Featherweight cardigan

#1

I’m a self-taught knitter who usually has the most trouble when starting…
setup row:
Setup row (WS): P2 (front), pm, p2 (sleeve), pm, p44 (46, 48, 50, 52)[54, 56, 58, 60, 62] (back), pm, p2 (sleeve), pm, p2 (front).

The first 2 rows (after setup row) are as follows:
Row 1 (RS): (K to 1 st before m, M1R, k1, sm, k1, M1L) 4 times, k to end. 8 sts increased. Row 2: Purl.

I did
k
m1r
k
sm
k
mil
and now have one more stitch before the 2nd marker. Do I knit that stitch and then sm?
*and then do I do the same thing WITHIN this first row 4 times total (3 additional), or am I knitting 4 rows with 2 increases each?

Thanks so much for any help you can give!

#2

M1 first, knit the st, sl m. You repeat the whole sequence a total of 4 times across the row. That will give you 8 incs, one before and after each k1 at the markers.

#3

I am also having the same problem, and still do not understand. Would you please be so kind as to explain it another way? How can I “knit to end” when there are markers there? Something is not making sense. Also, wouldn’t I mirror the stitches on the other side? Thank you in advance for your help.

#4

Knit to the end means knit in pattern across the row, slip the markers when you come to them. The incs are the only ones that need to be mirrored and that’s why it say m1L and m1R.

#5

Thank you for your quick response.

I hate to admit this, but okay, here it goes…I am feeling really stupid here. I have been knitting since 1983 and have never run into this situation before.

I will just explain what I am doing. I know that it is wrong because I am not increasing the middle section at all by doing this, but this is the way I interpreted the directions. I cannot see how to “repeat this four times.”

So, I did the setup row. That was fine. Then I went to Row 1 and here is what I did:

Row 1:
k1, M1R, k1, sm, k1, M1L, sm, knit across the 52 stitches. sm, k1, M1L, k1, sm, k1, M1R, k1.

This only increases by 4 stitches, not 8. Middle does not increase.

The instructions I have say “k to 1 st before m, M1R, k1, sm…” [there are only 2 stitches there, so that’s why I did k1, M1R, k1, sm - so I am pretty sure this part is correct]

Then the instructions say “…k1, MIL…” [again, there are only two stitches there, so that is why I k1, M1L. But then there is one stitch left before the marker so that is why I knit it and then sm]

Then the instructions state to do this “4 times.” Well the only other markers are at the other end, which is why I knitted across, but then to make it right, it seems to me I have to reverse and do M1L first, then M1R.

Then it says k to end. Well, that is the end.

When I diagram this out per the instructions, then I end up with a M1L and M1R back to back because I am already one stitch away from the marker. Since there is only one bar to lift between the stitches, this doesn’t seem right. I think on later rows, once there are more stitches this won’t be as confusing, but I could be wrong since I cannot seem to get past this row…

So hopefully now you can see what I am doing wrong, how the instructions are confounding me, and how to explain to me what I should be doing.

I am so sorry for being so dense about this. But I really and truly appreciate your help. Perhaps you can explain to me exactly what to do on this row and then I hopefully should get it.

Again, I apologize for having some sort of mental block on this.

Thank you in advance.

#6

This is the featherweight cardigan, right? The set up row will leave you with this when you get to row 1 - 2sts, marker, 2 sts, marker, 53 sts, marker, 2 sts, marker 2 sts, marker.

Since you have 4 markers, that’s how you repeat the instructions 4 times and the m1s don’t use a stitch, so if you’re doing kfb, that may be a problem. (K to 1 st before m, M1R, k1, sm, k1, M1L) 4 times, k to end. 8 sts increased.
So then you k1, m1r , k1, sl marker, k1, m1L, then do that same sequence again, then you k50 sts and M1R, k1, sm, k1, M1L. Then do k1, m1r , k1, sl marker, k1, m1L twice ad you’re at the end of the row. Even though there’s only one st after the last inc, that row will be repeated and there will be more sts after it later, so the ‘knit to end’ instruction will cover all those sts that get added on. You don’t have to reverse the M1L/R incs, they’re slanting correctly. They will slant away from the 2 sts that the marker is between and toward the sections, the back and the 2 sleeves.

#7

Thank you. Yes, it’s the featherweight cardigan. The set up row I have (total 60 stitches) is 2 sts, marker, 2 sts, marker, 52 sts, marker, 2 sts, marker, 2 sts, marker.

