Need help understanding collar instructions

#1

This is probably the reason I have NEVER finished a sweater! I just don’t understand! But I am determined this time and I hope someone here can help.

I’m working on a cardigan style sweater, so there are two pieces to the front. If anyone has the book “The Children’s Collection” by A & J Starmore–I’m working the Child’s Mendocino Sweater. Anyway, the directions say, “With RS facing and 4 mm needles, beg at right front and pick up and k the 5 sts from holder; knit up 10 sts evenly along right side of neck, pick up sts from saddle, pick up sts from back, pick up from left saddle, knit up 10 sts along left side of neck, pick up and k the sts from left front neck holder.”

So, what has me stumped is if RS is facing, which side do I start on? The side to my right if I were facing the person wearing it? Or the side that would be on the right if I were wearing it?

And do I pick up all the stitches first and then knit them? Or do I knit them as I go? What needle is this gonna end up on? KWIM?

I can’t for the life of me figure this out!

HELP! PLEASE! LOL!

Oh and the next row should end up a WS row to start my ribbing.

#2

Ok, here goes:

When it says right front, it means your right if you were wearing the sweater. So you’ll start by knitting that first stitch off your holder with the right needle.

When start with your stitches that are on a holder, you’ll need to knit them. But when you’re actually picking up stitches, you won’t knit them. The pick-up itself creates a knit stitch. Sometimes that can be confusing.

Anyway, when you’re done knitting off, picking up, and then knitting off again, all your stitches will be on your right needle, and you’ll be ready to turn and do a WS row.

Make sense? Hope that helps! :slight_smile:

#3

Yes that did help–now let me go put it in to practice and see if I’m still confused! LOL!

#4

The directions are RS facing as in RS row vs WS row, not right side vs left side… You would hold it looking at the RS of the work and start picking up sts at the edge of the right front, going around the back of it to the left front.

sue

#5

It worked! I finally have a sweater that is all but completed! Just gotta do the button panels! THANK YOU! Actually the collar was MUCH easier than stitching up all those seams! LOL!

#6

Hooray! You’re certainly welcome. You’ll have to post pics for us when you get it all finished!