HELP with pattern - I am stumped

#1

I am knitting a cardigan and have reached the “Shape Shoulders and Back” section and can’t figure out what it is that they are telling me to do.

I am working in stockinette stitch on 78 stitches and have been told to end with a wrong side (purl) row.

the directions say:

SHAPE SHOULDERS AND BACK
Bind off 7 stiches at the beginning of the next 2 rows.

LEFT SHOULDER:
Bind off 7 stitches, work 4 stitches, work the next 2 stitches together, turn. Work 1 row even. Bind off the remaining stitches.

BACK NECK AND RIGHT SHOULDER

With right side facing, rejoin the yarn to the remaining stitches, bind off the first 36 stitches, work to the end of the row. Bind off 5 stitches purlwise at the beginning of the next (wrong-side) row, p4 stitches, p2tog. Turn, knit 1 more row, bind off all stitches purlwise.

From where I am right now with right side facing, if I bind off 7 sts and work to end of row then bind off 7 stitches (purling) and work to the end of the row, my yarn will be at the right shoulder - not the left.

If I follow the directions as they appear, the two shoulders will not be the same and they should be. It would make sense to bing off the “first 36 stitches” as noted above purlwise for the back of the neck but then the next row calls for purling and that’s just not right.

It seems like this must be a pattern error. If so, can you suggest how I finish this?

“SHAPE SHOULDER” for left front says, "Bind off 7 stitches at the beginning of the next row. Purl the next row. Bind off 7 stitches at the beinning of the next row. Purl the next row. Bind off the remaining stitches.

If the front and back shoulders are to match, it only makes sense that the decrease rows on the back should match - 7 stitches bound off, a purl row, 7 stitches bound off…

HELP!!! thanks!!! I have written to the pattern people but since it’s the weekend, won’t expect to hear back for awhile.

#2

I think there’s a mistake in the pattern. With the knit facing, the first shoulder you work is on the right side of the work, whatever you want to call it. Work those sts according to the directions (one change, below). When you’ve bound off the shoulder, with the RS facing again, join new yarn and bind off the 36 center sts (knitwise) and continue to the end of the row, then shape the second shoulder.
Bind off 5sts [B](this should be 7sts)[/B] purlwise at the beginning of the next (wrong-side) row, p4 stitches, p2tog. Turn, knit 1 more row, bind off all stitches purlwise.

This makes the shoulders even but I don’t think the total number of sts adds up to 78sts. I get 2sts left over (even accounting for the k2tog and p2tog and adding in the increase from 5 to 7sts to make the shoulders even). If that makes sense to you with the knitting in hand, just account for those sts in the bind offs (bind off 38 in the center or increase one sts on each side in the “bind off 7sts” i.e., bind off 8sts.

#3

You were quite right about the binding off 7 not 5 sts. That was my typo - sorry.

I’m not getting it though. What am I supposed to do next?

  • in knit, bind off 7 sts at beg of row (R arm side), work to end.
  • in purl, bind off 7 sts at beg of row (L arm side), work to end.

Then what? I’m at the right shoulder again and the instructions have me purling off 7 sts, etc.???

I’m sorry, I’m just not getting the point here.

#4

OK, you do tthe initial bind off at the beginning of the next two rows:

  • in knit, bind off 7 sts at beg of row (R arm side), work to end.
  • in purl, bind off 7 sts at beg of row (L arm side), work to end. Yes.

Now you’re going to work with the RS facing [I](the knit side)[/I] and on the R arm side only.
Bind off 7 stitches knitwise, work 4 stitches, work the next 2 stitches together. This is going to be the neck edge. Now turn so you’re on a purl row (don’t worry about the unworked sts on the needle, you’ll get to them later) and work 1 row even in purl. Turn as you normally would at the end of the row and bind off the remaining stitches (5sts to bind off knitwise).

Now you do the center bind off and the other shoulder:
With right side facing, rejoin the yarn to the remaining stitches, bind off the first 36 stitches, work to the end of the row. Turn as usual so you’re on a purl row. Bind off 7 stitches purlwise at the beginning of the (wrong-side) row, p4 stitches, p2tog. Turn, knit 1 more row, bind off all stitches purlwise.

I think that the directions are ~all correct and this may become clearer as you work the sts on the needle. As I mentioned, the one problem I saw was the the pattern doesn’t account for 78sts but you can check that with the knitting in front of you.
Come back if this still isn’t clear.