When I follow your exact directions, I hit the 2nd marker before I can k1 again. This is what I am doing:

k1, m1r, k1, sm, k1, M1L, k1 then I hit the marker. So I can m1r, but then there is no other stitch to knit before the marker. I have already knit the four stitches available before the two markers. Should I knit one after the marker and then m1L? then knit 50 sts until I am one before the marker and m1r, k1, sm, k1, m1L, k1, m1r, sm, k1, m1L, k1?

So this is exactly what I would be doing (I’m sorry, but the repeats are confusing me because there are too few sts at this point to do this exactly…)

This would then be my first row (is this correct?)
k1, m1r, k1, sm, k1, M1L, k1, m1r, sm, k1, m1L, k50 sts, m1r, k1, sm, k1, m1L, k1, m1r, sm, k1, m1L, k1

This would increase 1 st at each front side every other row, increase 2 sts on each of the sleeves every other row (but not at the same exact point for each sleeve, it looks like the right sleeve would have one st from the back before the increase and the left sleeve would have two sts from the back before the increase - at least on this first row - will this look bad?) and increase 2 sts across the back every other row. This would give me the correct number of sts for each section (fronts, sleeves, and back) after repeating 36 times…so I think I am close to understanding…?

Again, thank you for your patience. Should I knit the row the way I explained?

Thank you for your quick responses and help. I truly appreciate it!

#8

You seem to be doing a kfb for the inc; m1 puts a new sts between sts and doesn’t use one, that’s why you only have 1 st left and where I thought you were off. Do a backward loop for a m1 instead, or lift the yarn from the row below between sts and knit it tbl. There’s videos on the Increases page.

If you’d rather do a kfb, you’ll have to change the pattern slightly - kfb, k1, sm, kfb, do that again then knit across 51 sts, kfb, k1, sm, kfb, kfb, k1, sm, kfb k1.

The point is to make an increase before and after a marker; since there’s 4 markers you’ll have 8 increases.
sm, k1, M1L, k1, sm, k1, M1R, k1.

#9

The way I read it, it seems to want you to increase twice between the two sleeve stitches.
ie
K1, m1r, k1, sm, k1 m1l, (now you repeat, you’re already at one stitch from the marker so it goes) m1r, k1, sm, knit to one before next marker, k1, m1r, k1, sm, k1, m1l, m1r, k1, sm, k1, m1l, knit to end (which is only one stitch).

I’ve never seen a pattern that wants you to m1l, m1r without knitting a stitch between, but that’s the only way I can read this. If the ultimate goal is to end up with four stitches in each sleeve section you might kfb the two sleeve stitches on each side instead of m1l, m1r, then on the next row you can do all the increases as written, as you’ll have extra stitches to knit in between the makes.
Just my interpretation; might be crazy! :smiley:
-E

#10

Again, thank you for bearing with me…

I double checked to make sure I understand and I am definitely not doing a kfb. I am following the instructions in the pattern for m1L and m1r. The instructions are as follows:

m1L: Make one Left increase. Make one st by lifting bar btwn sts from front to back with the lft needle and then knitting thru the back of it with the rt needle.

m1r: Make one Rt increase. Make one st by lifting bar btwn sts from back to front with the lft needle and then knitting thru the front of it with the rt needle

This does not use one of my knit sts, but the sts in between and below, so that is not where I am losing my sts. I only have one st left before the marker, because there are only 2 sts before the first maker and 2 before the 2nd marker to begin with. The instructions call for knitting 2 sts (not including the m1’s) between the m1’s and still having 1 more stitch, which would make 3 sts there, but the pattern told me only 2.

So then it would seem that I have a m1L and m1R back to back with no knit sts in between when I start the second repeat of this? It seems like that would leave a hole…

I am so sorry. I don’t know why this is so confusing to me and yet it seems so clear to everyone else. I am usually quite bright and have never had this much difficulty with a pattern.

I really appreciate you taking the time to help me. Sincerely. Thank you.

So do I do the m1L and m1R back to back?

Thank you in advance for your continued patience and help.

#11

Not crazy, that’s what I’m getting too, but it seems like it cannot be correct. (Or it is crazy to do this, but you are not crazy.) Thank you for your assistance. I am so embarrassed that this is my introduction to you all. I really don’t want to seem stupid, yet I fear that is how I am coming across. Thank you again for your help.

#12

No, you’re not crazy, nor are you stupid. Let’s see if we can get it across to you another way.

When ready to do the first row, this is what your needle should look like -
2sts, marker, 2 sts, marker, 52 sts, marker, 2 sts, marker, 2 sts - with 4 markers, 1 in between the first and last 4 sts, then one one each side of the 52 sts.

