hello
im currently trying to knit a hippo teddybear…
the pattern is in a book and the instructions are very very vague
it asks to cast on 35 stitches… easy!
then straight away it says
first and next 4 following alternate rows purl, does that mean i purl a row, knit a row until i have done 5 rows of purl then start the pattern which asks to:
increase k10,m1,k15,m1,k10…
please help this is stopping me from mking this!
thanks john
Yeah, what you said sounds like what they mean, but that is sure an odd way to put it. Why not say, “beginning with a purl row work St st for 9 rows (end with a purl row).” I don’t know what else they could mean, so that’s what I’d try.
That is the way I interpreted those directions as well. Sounds like it may have been written by someone who may not be good at technical writing, or, putting it the simplest to understand terms. It may make sense to the person writing the pattern, but not to anyone else.
thanks guys! it really is an odd way isnt it! oh well! thought i had lost the ability to read patterns overnight!
I find that knitted toys sometimes have a unique way to write things out…What I would suggest to you is if you are having trouble, write it out…
“first and next 4 following alternate rows purl”
1st Row: Purl
2nd Row: Knit
3rd Row: Purl
4th Row: Knit
5th Row: Purl
6th Row: Knit
7th Row: Purl
8th Row: Knit
9th Row: Knit
10th Row: increase k10,m1,k15,m1,k10…
Do these kinda projects enough, and it becomes second nature and you won’t even think twice about it. It is just sometimes all about the word play.
I have also seen a lot of these pattern written out to say things like “starting on a K row, SS 5 rows, on next row and following 3 alt rows dec on beg and end of row” Yet another time it might be easier to write it out for yourself row for row…
Also take a look at the picture of the finished hippo, in particular the part that you are working on now. Does it make sense that there are 9 rows even before the increases starts?
thanks for the tip about writing it out it helped heaps! very confusing though i must say!
The thing about toys is that most times, they do have instructions for every row. It is just a matter of whether or not the author decides to write them all out. Depending on how big the finished thing is, it may not even have more than 3 rows of straight Stocking Stitch.
It will become much less confusing…winks