Help!

#1

fIRST I WANT TO APOLOGIZE FOR USING CAPS IT IS JUST EASIER THAN TO KEEP SHIFTING. I am knitting my first project - never knitted before in my life - Well, I decided to knit an Heirloom Christening Set (12 MONTH SIZE) for my daughter who is expecting her baby girl in February. So my problems is "how do I read these patterns?"
I have directions for the Right Yoke:
Row 1:right side) K3, P1,(K5,P1) 3{4-4}TIMES, K3{0-3} TURN: add on 5 sts(button band), turn; slip unworked sts onto st holder: 30{33-36} sts.
Row 2: K5,P2{0-2}, K1{0-1},P1,K1,(P3,K1,P1,K1) 3{4-4} TIMES, P2
ROW3: (K1,P1,K3,P1)4{4-5} TIIMES, K 0{1-0} , P 0{1-0}, K6{7-6}
ROW 4: K6(5-6), P5(3-5),K1,(P5,K1)ACROSS.
ROW 5: REPEAT ROW 3.
ROW 6: REPEAT ROW 2.
ROW 7: K3,P1,(K5,P1) 3{4-4} TIMES, K8{5-8}
ROW 8: REPEAT ROW 2.
ARMHOLE SHAPING
MAINTAIN ESTABLISHED PATTERN THROUGHOUT.
ROW 1: BIND OFF 4{5-5} STS, WORK ACROSS: 26{28-31} STS.
ROW 2: WORK ACROSS.
ROW 3: (DECREASE ROW): SSK, WORK ACROSS:(25(27-30) STS.
ROWS 4 THRU 6(8-10): REPEAT ROWS 3 AND 4, 1{2-3} TIME(S); THEN REPEAT ROW 3 ONCE MORE:23{24-26} STS.

WORK EVEN UNTIL YOKE MEASURES APROXIMATELY 3{3 1/2-4}" ENDING BY WORKING A RIGHT SIDE ROW

I HAVE COMPLETED TO RIGHT YOKE NOW I NEED TO KNOW WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE - WHEN I GET TO THE ARMHOLE SHAPING I DON’T KNOW WHERE IN THE PATTERN I AM SUPPOSE TO GO TO AND HOW I KNOW WHERE TO START IN THE PATTERN - THIS IS SUPPOSE TO BE A DIAMOND PATTERN - I HAVE TRIED SEVERAL DIFFERENT WAYS USING THE ROWS I THOUGHT I WAS SUPPOSE TO START WITH, BUT I KEEP LOSING THE PATTERN - I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE TO GO - I AM SO FRUSTRATED - I DON’T KNOW WHY THEY JUST DON’T PRINT THE PATTERN INSTRUCTIONS OUT. iS THERE ANYONE WHO UNDERSTANDS HOW THIS WORKS AND CAN HELP ME? i HAVE WORKED SO HARD ON THIS WHOLE SET AND IT HAS BEEN CHALLENGING -BUT THIS HAS REALLY THROWN ME FOR A LOOP. PLEASE HELP!

#2

The simplest thing to tell you is, when you get to the armhole bind off, look at the sts and the diamond pattern in the yoke that you have knit already. Use that pattern to predict what the first st after the bind off and then the following sts should be. You’ll be able to see the diamond pattern and that’s what you want to use to tell you how to continue.

What size are you making, the first, second, or third?

#3

Thanks for your assistance - I am makin the third size - I know this should be pretty simple to figure out, but I just don’t get it - I have tried to guess my way through thinking well it looks like a knit so maybe I should knit or purl then purl depending on how the pattern looks, but when I look at it after doing this, I have lost the pattern - the other problem is in the armhole shaping I thought I should be going back to the pattern rows in the yoke, but having trouble to know which row i go back to - I wish they would have just printed out the instructions instead of leaving it to guess work - i had contacted the company which published the instruction book, they did finally help me on the front by giving me some rows to get me started, then i was able to type it up on the computer in excel and found the pattern and was able to complete the front, but I tell you, the instructions she gave me didn’t match up to the rows that she had told me to go back to in the previous instructions to use. So I was like, “How would I know how to change this around?” For some reason I just can’t figure it out - Anyway, thank you very much I will just keep trying to figure it out. I did recontact them about my additional problems asking if they could explain to me how i could figure this out for myself, but she didn’t give me much of an explanation - so I guess they are not going to give me any more instructions - It would make it so much easier if they had the instructions written out that would make it easier to follow.

#4

OK, I think the next two rows should be:
Row 1: bind off 5 sts (count each st as you pass it over) k1, p1, (k3, p1,k1,p1) 3 times, k3, p1,k6. (31sts)
Row 2: k6, (p5, k1) 4 times, p1.

Try those and then look at the diamond pattern and see if it looks correct.

#5

I will sure try this - i probably won’t be able to do this until later, but I will try it and let you know how I make out. How did you determine what it should be? There must be a secret that I am not getting. Thank you again.

