I totally understand how to pick up stitches, my question is about rate. The pattern says to pick up around 45 along left side, 30 around the neck and 45 on left side. For the sides it says at a rate of 3 out of 4 stitches. This I understand as well, but…I get 36 stitches when I do that. And when I pick up 30 around the neck, it seems to be too few, I’m having to skip several to do what they ask and I’m worried it’ll cinch in too much. What would you suggest I do? Thanks in advance! 
It’s not just you!-- this is always an issue. It’s because you’re trying to pick up stitches off of rows, instead of off of other stitches, if you get what I mean. So just pick them up evenly and don’t worry about the 3 out of 4 business. What I do is take long straight pins and mark off sections of where I’m going to be picking up from. So for your neckband, on each side where you have to pick up 45 stitches, I would eyeball that into 4 sections, mark it with my pins, and then pick up 11 stitches in 3 of the sections and 12 in one of them. On the back of the neck, I would eyeball that into thirds, mark that off with my pins, and then pick up 10 in each of those sections.
Sometimes I pick up 2 sts out of every 3 rows and that does well. I think it’s possible the 3 out of 4 work only if you have absolutely the same row gauge as the pattern writer; then you’d the exact same number of rows. I just try to get the correct number of stitches I need, no matter what the ratio.
Thanks so much both of you for your replies, it really helps! The other question I have is do you think 30 stitches for the neck part is too few? It just seems like it cinches in too much. I’ll try it the way it is and see what I think, if I have to frog, no biggie 
Thanks again! :cheering:
You could add a few more in there. As I said, if your gauge is even slightly different than the pattern designer, you need to adjust a little.
Okies…I just finished!!! :woohoo: Its amazing what you can accomplish by just letting go of your perfectionist worries and trusting that the person who wrote the pattern, and you lovely knitters here, know what you are all doing and actually accept the fact that I CAN DO THIS!
I did adjust a little, suzeeq as you suggested and I think part of it was gauge. I also think I was stopping picking up stitches on the left edge too soon before doing the neck edge stitches. I put bobby pins (couldn’t find my sewing pins, lol) in to mark off my sections like britty suggested and just went with it. It lookes lovely! I’m so excited!!! Now to do the finishing! :woot:
Yay! :cheering: