Neck Shaping Issues

#1

So I’m knitting a stuffed kitty and I’m having some trouble understanding the pattern when it comes to shaping the neck. Specifically

[SIZE=“1”]Shape right side of neck: Next row: (RS). With MC, K12. Turn. Leave rem sts on a spare needle.
Working on these 12 sts only, cast off 2 sts beg next and following alt row. 8 sts.
Purl 1 row.
Cast off 4 sts beg next and following alt row.

With RS of work facing, join MC to rem sts and cast off next 8 sts for center back. Knit to end of row for Left Side of neck. 12 sts.
Purl 1 row.
Cast off 2 sts beg next and following alt row. 8 sts.
Purl 1 row.
Cast off 4 sts beg next and following alt row.

Beg at neck edge, sew center front seam of Body. Weave yarn through cast on sts and draw up tightly. Fasten securely. Stuff Body through neck opening.[/SIZE]

From the way I understood it, this is what I did:

[SIZE=“1”]K12. Turn.
P12
CO2, K10
P10
CO2, K8
P8
CO4, K4
P4
CO4, CO8 using stitches on spare needle, K12
P12
CO2, K10
P10
CO2, K8
P8
CO4, K4
P4
CO4[/SIZE]

This is how it turned out and it just doesn’t seem right. What did I do wrong?

#2

[SIZE=1]CO4, CO8 using stitches on spare needle, K12 [/SIZE]

I think you went wrong here. After casting off the remaining 4 sts on the one piece, you should have used another end of yarn and went back to the remaining sts and cast off 8 at the center back. Then cast off as you did for the first side; it should have looked like this - xxxx____/xxxx - with a gap, but you’ve joined the sts across it.

#3

Ok so when it said “With RS of work facing, join MC to rem sts and cast off next 8 sts for center back.” I’m supposed to join with the other end of the yarn? Also, If you look closely you can see that my cast off edge is on the right side of both of the triangles… so it ends up looking like |xxxx_____|xxxx\

#4

Yes, after you BO the last 4 sts on the first side, drop the yarn. Then go back to the other sts and with a new end BO the 8 sts in the middle and knit the remaining 12. Then work the purl row, turn and BO 2 sts, knit across and so on. My drawing was somewhat simplified just to give you an idea how it should look. Kind of like a wide flattened U shape but the decs or cast off sts are not the edges of the piece, but in the middle where the 8 cast off sts are making a neckline.

#5

Alright, so that I understand. But on the first side should I have been binding off on the purl side? so that my cast off edge is along the flattened U? Otherwise, if I were to pick up a new end it would kind of be the equivalent of snipping where I joined and it would look like this

#6

Yes it should have been on the purl rows. The first instructions for this section read “Shape right side of neck: Next row: (RS). With MC, K12. Turn. Leave rem sts on a spare needle. - [COLOR=Green]After you turn, you’re on the WS/purl row.[/COLOR] Working on these 12 sts only, cast off 2 sts beg next (it means on the purl row though it doesn’t sound like it) and following alt row. 8 sts.”

The other side will have the cast off sts on the knit rows.