#6

Not so secret. You can “read” your sts, that is look at where the pattern is going on the knitted fabric. Or you can graph it out (or chart it in Excel) and see what it should look like. Then just remove the bound off sts at the correct row in the pattern, and there you go!
Good luck with it.

#7

Sorry to bother you again, well I checked what I had for the pattern set up, i found that on my first row after binding off i had counted the stitch left on the right needle as my first knit stitch, so i corrected that and did the two rows as you suggested, now can you lead me which row i should be following next? I thought I was going to row 2, then row 3, row 4, then repeat row 3 and row 4, but when i did this i seemed to have lost the pattern, so then i thought maybe i was just suppose to go to 3 and 4 but that doesn’t seem to work out when they say in rows 4 thru 6{8-10} to repeat rows 3 and 4 1{2-3} times, then repeat row 3 once more leaving 26 stitches- what would you think after completed row 1 and row 2 in the armhole shaping row 3(decrease row)ssk, work across - which row would you go to next? I really appreciate your help - it helps to have someone to assure me that what I am doing is either correct or to correct me. Thank you.

#8

OK, I’ve written out all the rows including the first two that you’ve already done so that you have them together. You’re up to row 3 below:

Row 1: bind off 5 sts (count each st as you pass it over) k1, p1, (k3, p1,k1,p1) 3 times, k3, p1,k6. (31sts)
Row 2: k6, (p5, k1) 4 times, p1.
row 3: ssk, p1 (k3,p1,k1,p1) 3 times,k3,p1,k6 (30sts)
row 4: k5,p2, (k1,p1,k1,p3) 3times,k1,p1,k1,p2 (30sts)
row 5: ssk, k1 (p1,k5) 3 times, p1, k8 (29sts)
row 6 k5, p2 (k1,p1,k1,p3) 3 times,k1,p1,k1,p1, (29sts)
row 7: ssk,k2 (p1,k1,p1,k3) 3 times, k1,p1, k5 (28sts)
row 8: k6 (p5,k1) 3 times,p4
row 9: ssk,k1 (p1,k1,p1,k3) 3 times, p1, k6 (27sts)
row 10: k5,p2 (k1,p1,k1,p3) 3 times, ki,p1
row 11: ssk,k4,p1 (k5,p1) 2 times, k8 (26sts)

Basically, it’s repeating row 3, the decrease row and row 4, a return row 3 times and then row 3 once more. You’re right, don’t count the ssk as a st. Once it’s over on the right needle, it’s done.
Come back if the diamond pattern starts to go off. It’s a challenging first project and it will be a wonderful success I’m sure.

#9

I tried this out and found that most of this worked for the pattern; but I am still a little confused. Hope you can clear this up for me. I laid out the stitches on my excel doing like you suggested then marking out the stitches that would fall in the stitches that were bound off or slip slip knit - most of the rows i can come up with the same stitch pattern that you have set up for me, so I was wondering which rows you were using for the pattern. I am hoping by figuring this out, I will be able to complete the other sections easily.

Under the Armhole Shaping - which you wrote out the directions for - and I do really appreciate your doing this -

row 1 is using the instructions from row 3 under the "right yoke"
row 2 is using the instructions from row 4 under the right yoke
row 3 is using row 3
row 4 is using row 2
row 5 is using row 3
row 6 is using row 2
row 7 is using row 3(i think this could have a mistake - should it be p1,k6 on the last seven stitches?
row 8 is using row 4
row 9 is using row 3
row 10 is using row 2
row 11 is using row 7

This appears to be the rows that you were following - and I was just wondering how would I know to use the other rows(for example on row 8 and row 11)

Maybe I am incorrect on this, perhaps you can straighted me out?
You have been such a big help to me. I am hoping that I can figure out how to figure this out to help me in the rest of the gown. Thank you so much.

#10

I don’t think you can really follow the rows as given because during the armhole shaping, 5 sts are bound off or one st is decreased at the beginning of the right side rows. Rather than write this out, the pattern just says work to end. The key to figuring this out is to look at your sts and see where the diamond pattern is progressing. This is easiest to do on the right side of the piece because you can readily see the purl bumps on the knit st background. What I do on the wrong side is just check that I’m doing the pattern correctly by flipping to the right side to make sure the bumps are in the correct place. I think your idea of Excel is a good one.

#11

Ok, thank you so much for all of your help. I will try to figure out out to do this. Hopefully I can get the hang of this. Again, I really appreciate your help.

#12

I appreciate that you’d like to figure this out for future patterns but if you run into a problem again, just come right back here. A lot of doing this is experience. I’m sure this will be a lovely gown.

#13

I just wanted to let you know that I finally finished the gown - I wanted to thank you so much for your help - after a few trys in setting this up in excel and having a fresh pair of eyes from my husband, we were able to dicipher the code and figure out how the pattern was working. Thank you again for helping me to get started.

#14

I’m just delighted! Good for intrepid you (and your husband). What a wonderful heirloom you’ve made.