Help, pattern makes no sense!

#1

Hi there, hope someone can help!

I’m knitting a lace matinee coat, Sirdar pattern 3974 and I’ve come to the row where it splits off the back and fronts - and it may just be my inexperience, but it doesn’t add up!

The lace part has previously been 16 stitches at the start and end of every row, but the pattern states

“K2, yfwd, k2tog (for first buttonhole), patt 16 [19:20:22:25] and slip these 20 [23:24:26:29] sts onto a stitch holder for right front, cast off 2 [2:4:6:6] sts, k37 [43:45:49:55], slip these 38 [44:46:50:56] sts onto a stitch holder for back, cast off 2 [2:4:6:6] sts, patt 15 [18:19:21:24], k4.”

I’m making the largest size - but when it says ‘patt’ surely it means the stuff I’ve had to do to to make the lacework on previous rows - so why is that number greater than 16? I hope that all makes sense - if you need anything obvious I’ve missed (!) let me know :slight_smile:

#2

It means do that many sts in the pattern stitch. If greater than 16 sts, you’ll start again to wherever you get to at the point where you put the sts on a holder.

#3

Thanks - but looking at the picture on the front of the pattern card - the pattern doesn’t repeat… :???:

#4

Gah, just got it! Do the lace work then purl the rest like the previous rows… Concentrate Mrs T! :doh:

#5

You might want to knit those sts on the RS…

#6

Knit, I meant knit… although I now appear to have a spare stitch from somewhere!