I am a beginning knitter. I have done a few small projects, but this throw will be my first big project. It is from the “I taught myself knitting” book created by Boye. It is done in a stripe pattern and uses 5 different colors. I understand the idea of changing colors, but I am confused by the end of the pattern. I have not yet started knitting this project because I wanted to make sure I understood all of the directions first. Listed below are the parts that I do not understand (I will only list parts and examples of the pattern, as to make sure I do not copyright):
[U]Instructions:[/U]
[B]Stripe Pattern[/B]:
With color B, work 4 rows
With color D, work 6 rows
With color A, work 2 rows
…(I will not list the rest for copy right purposes, but at the end of the list is states “These 30 rows form stripe pattern”)
Then it says to cast on a number of stitches with color B.
-Working in stripe pattern, proceed as follows:
Knit 4 rows.
[B]Row 5[/B]: it gives further knitting instructions that I understand
[B]Row 6[/B]: I understand
[B]Row 7 to 12[/B]: repeats 5th and 6th row 3 times.
*Last 12 rows form lace pattern
It says to keep continuing stripe pattern, repeating 12 rows of lace pattern 11 more times. Then to knit 4 and cast off.
Okay, so here are my [B]questions[/B] about what I do not understand from above:
[B] 1[/B]. In the stripe pattern does the word "work" mean knit?
[B] 2[/B]. Once I cast on color B and knit/work the first 4 rows, I understand how to follow rows 5 through rows 12....the problem is after that...when I go to color D it says to work 6 rows, what does this mean? Will I knit 6 rows? If so, then how do I continue the 12 rows stated below the stripe pattern above? Will I just skip the instructions for row 5 and 6, since they would be knitted and then continue with row 7-12?
[B]3[/B]. When I cast on color A it says to work 2 rows. Do I just work those 2 rows knitting and then move on to the next color or do I continue the 12 rows of lace pattern? If I continue the lace pattern, how would this be done? would row 5, become row 3?
[B]4[/B]. It says to repeat the 12 rows of the lace pattern 11 more times, but how and where is this to be done? There are only 7 color changes in the stripe pattern, so even if it was done with each color, it would only be done a total of 7 times. Am I supposed to do the 12 row lace patttern with all colors or just the ones that say to cast on 4 rows (since this would follow along with the 5th -12th row listed in the instructions)? ***Just a note, actual lace yarn is not being used in the pattern.
[B]5[/B]. Am I only to knit the stripe pattern once? It doesn't say to repeat it, but it doesn't make sense how it would not be repeated, especially with the concerns I listed in the previous question about the lace pattern needing to be repeated 11 times with only 7 color changes.
I know this is a LOT of information!! I would appreciate any advice I receive. I am totally confused and am hoping to figure this out so I can continue learning instead of becoming overwhelmed and quiting knitting altogether like I did a few years ago.
Thanks in advance!!!