Help with understanding pattern

Hi everyone!

I am new to knitting, can anyone help me understand this part of a pattern:
Cont in rib until sleeve meas 9 cm, inc [-: dec: -: -: dec: dec: inc: inc] 2 [0: 2: 0: 0: 2: 2: 2: 2] sts evenly across last row and ending with RS facing for next row. 44 [46: 48: 50: 50: 52: 52: 56: 56] sts.
I am following the 3rd sizing, which I think means the second instruction within the brackets (is this correct?).

The first instruction says to cast on 42 [46: 50: 50: 50: 54: 54: 54: 54] sts.

My understanding is that I will be going from 50 stitches to 48 stitches, does the instruction mean I just knit two together at the beginning and end of the last row, meaning I loose 2 stitches?

Thanks :slight_smile:

Hello
Yes, that’s right, you have understood the decrease for your size.
The only thing to add is it is asking you to dec these 2 sts “evenly” across the row so whilst you could do one at the beginning and one at the end of the row it would be better to space them out more than this, maybe dec 1 st at around 10 stitches across and another at around 35 stitches across. This would make a gap of 25 sts or so between each dec (and they are spaced roughly evenly away from the seam). As it is only 2 stitches it’s not vital to have them spaced exactly this way but for other patterns this transition row could involve a more significant change in stitch count and you would want to consider the “evenly” part when deciding where to dec or inc. Remember the 2 ends of the row end up at the sleeve seam so decreasing at the beginning and end of a row will put both decreases next to each other at the seam, so not even.

Yes you can just knit 2 stitches together for this decrease. I prefer to place this sort of decrease on a purl stitch and purl 2 together as it shows just a little less in my opinion, but really it makes little difference.

Hope this helps, do ask if you need more help.