Help with a sweater

How-to Questions
1

I am knitting a sweater and this is the link to the pattern:
http://www.berroco.com/exclusives/drift/drift.html

Im using a different wool and after I made the swatch with Size 7 needles I realized that my gauge was off. I had 18sts in 4in. So I used a Size 6 and my swatch came right. I got 20 sts in 4in. No gauge measure is given for the smaller needle size. [COLOR=“DarkOrchid”]Should I continue to use size 5 or should I drop to a size 4?
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also I plan to knit a medium size…the first row says
Establish Pat St: Row 1 (RS): K0(2-0-0-0-0), (p2, k2) 1(1-3-4-5-6) times, place marker, work Row 1 of Pat St over 38 sts, place marker, k2, (p2, k2) 3(4-4-4-5-5) times, place marker, work Row 1 of Pat St over 38 sts, place marker, (k2, p2) 1(1-3-4-5-6) times, k0(2-0-0-0-0).

[COLOR=“DarkOrchid”]what does K0 mean? do I not knit a stitch?
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Secondly when it says k2, (p2, k2) 3(4-4-4-5-5) times, [COLOR=“DarkOrchid”]what am I supposed to repeat 4 times?
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My final doubt is that at the end of Row 2 it says: Work even in pat as established until piece measures 2 1/2” from beg, end on RS.

[COLOR=“DarkOrchid”]So when I start row 3 do I do the same
[/COLOR]K0(2-0-0-0-0), (p2, k2) 1(1-3-4-5-6) times, place marker, work [COLOR=“DarkOrchid”]Row 3 of Pat St over 38 sts[/COLOR], place marker, k2, (p2, k2) 3(4-4-4-5-5) times, place marker, [COLOR=“DarkOrchid”]work Row 3 of Pat St over 38 sts[/COLOR], place marker, (k2, p2) 1(1-3-4-5-6) times, k0(2-0-0-0-0).

Thank you… this is my first sweater Im knitting for myself and though I am not an experienced knitter I really loved the sweater design and decided to knit it…

2

If you got gauge with a smaller needle, then usually you would go down a size for the other needle too. It’s up to you, it may be too tight, so you could use the original needle size given.

3

what about the pattern…could you please help me out??

4

Should I continue to use size 5 or should I drop to a size 4?
I have this issue all the time. The smaller needle is for all the edging, that is, the ribbing at bottom of the sleeves and the button bands and at the bottom of the body to cause it to be a bit snugger there. I would use the same ratio as given for their gauge needle. They got gauge on a 7 and use a 5 so if you get gauge on a 6 you should use your 4. I notice the pattern says to cast on with the smaller needle. The point here is that you will be using the smaller needle to knit that part, but I would use the bigger needle to cast on. Don’t cast on loosely, or tightly just average on the larger needle then start row 1 of the pattern with the smaller needle. I think you will get a better outcome that way, with no pulling in too tightly. I would do that for all the cast ons.

what does K0 mean? do I not knit a stitch?
Each time you see this sort of thing “K0(2-0-0-0-0)”, this is an indication of the directions of how many stitches are to be knit for each size beginning with the extra small. For some sizes you would “knit none”, so just skip that direction and go to the next thing. Your size (2nd one inside the parenthesis) has the 0 in the example, so move on. When you print out your pattern you can cross off all of those things that say k0 for your size, it will make it less confusing. Circle the number for the size you are doing in each ( ).

Secondly when it says k2, (p2, k2) 3(4-4-4-5-5) times, what am I supposed to repeat 4 times?
Repeat what is inside the ( ), so the p2, k2 in that case.

So when I start row 3 do I do the same
K0(2-0-0-0-0), (p2, k2) 1(1-3-4-5-6) times, place marker, work Row 3 of Pat St over 38 sts, place marker, k2, (p2, k2) 3(4-4-4-5-5) times, place marker, work Row 3 of Pat St over 38 sts, place marker, (k2, p2) 1(1-3-4-5-6) times, k0(2-0-0-0-0).
Yes, that will be how you do row 3, the same as row 1 but using the 3rd row of the pattern stitch, slipping the markers instead of placing them since they are already placed.

Row 4 will be like row 2 using row 4 of the pattern stitch, and slipping markers. On row five you repeat row 1 and also go back to the first row of the pattern stitch.

Beautiful sweater. Have fun.

5

thx so much… if I use the larger needles to cast on and then switch to smaller needles wont the cast on edge be loose?

6

No, many people use a slightly larger needle to CO with as it may be too tight otherwise. If your cast ons are usually loose, then just use the smaller size.

7

myCO are not loose or tight… will use the larger needle and see…

8

You could try the larger needle for the cast on on a swatch to see how it looks. Cast ons have a tendency to be too tight and cause things to pull in. I almost always cast on on a larger needle for everything I make. Don’t cast on loosely, but in your normal way on the larger needle, then do some ribbing with the smaller needle and see how it looks.

9

sure thing !!!