I am knitting my first sweater. The front is done in stockinette stitch from bottom to top until the pattern reaches the neck shaping. The neck shaping is like the inside of a horse shoe. Row one of the shaping states K44, slip 20 stitches just worked onto st holder, knit across 24 on each side. My question is: what stitches have I just worked onto a stitch holder? I haven’t done that yet. There is no stitch holder from the previous row. The previous row, ending in purl is 68 stitches, so the first row of the neck shaping is k44, slip 20, knit across 24 which doesn’t add up. Where am I confused? Please help.
You have 68 sts on the left needle. Knit 44 sts onto the right needle. Now slip 20sts from that right needle to a st holder, leaving 24 sts on the right needle. Now knit 24 remaining sts from the left needle to the right needle. You’ll have 24 sts for the left side of the front, 20 sts on a holder for the center neck and 24 sts for the right side of the front. Further directions will tell you how to work the 2 sets of 24 sts for the front and the 20 on the holder will be worked at the end of the pattern.