Neck shaping..doing both shoulders simultaneously

#1

I am working on a pattern from class that the teacher altered and I don’t know what steps to all do or how to follow it exactly. I am making a pull over children’s sweater. It is a plymouth yarn pattern.(640-05)

These are the actual instructions according to the size I am making.(which is a boy’s size 6)

Neck Shaping(front of sweater): Work across 24 sts, turn. Working back, decrease 1 st at neck edge on next and every following row 2 times, then every following alternate row 2 times: 20 sts. Continue even until total length is same as back to shoulder shaping, end with the WS row. Bind off 7 sts at the beginning of the next 2 alternate rows, then bind off 6 sts at the beginning of the following alternate row. Reattach yarn at neck and work across 18 sts, place on stitch holder for front neck, work across remaining 24 sts. Decrease 1 st at neck edge on next and every following row 2 times total, then every following alternate row 2 times: 20 sts. Continue even until total length is same as back to shoulder shaping, end with the WS row. Bind off 7 sts at the beginning of the next 2 alternate rows, then bind off 6 sts at the beginning of the following alternate row.

My instructor pretty much crossed out that section and told us she wanted us to do both shoulders at the same time. Her instructions start me off as:

Neck Shaping:
knit 24 sts, add new yarn and knit 18 sts. Put the 18 sts on a stitch holder, then continue across the 24 sts using the new yarn. Knit 21 sts, ssk, k1.

Then I don’t know what to do. At one point I wrote down k1, k2tog and work across knit. Dec. on purl rows. It would be nice to have step by step row instructions to follow.

But she was not specific on what I all do on the knit/purl rows and where exactly I decrease??? The instructor won’t be back to teach for at least 1 1/2 months and I would like to complete the sweater. I am not even sure how I go about stitching/sewing up the sides of the sweater and attaching the sleeves.

Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks!!

#2

No need to use caps. Caps are considered yelling in the internet forum world. :wink:

We need to know where you are having problems.

#3

Sorry about the caps. I didn’t realized it signified yelling. :slight_smile:

I can knit the 24 sts, add new yarn and knit 18 sts, then put those on a stitch holder and continue across the 24. I am not sure what to do after that without having actual instructions in front of me to follow. I can do the knit 21, ssk, k1 but isn’t there supposed to be a purl row in between the kniting rows? As you can see I am very, very new to knitting. Not sure what steps I need to take to get the front to match up with the back. Thanks, Jan.

#4

Yes, there’s a purl row between the knit rows if you’re doing stockinette, that’s the ‘work back’ part.

I missed before where you are doing both at once. Yes, knit 24, then use another yarn end and k18 and put them on a holder, and finish up the rest of the row. Turn and purl, but do a dec just before the neck sts on the holder, drop the yarn, pick up the other and do a dec right after the neck sts for the other side. Turn and knit, do a dec at the neck edge, drop yarn, pick up the other, dec and knit the other shoulder. Turn and purl, doing the decs at the neck edges. Now only do the decs on the knit rows until you have 20 on each side. Then at the beg of the next knit row BO 7 sts, knit all the way across (with the separate yarns). Turn and BO 7, purl across. BO 7 at the beg of the next 2 rows and you have 6 sts left on each side. BO those 6 sts at the beg of the next 2 rows and you’re done.

#5

Thank you Sue! I am going to give that a try. I have been excited to finish this sweater and then I got stuck. I can’t wait to work on it. Thank you again!