Neckline increase row

I am knitting a size 4 sweater with a contrasting collar. On the neckline row, after 2 increases at the top, the instructions say: “Work Inc Row every RS row a total of 10(6,8,4,6) more times.” What confuses me is the strange combination of added rows per size, the largest being the size 4. That might make sense if the other sizes were consistently descending or ascending or something, but they’re all over the place, and none of them seems to correspond logically to the stitches picked up for adding the collar. I’ve reached out to the technical support listed at the back of the book, but no response.

Sometimes you see this is knitting patterns. It depends on the shaping that goes before or after this instruction. It seems random but in most cases when all the shaping is taken into account, the increases or decreases add up. They might not, but usually, they do.

Thanks for your reply. I thought so, too, but the previous shaping rows and picked up stitches for the collar don’t seem to correlate with this part…in other words they make more logical and orderly sense and aren’t so “random” by comparison.

What is the name of your pattern?

It’s the Imagination Sweater in Knits for Boys by Kate Oates, ISBN 978-0-8117-1361-0. THANKS!

BTW, I’ve already checked the published corrections for that book, and it’s not among them.

Checking for errata is always a good idea. I don’t see any reports of errors on Ravelry either.

I assume it will all add up in each size. It’s not that unusual to see these kinds of instructions.
We’d love to see your finished sweater!

Haha, me too! Guess I’ll play it by ear, though I’m trying to finish before Christmas, and already had to start over with smaller needles. The instruction just previous to the odd one was "work last 4 rows a total of 2(4,4,6,6) times. And the collar, after placing the provisional cast-on stitches are: “pick up and knit 21(21,24,24, 27) sts on vertical edge,” then same for the other side. They are raglan sleeves, so that shouldn’t make the difference, should it?

Doesn’t sound like it but if you can reconcile the sts for your size with the sts on the needle then your should be ok.

Yes, thanks. I just can’t help wondering if the numbers got stirred up and written down wrong. Like backwards or something. Thanks for your ideas.