Help with the end of a pattern

How-to Questions
1

http://www.interweaveknits.com/freepatterns/pdf/Ultimate_Gift.pdf

Above is the whole sweater and pattern…

I am done with the sleeves, done with the back, the front has me stumped!!! If you follow the directions, 109 stittches remain. P1, K3, SSK, work 36, place 27 on holder, work 36 more, K2tog, K3, P1. That’s 111 stitches! So, should I work starting with 111 stitches?

Then I’m also confused on Cont to dec at beg and end of every other row as established and, at the same time dec 1 st each neck edge every RS row 6 more times and, also at the same time when 34 sts rem on each shoulder, work double-decs as for back 10 times— 10 sts rem each side.

How many decreases is that each time around??? It makes no sense for some reason.

This is the first sweater I’ve made for my hubby and he’s so excited to get it and I can’t finish it because I can’t figure out the decreases. :tap:

2

I would decrease to the 109 st and then start there, adjusting further as I go.

Here’s how I see it (using 109 st) - you start with 109, you work that 1st row of the Front instruction, but do 35 st in pattern instead of 36, placing the 27 in the middle on a holder. This brings you to 80 working st. Then work the WS row. When you are back on the RS, you will do that decrease row again AND the decrease at each neck edge on each RS 4X (so 4 st each RS row decreased x 4 rows, now you have 64 st). Then do the decrease at each RS neck edge AND the double decrease from the back instructions 2X (so 6 st decreased x 2 rows, now you have 52 st). Then do the double decrease ONLY for 8 more RS rows, leaving you with 20 st, 10 on each shoulder.

So now are you really confused?