'Ember' by Kim Hargreaves

#1

Hi, I am knitting my first ever cardigan and am stuck. The pattern is ‘Ember’ in the ‘Cherished’ pattern book by Kim Hargreaves. I have reached the ‘shaping back neck & shoulders’ part in the pattern and am confused as haven’t shaped a neck or used stitch holders before I have just bought some). I apologise for all the following questions, I’m sure they are obvious to many people but I don’t understand at all!

Pattern says, ‘Cast off 5 sts, patt until there are 6 sts on right needle & turn, leaving rem sts on holder’.
Q) Which ones are the remaining sts? Are they the ones where the pattern is continued between the 5 casted off & the 6 sts left on right needle?
When it says turn does that mean literally to swap the needles around?

The next part says, 'Work each side of the neck separately. Work one row.
Q) Which stitches am I working in the one row?

Next bit says- Cast off remaining stitches.
Q) Which ones are these?

With RS facing, rejoin yarn to remaining sts, cast off centre 13 sts, patt. to end. Complete to match first side, reversing shapings.

??? Not sure about this, infact I probably need a really simplified step by step translation of all of the pattern I have mentioned. Can anyone help? I am going to try and find a knitting group, but until then any help would be most appreciated. thanks.

#2

Pattern says, ‘Cast off 5 sts, patt until there are 6 sts on right needle & turn, leaving rem sts on holder’.
Q) Which ones are the remaining sts?
A)CO 5, work 6. Everything left on your left needle are the remaining sts.

Q) When it says turn does that mean literally to swap the needles around?
A)Yes. You just did a rs row, now turn to do the ws row.

The next part says, 'Work each side of the neck separately. Work one row.
Q) Which stitches am I working in the one row?
A) The 6 on your right needle (which you have now turned so they are on your left needle waiting to be worked)

Next bit says- Cast off remaining stitches.
Q) Which ones are these?
A) The same 6. Turn work again so you are on the rs, and bind them off. Cut yarn, leaving a tail

With RS facing, rejoin yarn to remaining sts, cast off centre 13 sts, patt. to end. Complete to match first side, reversing shapings.
???
A) Put the “remaining sts” (those you didn’t work which are currently on your holder) back onto the needle. Make sure they are on your left needle so you can knit across the rs.
Start knitting (in this case you BO 13) with the yarn you just cut. Work the remaining sts (Should be 11) so as to match the other side (knit 11, turn, BO 5, work 6, turn, BO 6, cut yarn).

#3

Thanks so much for your great and quick reply. Am going to print it out at work and then try and tackle it this weekend. Hopefully I’ll be able to understand patterns one day! I may be in touch again before too long…thanks again

#4

Thanks so much for your great and quick reply. Going to try and tackle it this weekend. Hopefully I’ll be able to understand patterns one day! I hope you don’t mind me asking another question? While I was stuck on the back section (which you helped me with), I began on the left front as to save time. I am stuck on the ‘shaping armhole’ section where patt. says-’[COLOR=“DarkRed”]Keeping pattern correct as set by back (by working sts between markers in st st for last few rows at shoulders edge)[/COLOR], cont. as follows: Work 16 rows, ending with a WS row’.
On the back section I did not need to do any sts between markers in stocking stitch as i am making small size. I do not understand the highlighted part, what does it mean by a few rows?Do I just do 16 rows in the continued pattern and not do stocking stitch?

Thanks for your help, I hope what I’ve written makes sense.

#5

patt. says-‘Keeping pattern correct as set by back (by working sts between markers in st st for last few rows at shoulders edge), cont. as follows: Work 16 rows, ending with a WS row’.

I did not need to do any sts between markers in stocking stitch as i am making small size. I do not understand the highlighted part, what does it mean by a few rows?Do I just do 16 rows in the continued pattern and not do stocking stitch?
*Yes, just work 16 rows in pattern. If the small size does not have stitch markers and additional sts between them, then just ignore this.