The first row reads - " (K to 1 st before m, M1R, k1, sm, k1, M1L) 4 times, k to end. " So since there’s only 2 sts before and between the markers at the sides, you only k1 between and it will look like this:

‘K1, M1R, k1, sm,’ [thats the 2 sts before the first marker]
‘k1, M1L’ [that’s 1 st after that marker]
now repeat that again -
‘K1, M1R, k1, sm,’ [that’s the 2nd st after marker 1 and the first st before marker 2-
‘k1, M1L’ [This k1 is part of the 52 sts on the back, so then you knit 50 sts which takes you to the st before marker 3 which is part of ‘K to 1 st before m’. You kniy 50 because 2 of the sts are involved in the inc part.]

So after k 50 you do the m1R and k1 slip marker 3, k1, m1L, k1 m1R, k1, slip last marker, m1L and there’s 1 st left to knit.

One thing that may be throwing you off is when you look at the sts, there’s 2 sts, marker, 2 sts, marker, but in the instructions the marker is between 2 sts and these are not the same 2 sts that it separates. And maybe a graphic will help; x stands for st, I is inc, and m is marker:

x I xmx I x I xmx I x 50 x I xmx I x I x m x I x

#13

Thank you for trying again.

Here is where I get lost, you write: “the marker is between 2 sts and these are not the same 2 sts that it separates”

Then in the diagram, it looks like there should be 3 sts btwn the 1st marker and the 2nd marker, which would then leave 50 sts btwn the 2nd and 3rd markers.

So do I simply move my markers over to make this work? Or should I really have 62 sts on my needle, and not the 60 that the pattern states?

Again, I am so sorry for being such a dunce with this! I can only assume that you are as frustrated at me as I am at this pattern instruction. I appreciate your patience with me. I truly do.

Here is what I am seeing: x stands for a stitch. m is a marker. _ is the bar below. The marks are what I see in my row. The line below is what I am seeing to do…

x _ x _ m x _ x _ m x _ [50 sts] x _ m x _ x _ m x _ x
k1 M1R k1 sm k1 M1L and then this is where I get lost because I am one st before the marker, which would mean if I follow the instructions that I M1R out of the same bar I just used to M1L…

So, I guess perhaps I need to understand how the marker can be between 2 sts and they are not the same 2 sts that it separates?

Again, I’m sorry. Would you be so kind as to try again to explain this to me?

Thank you so very much!

#14

It didn’t line up the way I thought it would.

Also, if I count your x’s and add the 50 then I would end up with not 60, not 62, but 64 sts to start on my needle…

I have never felt so stupid in my life…I appreciate your patience. Thank you…

#15

Hmmm, maybe I did that wrong, I guess there should be 2 incs together, like this… x I xmx I I xmx I x 50 x I xmx I I x m x I x … so you don’t knit any sts between them. Just on this row, after that it’ll be easier.

You start the row with 60 sts and end up with 68. At the end of the row, there will be 3 sts before the first marker, then another 4, then 54, 4 and 3. You move the markers from one needle to the other, but do not move them from between the sts where they were originally placed.

#16

Okay, I think I finally get it. Thank you. It was that extra non-existent stitch that was throwing me for a loop (and making me totally loopy! LOL!)

So I will use the same bar below twice for the Increases.

Thank you so very much for your patience. I totally appreciate it!

I am sure once I get this first row done, there will be enough sts to do this the way the instructions advise.

Thank you again so very much!

#17

Yeah, it threw me too. I was trying to work it out on paper (computer screen) rather than try to knit it where I would have seen the markers…

Actually, for this row, I would suggest you do one of the m1 incs that are next to each other by doing a backward loop around the R needle. It’ll be too tight and won’t look good if you try to do 2 next to each other. I was going to have you do all of them by looping, but that will leave quite a hole where the 2 are next to each other. You might look into the MLL/MRL incs though, I think they’re the most invisible and will look good together with a minimal gap between sts.

#18

Or you could do a knit into the loop of the knit st below the one on the left needle. Do that for both of the sleeve sts between the markers. This is only going to be a problem for the first increase row because there are only 2 sts between the markers. After that the 8 increases per increase row should be straightforward.

#19

Yeah, that’s what the KLL/KRL are. I would do it like this if I was going to work this row -
k1 KRL k1, sl m, KLL, KRL, k1, slip m, KLL, k back sts, KRL k1, sl m, KLL, KRL, k1, sl m, KLL, k1.

#20

Yeah, that’s what I was trying to get at before. Since you can’t make two stitches on the same bar very easily, it’s probably best to use a different increase, just for the first increase row, because of course it will work after that.
Looking at the pattern comments, it seems that originally this pattern had sleeves that started with more than two stitches, but ended up too big so the pattern was altered. It’s possible that this problem just wasn’t caught when the sleeve size was scaled down.
I hope you’re charging ahead now!

-E