Hi folks. Tearing my hair out here. I’m making Amy Shiver’s Classic Cardigan. Working on the sleeve cap and cannot figure out what to do. I sure hope someone can help me. I know how many knitters love puzzles!
The instructions in question start when I have 67 stitches, which I do. When piece is the right length, this is what I should do: “Bind off 4 sts at the beg next 6th rows [sic], then bind off 5 sts at the beg next 2 rows, then 0 sts at the beg next 2 rows = 33 sts. Bind off remaining sts.”
No matter what I do, I can’t make this come out to 33 stitches. If I bind off 8 stitches (2x4 for symmetry) three times, then 10 stitches (5x2), I get 33. Is this what she means? This is not explicit in the instructions. I think this way might give me the right length along the curve to match the armhole, but I can’t be sure until I do it.
If anyone can help me, I’d be eternally grateful. I live in the back of beyond and have no knitting friends close by. Thanks for any help!!
Welcome!
The pattern is telling you the number of sts to bind off at the beginning of each row. Bind off 4sts, work to the end of the row, turn, bind off 4sts and again work to the end of that row. Repeat this 3 times total. (24sts bound off total)
Then bind off 5sts, work to the end, turn, bind off 5sts and work to the end. (10sts total bound off)
That’ll leave you with 33sts.
Thank you! Yes, like I said, that was my calculation, too, but it wasn’t stated in the instructions to repeat this three times to get to the right number of stitches. I’ve been knitting for five years, and I’ve made several sweaters, but this is the first time I’ve ever been expected to calculate the number of repeats on my own to arrive at the correct number of stitches. I’m curious–is this a common thing and I’ve just never run across it before? It really threw me for a loop!
This is not an unusual way to designate decreases. The pattern is actually stating the number of repeats for you, no calculations needed.
Bind off 4 sts at the beg next 6 rows That’s telling you to repeat the bind off 6 times or 3 times on each side.
then bind off 5 sts at the beg next 2 rows That’s saying repeat the bind off twice or once on each side.
Well, it didn’t say “next 6 rows.” It said, “Next 6th rows.” I found this very confusing.
I can see where that would by confusing. You’ve done a good job of figuring it out.
The use of “6th” a typo indicated by the [sic] meaning that the text is reprinted as originally written but questionable.
Exactly. Thanks for understanding what I was trying to say. I probably didn’t make that part clear. I’d never seen ordinal numbers used in a pattern in quite this way. And it actually was originally written very purposefully: “…4th (4th, 4th, 6th, 6th, 6th) rows…” I just couldn’t make sense of it.
Well, I thank you VERY much for helping me with this. I’ve actually learned to knit completely with the help of videos and other knitters online. You’re an invaluable resource!!
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