Pattern seems to indicate more stitches than there should be

#1

I’m attempting my first baby blanket using Bernat’s Peek-a-Boo Diamond and Lace Blanket.

The pattern had me cast on 138 sts. Knit 3 rows, inc 8 sts evently across last row. 146 sts.

That means I know have 146 stitches on the circular needles.

The 1st row is worded like this:

K3. yfwd. Sl1. K2tog. psso. yfwd. P1. [yfwd. K1. (yfwd. Sl1. K1. psso) 4 times. yfwd. K2. Sl1. K1. psso. K5. K2tog. K2] 6 times. P1. yfwd. SL1. K2tog. psso. yfwd. K3.

If I’m reading this right, that would be a total of 186 stitches - that’s 40 more than I have! I’m really confused by this. I think the repeats are what are confusing me.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Maureen

#2

it all adds up correctly. You have 40 increases (the yfwd i am assuming is a YO increase) you do a single decrease (sl1, k1, psso) 30 times and another single increase (the k2tog) 6 times, and 2 double decreases (sl1, k2tog, psso) this gives you an even number of increases and decreases which leaves you at 146 total.

to simplify a little:
knit 3, increase, double decrease, increase, purl 1 [increase, knit1 (increase, single decrease) [I]do the bit in round brackets 4 times [/I]increase, knit 2, single decrease, knit 5, the other single decrease, knit 2] [I]do everything in the square brackets 6 times including the bits in the round brackets every time you get to it [/I]purl 1, increase, double decrease, increase, knit 3.

#3

Yes, to knit the row, you need 146 sts, it adds up correctly.

Good thing I didn’t answer you first…I wasn’t reading the yfwd as an increase and would have led you astray. Either way, you still need 146 to do the row…you just wouldn’t have ENDED with 146 by listening to me LOL

#4

points up what they said. :slight_smile:

If you’re trying to figure out how many stitches a row /needs/, you can look at a modified version that takes out everything that doesn’t involve an existing stitch (YO/yfwd), or that is acting on an existing stitch (psso), leaving you with:

K3. Sl1. K2tog. P1. [ K1. ( Sl1. K1. ) 4 times. K2. Sl1. K1. K5. K2tog. K2] 6 times. P1. SL1. K2tog. K3.

or:

3+1+2+1+ [ 1+(2x4)+2+1+1+5+2+2]x6 +1+1+2+3

or:

146

Obviously, you don’t want to /do/ the modified version! That’s just for counting the needed stitches. But it helps for figuring out how many stitches you need to do that row.

(I think the reason you may have ended up with a higher count is by throwing the YO/yfwd increases in, or something. I find it /really/ easy to get confused with a line that long.)

#5

Isabeau you were right - I was inadvertantly adding another stitch every time it was yfwd! That’s how I was getting 186 instead of 146!

Thanks so much for everyone’s prompt response. I only recently took up knitting. Well took it up again - my mom taught me the purl and knit stitches more than 20 years ago, but I never learned to cast on or really how to follow a pattern. A few months ago I picked up a learn to knit kit at the bookstore and I successfully made several baby hats. Now I’m trying a blanket! Knitting seems to help me not snack so much - hard to snack when my fingers are tied up with yarn! LOL!