Help with two patterns

Hi All,

What a wonderful forum to have for us beginner knitters and I feel truly blessed that the admins have taken time out of their busy schedules to help us knitters along and keep this forum a tagged website on all my devices.

I asked a question on Sunday and I was helped and now I’m here with two more questions as I’m one of those knitters that cannot have unfinished projects and start on new ones…

Anyway, my first question is from a pattern “knitted elephant pattern” (free Skanda Vale Hospice) that I am knitting for a children’s charity here in my native South Africa. The pattern - body and legs part - says:

Shape back and neck.
Next row Cast off 4 sts, K to last 2 sts, K2 tog.
Next row P2 tog, P to end. Rep last 2 rows 5 more times. Cast off rem 4 sts. Work other side to match, reversing shapings for back and neck.

I have NO idea how to reverse the shapings… I had intended to then Cast off 4 sts, K2 tog, K to end rep last 2 rows 5 more times. It just doesn’t look right.

The second question is:

On the pattern “Tranquil Dusk Poncho” (easy knit), instructions says:

SIDES (both alike - knitted sideways) - I completely understood this pattern and happily worked until the end and then did another one exactly the same and then carried on withe the shaping of the shape neck and shape shoulder. The thing that is worrying me is:

SIDES (both alike - knitted sideways) as I took that to mean that two sides would be needed, and duly did two sides and then carried on working on the one side BUT there is nowhere on the pattern that explains where to “join” the other side.

Have I mis-read and was supposed to just keep knitting the one side or how do I check where to put the other side I knitted onto the poncho? The second side includes a “shape neck”, “shape shoulder” , “centre bands” and then “making up” but I’m feeling that I should not have knitted 2 sides.

Please, please could someone help me with these two questions when you have a moment.

I so appreciate your help.

Now I’m off to look at the patterns and other questions and answers for other people on the chat.

Have a super day.

Regards

Tracy-Anne
Johannesburg, South Africa

That’s an adorable elephant pattern!

Start the head and neck shaping with the WS (wrong side) facing. Cast off 4 sts, purl to the last 2sts, p2tog. Turn and k2tog then knit to end. These 2 rows are repeated.


For the poncho, you do need 2 pieces or 2 sides. At the beginning of the neck shaping you placed a marker (this is the beginning of the front V neck). At the end of the neck shaping there is a marker (this is at the beginning of the back). One of the two center bands is used to join the 2 pieces at the front V from bottom hem to base of V. The other center band is used to join the 2 pieces at the back from the back of the neck marker to the hem.

Oh thank you so much. That is exactly the patterns I’m doing. I am relieved.

Have an amazing day further

Thank you so much for your clear and easy to follow explanations.

Your help has been valuable and I’m grateful

Tracy-Anne

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Hi Tracy-Anne! Or anybody out there! I saw Tracy-Anne’s inquiry (from 2019) about how to do “reverse shapings” on the cute Knitted Elephant Pattern she got from the Skanda Vale Hospice site. And I saw her “Thank you!” for the help she got with the problem. . . but on the site I can’t see the middle stage: how to solve the problem, and how to actually continue with this elephant! I’m up to “Shape back and neck” in the fourth step of the body & legs and I’m stuck! Can anybody forward me how to proceed? Thanks so much & have a great day! Esti

Welcome to the forum, chocolate67 (what a great alias)!

The answer on the elephant pattern is between the two pattern links. See if it helps and if not let us know specifically where you’re having trouble.
“Start the head and neck shaping with the WS (wrong side) facing. Cast off 4 sts, purl to the last 2sts, p2tog. Turn and k2tog then knit to end. These 2 rows are repeated.”

Dear Ms Salmonmac, Thanks so much for replying! glad you like my alias. !

Between the links it says, "Start the head and neck shaping with the wrong side facing. Cast off 4 sts, purl to the last 2 sts, . . etc. The part where it says “Cast off 4 sts, purl to the last 2 sts. . .” is THAT what it means by “neck shaping?” I just have no idea what “neck shaping means”, unless it means just continue following the pattern. If I just continue, then have I “shaped back and neck”, or is that another whole Knitting-Mystery-Thing-I-Have-No-Idea-How-to-Do? Then, a bit later on it says “reversing shaping for back and neck.” Again, I don’t know what “shapings” are. . .

Thanks muchly and have a great day!

Chocolate67

Yes, that’s exactly right. These are the complete directions for shaping one side of the back and neck. Once this is finished you’ll make a another body and reverse the shaping so that’s the second body is a mirror image of this first side.
" * Shape back and neck.

  • Next row Cast off 4 sts, K to last 2 sts, K2 tog.
  • Next row P2 tog, P to end. Rep last 2 rows 5 more times. Cast off rem 4 sts. Work other side to match, reversing shapings for back and neck."

“neck shaping” refers to the cast offs and decreases which will shape the rectangle you’ve been knitting so it looks more elephant-like.

You are SOOOO The Best ! thanks so much & have a great week!

C67