(New Knitter) Not Sure What The Pattern Means

#1

Hi, I’m a brand-new knitter as of this week (although I’ve been crocheting for a solid year or so now.) This is my very first attempt at any sort of garment and my first knitted project. I am following this March Basic pattern offered at Berroco in the Medium size (I’ve bolded the Med. stitch #): http://www.berroco.com/exclusives/march_basic/march_basic.html.

I am in the Decreasing Row, but I have [B]no[/B] idea what the pattern is asking me to do in this section:

“[I]Continue in this manner to dec 1 st 16(18-[B]20[/B]-23-25-28) sts in from each edge every 1” twice more, then every 3/4” 4 times – 69(75-[B]85[/B]-95-105-115) sts. Work even until piece measures 9” from beg, end on WS. Inc 1 st each end of next row – 71(77-[B]87[/B]-97-107-117) sts. Rep this inc every 3/4” 4 times more, then every 1/2” twice. Work even on 83(89-[B]99[/B]-109-119-129) sts until piece measures 13 1/2” from beg, end on WS.[/I]”

What does it mean “twice more”? Do I continue to K20, SSK, K55, K2TOG, K20 for another 1"? Also, at the end of the first sentence of the first Decreasing Row, it has “K20 - 97 sts.”; what does that mean? When I complete the first sentence of the Decreasing Row, the total amount of stitches I have is 97… is it asking me to subtract for some reason? :?? I’m just completely lost with this entire section of instructions…

Thank you so much for any help you can provide! I really appreciate it! :slight_smile:

#2

“[I]Continue in this manner to dec 1 st 16(18-[B]20[/B]-23-25-28) sts in from each edge every 1” twice more, then every 3/4” 4 times – 69(75-[B]85[/B]-95-105-115) sts. Work even until piece measures 9” from beg, end on WS. Inc 1 st each end of next row – 71(77-[B]87[/B]-97-107-117) sts. Rep this inc every 3/4” 4 times more, then every 1/2” twice. Work even on 83(89-[B]99[/B]-109-119-129) sts until piece measures 13 1/2” from beg, end on WS.[/I]”

You will do these instructions: K16(18-20-23-25-28), SSK, k47(49-55-59-65-69), k2 tog, k16(18-20-23-25-28) – 81(87-97-107-117-127) sts. a total of three times. Do your first decrease row…then it looks like you’d just do stockinette rows (knit a row, purl a row) for another inch…then do that decrease row (this will be your second time), then stockinette for another inch, then the decrease row again (this is your third decrease row, for a total of three decrease rows). Then do your stockinette stitch for 3/4", then the decrease row, stockinette for 3/4", etc. until you’ve done this four times. It helps to keep a record of your rows on a piece of paper or something so you don’t forget how many times you’ve done the decrease row.

#3

It means you’ll repeat the row with the decs two more times an inch apart. The st numbers between the decreases won’t be the same because you’ll be losing stitches. The ‘-97’ is just information and not an instruction, it’s a hyphen, not a minus sign. You’ll have 97 sts at the end of the decreases.

#4

Oh! Thank you so much! Makes much more sense now…

And thanks for explaining that the hyphen isn’t a minus; that was baffling me. :slight_smile:

Thank you, thank you both of you!