Pattern confusion

Hi I used to knit many years ago when my two very grown up children were babies. Although my mother who was a beautiful knitter did most of their woolen needs. I am now a grandmother and another baby on way and have started knitting a cardigan which I thought was easy back went well front went well but sleeves I just cannot get the diamond pattern in line. When increasing stitches do you count them as part of the say knit 4 or do you knit 6. This may sound confusing :confused: I am being very patient but last night had to just put it down.

Welcome to the forum!
What is the name of your pattern?
The best thing to do is to look at your knitting and the pattern established on previous rows. Make the increase, perhaps as a knit stitch and on the next row, incorporate it into the diamond pattern. You can quote a few rows as an example if you think it will help.

Hello
Could you tell us which pattern it is and perhaps quote a line or two that you are stuck on? This would help people here help you get past this tricky part.

Sometimes just putting a stitch marker either side of a motif is enough to keep the motif in line because all the inc and dec happen outside of those markers and you can then focus on the correct bit of pattern for the motif within the markers. Sometimes it’s more complicated than that though…but I’m sure the experienced knitters here will be able to help. I’ve had help with a really tricky lace panel I struggled with and it worked out great.

You might find this a good time to put in a life line so that if you are unhappy with how the next section goes you can rip it back more easily without losing your stitches.

Do you know how to do a proactive life line?

It is a Wendy Peter Kay
I am doing first sizes


I have tried to add photo of pattern. So the first 8 rows form the pattern on row 3 you increase at each end. Also row 7 on which all came put well.
Starting from.row 1 again only increase in row 3 which I done but row 7 said not to for first size and it was completely out of pattern. I have taken it down so many times. Also no never heard of a proactive plan
Thanks s

That’s a very sweet pattern. What size are you making? Does your pattern say to only make increases on row 3 after the first pattern set of rows 1-8?

All the diamonds are aligned as you work the rows. You could keep track of the number of increases. So if you inc in stitch one then k4 the first time you work row 3 (for example for the first size), then you would inc in stitch one then k5 the next time you work an increase row.
I’ve also used a marker thread or yarn strand to align motifs. Working with a contrasting, thinner yarn as Lucy Neatby suggests makes this marker stand out.


A proactive lifeline? It’s a way of maintaining the work that you’ve already done in case you need to rip back. You may be able to see pretty early that this pattern isn’t aligned so have minimal ripping out but it’s truly a lifesaver if you need it.
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Knitting first size. That is such a good idea as I have literally ripped out so many times and last night I started from the beginning again by ripping it all out. I will give it a go. :+1:thanks for all your help.

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Let us know how it’s going. Fingers crossed for this time around.