Helpppppppppp!

#1

Ok, here goes ladies! I have been knitting for 40 years but have not picked it up for 30 and have never done anything complicated in the least! I am back to knitting and have done several easy things (scarves, baby booties, hat and blanket, Harry Potter mittens, hat and scarf for my dgs and am attempting my first sweater and am stuck with the instructions. I have finished the back and am doing the front and here is what I am stuck on.

Let me preface by giving you the instructions that I understand so far with the front which were for the back:

[b] Raglan Armhole Shaping Bind off 4 (5, 6, 6, 6, 7) sts at beg of next 2 rows ­ 48 (52, 56, 62, 66, 70) sts. Dec 1 st each side every 3rd row 2 (2, 4, 4, 4, 6) times as foll:

when dec falls on RS row ­ K1, k2tog, k to last 3 sts; end ssk, k1;

when dec falls on WS row ­ p1, p2tog, p to last 3 sts; end ssp, p1. Dec 1 st each side every other row 15 (16, 15, 16, 18, 17) times, working only RS row dec above[/b]

Here are the ones where I get stuck:

FRONT:
Work as for back until piece measures 21 (22, 23½, 24½, 25½, 26) (if you have adjusted body length to underarm, adjust accordingly), end with a WS row. Neck Shaping Cont to work Raglan Armhole Shaping as for back, join 2nd ball of yarn and bind off center 8 (8, 10, 14, 14, 14) sts. Working both sides at once, dec 1 st from each neck edge every other row 2 (3, 3, 3, 3, 4) times. When all Raglan Armhole Shaping has been worked and piece measures same length as back, fasten off rem 1 st each side.
[b]

Ok, so I get the work as for back for the 26 inches, but the neck shaping is driving me nuts. I got the company that makes the pattern to e-mail me further instructions, but I am still confused. With that being said, is this what I do:

Start my armhole shaping by binding off 7 st then knit the rest of the row. Join a second ball to this first purl st, bind off 7 st, purl to the center 14 stitches, bind off, then purl to the end of the row? I guess what I don’t get is which yarn to use when and how the whole thing works, really. I hope you can make this dunce understand what they want me to do!

Thanks so much for any help!

Donna[/b]

#2

Yes; you will be knitting two sections with two balls of yarn but on the smae needle (just make sure you remember where to switch balls of yarn :smiley:

Don’t try to figure it all out at once. Just do each step individually. And yes; after you bind off the center 8 stitches you will then purl (or whatever your stitch is) to the end of the row. Some sweater patterns will have you put these stitches on a stitch holder and come back and knit them later (so you don’t have to fuddle with a second ball of yarn) but other patterns (like this one) will have you knit them at the same time in order to make sure that the row count is the same (saves from making mistakes.) Just take each direction individually and you will do fine!

#3

I think what you need to do is figure out where the center 14 stitches are. Start your row with the armhole shaping and when you get to the center 14 stitches you drop your original stand of yarn and join a new one there. Bind off the 14 neck shaping stitches and knit to the end of the row. Turn your work and work back to the neck. When you reach the neck you drop that strand and pick up the other and work to the end of the row. Continue to work the armhole decreases and the neck decreases until the piece measures the same for the back.

Hope this make sense!

#4

Bless you both! I think I can get it now! I appreciate your help more than you know! Thank goodness I am knitting something for myself! lol