Knitting pants for baby

How-to Questions
1

Hello everyone, I am really hoping you can help me. It’s been about 20 years since I have knitted anything but was quite good at following patterns back in the day. I am currently knitting a pair of pants for a baby (have completed the jacket) and am up to “shape the back” part of the pattern.

My question is my pattern says:

1st row- K25, turn
2nd and alt rows- knit to end
3rd row- K19, turn
5th row- K13, turn
7th row- K7, turn
8th row- as 2nd row
Work 10 rows in rib

Ok I get how to turn, that’s not the problem but what I am confused about is

  1. does the second (and alt rows) mean that once I have turned and am knitting back to the beginning, is the 2nd row? Ie I just knit back to the beginning, this being 2nd row? Or do I just knit back to the beginning then do a whole row with this being the 2nd row?

  2. if i do just turn and the 2nd row is where i return to the beginning then what about the rest of the stitches on the other needle? There are a total of 47 stitches in all and if I am only knitting a maximum of 25 stitches then turning and knitting back to the beginning then the rest of the stitches are not being knitted at all so how do I do the 10 rows of rib and won’t there be rows missing on the remaining stitches?

I am so confused and what I have written above might be confusing to those who are competent knitters, please ask for clarity if I have made this very unclear.

Many thanks in advance. Terri

2

Hi and welcome to Knitting Help!
This part of the pattern is for short rows. They’re done to shape the pants and maybe to give some extra room in the seat, so you want this area to have more rows. Don’t worry about those stitches that are just hanging out, the pattern will get to them eventually when you rib across all sts.
Yes, you’ve got it right. This is the correct way to interpret the alt (even number) rows.
"…does the second (and alt rows) mean that once I have turned and am knitting back to the beginning, is the 2nd row? Ie I just knit back to the beginning, this being 2nd row…"
Can you give us a link to the pattern or even a pattern name, just to be sure?

3

Thanks so much for your reply. I understand now. Terri