Help Newbie Knitter; shape shoulders/neck!

#1

Hello I am in need of help! :happydance:
So far I am finished with the back of my first sweater, well almost. Now I am to the part where it is asking me to "Shape shoulders and back neck"
Directions are as follows:
Next Row (RS): Cast off 8 sts (which I have done- I now have one stitch on my right needle- and 47 sts on left needle, I am stuck here, as it then says,) patt until there are 11 sts on right needle and turn, leaving rem sts on a holder. (What does patt mean, and I just can’t seem to get a visual of this here, and I sew???)
Work each side of the neck separtely.
Cast off 3 sts at beg of next row.
Cast off rem 8 sts.
With RS facing, rejoin yarns to rem sts, cast off centre 18 sts, patt to end.
Complete to match first side, reversing shaping.

Help me please please!

Thank you much knitters!

#2

Hiya lwalla n welcome to the party!!!:balloons:

K you have one stitch on the right needle correct? Now work 10 more stitches off the left needle til you have 11 total on the right. Place the rest of the stitches on the left needle on a holder or thread a piece of yarn through it to hold those stitches while you do the one side of the neck shaping.:knitting:

Now when it says to continue in pattern, all that means is to continue knitting the same arrangement of stitches like the rest of the body of the sweater, whether it’s ribbing or cables or lace or whatnot. Just continue following the stitch pattern that’s been established and work your bind off’s or decreases while maintaining the stitch pattern of the sweater.:figureditout:

#3

Thanks Fibrenut. So when you say “work” 10 more, are you meaning “casting off” or knitting stitch or “sliding” 10 stitches from left to right?
:slight_smile:

#4

`Working’ sts means to knit/purl them in whatever pattern you’re doing - stockinette, garter, rib, lace stitch pattern…

#5

Suz said it perfectly!!:knitting:

#6

So this may sound crazy, but if I do what the original directions tell me, I figure I will have 7 left over stitches. Can you read it and tell me if I am off? I just would rather do it correctly and then not have to “undo it all” :slight_smile:

#7

Do you have a link to the pattern?
K, you started with 56 stitches right? and you bound off 8, leaving 48 stitches. You have 11 on your right needle (after knitting the ten stitches from the left needle so you have 11 altogether). You are now on the right side of the knitting and you’ll turn and work all the way back, turn, and bind off 3 stitches, knit to the end of the row, turn work all the way back, turn and bind off the remaining 8 stitches. Cut your yarn and that side is done.

Now you’re ready to work the other side. Join your yarn (with the right side facing you)to the stitches on the holder and bind off 18 stitches for the middle, now continue in your stitch pattern to the end of the row. You should have 19 stitches. Turn, you are now on the wrong side, bind off 8 stitches, work to the end of the row, turn, work back, turn, bind off three stitches, work to the end of the row, turn, work back, turn, and now bind off the last 8 stitches. and TADAAA!!! you are done!!!:woot:

#8

You do the first shoulder and go back to the leftover stitches which is 37. BO 18 of those for the neck and that leaves you with 19, then BO 8 and you should have 11 which is the same number of sts you worked on the first shoulder.

Or did you mean 7 sts left on the first shoulder? You started with 11, bind off 3 which leaves 8, then bind those off too.

#9

It’s those first 8 you bind off to get 11 that somehow looks like it got lost in the directions there. But it all works out in the end. I got out my trusty calkeelater n checked it out. LOL:thumbsup: :slight_smile:

#10

I wish I would have asked this question a week or so ago. Went through the same dilemma about ten days ago. Finally in the middle of the night it sort of ‘came’ to me. I searched my various knitting books and the closest I came to the above answer you gave was in the Vogue Knitting Book. I even went so far as to graph this simple procedure out on graph paper! All worked out, but will definitely make a copy of your reply for future projects…And, Iwalla, it is not as difficult and confusing as it sounds. Good luck, and if I can do it, so can you…

#11

You girls are the bomb! Thanks so much! :slight_smile: I will let you know my progress! :slight_smile: