Newbie Help! I Am In Way Over My Head and Sinking

#1

I have knitted several projects, but none of them have been very complicated, mostly just knitting, purling, using two strands of yarn, etc. I got a pattern for a shawl collar jacket for my husband and am completely lost. The back beings with a rib for 17 rows. Then as follows:

[I][FONT=“Georgia”]Row 18 (WS): Rib 2, M1, Rib 8, M1 eleven times, rib to end. 104 sts.[/FONT][/I]

I understand the make one and have the instructions to learn how to do this, but the rib 2 and rib 8 completely escapes me.

The rib instructions for Rows 1-17 are as follows:

[FONT=“Georgia”][I]Row 1 (RS): P2, *K3, P2; rep from * to end.
Row 2: K2, *P3, K2; rep from * to end.
These 2 rows form rib.
Work in rib for 15 rows more, ending with WS facing for next row.[/I][/FONT]

I have tried to work this out on paper to come up with 104 stitches, but can’t seem to get the right number.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

:eyes:

#2

Well, you didn’t say how many stitches you started out with but from this:

Row 18 (WS): Rib 2, M1, Rib 8, M1 eleven times, rib to end. 104 sts.
I gather that you started with 82 stitches. Your rib pattern of P2, K3 would fit perfectly with that number +the P2 before the asterisk. Each M1 increases one stitch and you do 2 in a repeat for a total of 11 times, so 82+22=104.

When it says rib 2 and rib 8 it just means to work your rib pattern as you have been doing it. Your pattern says:

Row 2: K2, *P3, K2; rep from * to end.
so that is the row you will be doing when you start adding the make ones, since that is a wrong side row.

So what you do is follow the directions for that row, throwing the M1 in where it goes. It would be like: *K2, (the first 2) M1, P3, K2, P3 (that’s 8 in that section) and keep doing that from the asterisk until you have completed that sequence for a total of 11 times. So what it means is to do your pattern as usual over 2 stitches and then M1, then do it for 8 more stitches and M1. Do that 11 times, which will add 22 stitches.

Is this M1 row done as the last row of ribbing before you switch to sockinette, or some other stitch? If so you might like the result you get by doing a simple backward loop M1 for your M1. I use them in this kind of situation with good results. Or you could use another of your choice.

#3

Thanks so much for your help. I still quite haven’t gotten the hang of what I’m supposed to do, but I’m getting closer.

Actually, I started with 92 stitches so that would make 10 more stitches than what I’m supposed to have. These are the exact instructions (I am using the third number in parentheses for a larger size):

[I]ROW 18 (WS) Rib 3 (2: 1: 2: 3), M1, [rib 5(6: 7: 8: 9), M1] 14 (13: 12: 11: 10) times, rib to end. 92 (96: 100: 104: 108) sts.

Change to size 11 needles.

Starting and ending rows as indicated and repeating the 32 row patt repeat throughout, now work in patt from chart for Body until Back measures 26 1/2 (26 3/4: 27: 27 1/2: 28)in/67 (68: 69: 70: 71)cm, ending with RS facing for next row.[/I]

If I have 92 stitches and add 22 that will give me 114 instead of 104. Oops. That doesn’t work out.

You said:

So what it means is to do your pattern as usual [B]over 2 stitches [/B]and then M1, then do it for 8 more stitches and M1. Do that 11 times, which will add 22 stitches.

I don’t understand the “over two stitches” part.

I only need to add 10 stitches, right?

Sorry, I’m such a lunkhead.

#4

Hiya Susy,
According to the pattern part you wrote you would get the required 12 sts increase that you need to get 104. the first M1 you are only doing one time. Then you get to the part that’s in the brackets. That’s the ONLY part that you do 11 times is what’s between the brackets. Not the whole row.
This part you do only once in the row “[I]ROW 18 (WS) Rib 3 (2: 1: 2: 3), M1”[/I]
[I]This is the part that you do 11 times: [rib 5(6: 7: 8: 9), M1][/I]
[I]Does that make more sense to ya?[/I]

#5

Fibrenut has it.:cheering: :cheering: The first time you gave the instructions you left out the [ ]s. So now it makes better sense. I didn’t know how many you started with and it looked like it would be 2 increases each repeat 11 times for 22 stitches. But with the [ ]s it is only 1X11+1 more for 12 increases. 92+12=104.

I hadn’t tried it with real stitches or even on paper. You would not have had enough stitches to do rib 2, M1, rib 8 M1 across 11 times with 92 stitches. And it would have been even farther off with 82 stitches, I mean you couldn’t have come close to doing that 11 times with 82 stitches.

Fibrenut has the numbers right and where to put the M1s. Hoorah for her. :hug:

Do you still not get what it means to rib 2 and to rib 8? We can try to clarify that if you don’t get it yet. Don’t feel like a lunkhead. I always try to lay the blame for “not getting it” on the teacher, not the student. :lol: We can try again to explain, maybe a bit of a different way.

#6

When a pattern says `rib 2/8/x sts’ it means to do that many sts in the rib pattern you have already got going. When you add sts to it, there may be more before the incs so you’ll have to add those new sts into the established pattern.

#7

The lunkhead is in the house. Okay, let’s see if I have this straight:

K2, P3, K2, M1 equals 8 stitches. I don’t repeat this part. Then I

P3, K2, M1 eleven times which is 66 stitches. Now I have a total of 74 stitches.

Then I P3, K2 to the end which is another 30 stitches, for a grand total of 104 stitches.

The fortuneteller sees a very precise knitting instruction book in my near future. Any suggestions for a really good one for lunkheads??

By the way, this row 18 is the row before I begin the cable pattern.

Thanks so much for all your help!!!

#8

Susy,
The best reference for patterns and such is Ann Budd’s "the knitter’s handy book of Patterns"
I used to have way back in the day, those “torstar” needlecraft books. I had em all the way up to volume 27 and then moved (dangit) and lost the subscription. I haven’t been able to find any much anywhere and my ex has probably thrown the rest away (ex’s sheesh):waah: (for the books not the ex :twisted: )

#9

YEah, I hear ya about exwhatever’s throwing out your stuff. I had a nice floor loom I left in the garage because I didn’t have a place to put it. He hired someone to clean out the stuff in the garage… Someone got a nice find dumpster diving, I hope they appreciated it.

#10

:woohoo: :muah: :happydance:

Once I sat down and looked at what I was doing, instead of doing it on paper, it all made sense. :knitting: I was able to knit on and get to the cable portion. Now I’m knitting from a graph. :pray: Hopefuly, I am reading it correctly

Yeah, I have an ex too. :biting: A pox on them all!

Again, thanks ladies for all your wonderful help. What a great community!

Oh, and thanks for the advice on the book. I’m going to BN today!

#11

Oh yes, it’s much easier to figure out something on the yarn and needles than in your head. It never hurts to knit up a sample of the pattern to see how it should look. It also doubles as a swatch… :wink: