Help w/ a pattern?

#1

Hi. I have a pattern that I am having trouble with. It is a dress with a decrease at the waistline. I start the pattern with 136 knit stitches. I need to do the following:

“K4, p to last 4 sts, decreasing 54 sts evenly spaced across, end k4 (82) sts.”

How often do I k2tog to decrease this? I thought maybe doing a pattern of k2, k2tog, k1, k2tog would work, but it doesn’t add up to the right number. I am a beginner knitter who has only done scarves an part of a sweater that I had someone help me with the neckline on.

HELP!!

#2

If you k4, p3tog, (p2tog, p2tog, p1) across the middle section and then
p3tog, k4 at the end of the row, you’ll be very close. You might be off by one stitch, but you can fudge that in the center or on the next row or something.