I am making my first sweater and am now working on sleeves. They are being done in knit 5 purl 2 rib. I have to increase one stitch on each side every 4th row. What am I going to do about the rib pattern. So far I have 8 knitted stitches on each side. Please help
When you add a stitch on the edge, it just becomes part of the rib pattern. So if for example your stitches so far are:
K5, P2, K5, P2
To increase one stitch at each end you could do kfb (knit into front and back of stitch) on the first stitch, then the K4, P2, K5, P1, pfb.
On the following row, which would be a wrong side row and using our example would normally be:
K2, P5, K2, P5
You would now have:
P1 (this is your new stitch), K2, P5, K2, P5, K1 (this is your second new stitch)
The next row, a right side row, would be:
P1, K2, P5, K2, P5, K1
Again, this is just an example, but does it help to see what you need to do??
I agree with Knitqueen (as how could I not?) but I would move your increase in a stitch from the end. Increases at the end make for difficulty in seaming, I learned from bitter experience.
I think the key is to make your increase however the stitch you’re working on would tell you to (getting a right or a left slant), then on the next row, see how it fits in the pattern. You’ll have “incomplete” ribs on the side as you work up, but these will look good when you sew the thing together – it will look from the top down as if the ribs just sort of “flowed” into your seam.
Hope that didn’t cause confusion.
That’s a great clarification, BillSpace. Thanks.