Help with directions for shaping Ragland armhole

How-to Questions
1

I am going crazy trying to understand the directions for this Ragland sweater. First attempt at this type of sweater…
Shape Raglan Armholes
Keeping patt correct, cast off 3 st at beg of next 2 rows.
Next row (RS) K1, sl 1, K1, psso, patt to last 3 st, K2tog, K1.
Working all raglan armholes decreases as set by last row, dec 1 st at each end of 4th and 1 foll 4th row, then on every foll alt row until 32 st remain. Work 1 row ending with RS facing for next row. Cast off.

Question: is this last row considered row 1?
Once I know what row 1 is, I would use this decrease pattern in row 4 and 5, and then I am confused by the term foll alternate row - does that just mean every other row. Does it mean row 7, 9, 11, etc, or 7, 11, 15 so that I would skip every other alternate row?

This is a child’s sweater with a knit side and a purl side that has a pattern in the middle, so I assume if the decrease is on the purl side, I would purl 1, sl 1, purl 1, psso?

2

Welcome to the forum!
If you call the “Next Row”, the one with the single decrease at each end, row 1 then decrease again on rows 5 and 9. Dec on 11,13,15,17,19, etc until you get to 32sts remaining. End with a purl row so that your next row is a RS row.

3

thanks - I should have waited for your response before going ahead on this. I called the decrease row, Row 3 and so the next row was 4. Guess that will make the sweater 3 rows shorter. Everytime I think I’ve made progress I discover something else I don’t know!

4

Well, I can see the logic of doing that. Either way, I don’t think 3 rows more or less is going to make a difference in the end.
We’d love to see a photo when you finish and enjoy getting there!