would be 4 rows of knit and 4 rows of purl.

As for the slip stitch, it’s just a stitch that gets moved over to the right needle without doing anything to it. If it says purlwise you insert your needle as if you were going to purl it; knitwise, as if you were going to knit it.

In this case the sl1 is part of the sl1, k1, psso decrease.

When it says to begin with a purl row, your first row of the stockinette st will be a purl row, but you continue with alternating purl/knit rows.

#3

Thank you Ingrid, you’ve cleared up my most pressing of questions… Now, to continue on with this poncho of mine.