Need help with directions

I am doing some practice swatches from Knitting for Dummies. I’m completely baffled by the directions for this Chevron pattern (page 143 of the book). The directions are:

Row 1 (rs): K1, K2tog, * k4, (k1, yo, k1) in the next st (double decrease using yo), k4, sl next 2 stitches together as if to knit, k1, psso (double decrease); rep from *, end ssk, k1.

R2 2: Purl

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 for pattern

No matter what I do, I don’t get the right number of stitches I suspect I’m doing the PSSO wrong – since it says “double decrease”, I’m slipping 2 stitches (the two that I slipped together knit-wise). Can anybody make this work? Thanks for any help.

There’s a typo in the pattern"

row 1 (rs): K1, K2tog, * k4, (k1, yo, k1) in the next st ([B]double decrease using yo)[/B], k4, [COLOR=Red]sl next 2 stitches together as if to knit, k1, psso[/COLOR] (double decrease); rep from *, end ssk, k1.

A k1, yo, k1 in one st is a double increase. The double decrease is the red part. Sl2, k1, psso or pass both slipped sts over the knit 1…

Thanks – I was pretty sure that they printed “decrease” when they meant “increase.” Did you happen to try this? I’m still not getting the right number of stitches. I wonder if there’s something else wrong with the directions.

I’ve done similar patterns. From the directions you wrote out the increases and increases don’t match. The double inc and dble dec cancel out each other, but there’s no YOs to offset the k2tog and ssk. So you’d be getting less sts each row. Is there another pattern row you can compare to, or does it just say to repeat row 1?

It just says repeat rows 1 and 2. And yes, I keep on getting fewer sts every other row, even though that’s clearly not happening in the photo in the book. :shrug:

I’m beginning to think the directions are just messed up . . .

Then the pattern’s wrong and there doesn’t seem to be any corrections online. Try this -

[COLOR=Black] row 1 (rs): K1, K2tog, *[B]YO[/B] k4, (k1, yo, k1) in the next st (double decrease using yo), k4, [B]YO[/B],[/COLOR][COLOR=Black]sl next 2 stitches together as if to knit, k1, psso (double decrease); rep from *, end ssk, k1.

That should keep you from losing sts. If the pattern doesn’t have holes, use M1 instead of a YO.
[/COLOR]

[COLOR=Black] row 1 (rs): K1, K2tog, *YO k4, (k1, yo, k1) in the next st (double decrease using yo), k4, YO,[/COLOR][COLOR=Black]sl next 2 stitches together as if to knit, k1, psso (double decrease); rep from *, end ssk, k1.[/COLOR]

After I thought about it, that’s not going to work either - the k2tog and ssk are outside the repeat. The Chevron scarf in Scarf style has the same pattern stitch too and I just don’t see how it’ supposed to work out. Unless you have a YO or M1 outside the repeat -

[COLOR=Black] row 1 (rs): K1, K2tog, YO * k4, (k1, yo, k1) in the next st (double decrease using yo), k4, [/COLOR][COLOR=Black]sl next 2 stitches together as if to knit, k1, psso (double decrease); rep from *, end YO, ssk, k1.

or just knit the sts on the ends instead of ssk/k2tog
[/COLOR]

Yes, that’s it! You fixed it. Thanks so much for your patience. :cheering: :cheering: