Please help! Confused with pattern...decreasing

#1

Hi there, I would really appreciate it if anyone could help me read my pattern.

I’m currently decreasing a stocking stitch part of the pattern for an armhole and front slope of a cardigan.

The pattern starts here on RS (armhole edge) (a knit row) and reads:
“dec 1 st at armhole edge of next 5 rows then on foll 6 alt rows [B]and at the same time[/B] dec 1 st at front slope edge on next and every foll alt row. 36” (emphasis in the pattern)

I really can’t quite work out what I am supposed to do here.

“Armhole edge of next 5 rows” - Does this mean 5 armhole side rows? Or just the three rs rows out of the total 5?

Do I decrease every row of ws (front slope side)?

It seems to me that I should decrease at the start of every row, but if that were the case, then the instructions wouldn’t be written like this.

Please help!

Thank you!

#2

The pattern at the armhole edge is saying to decrease every row 5 times and then every other row 6 times. Decrease on rows 1,2,3,4,5,7,9,11,13,15, and 17 at the armhole edge. Sometimes you’ll be decreasing on a purl row (rows 2 and 4).
For the neck or sloping edge decrease on rows 2,4,6,8 etc (all WS rows) for however many rows the pattern specifies (or until you have however many sts remaining or so many inches completed).

#3

Thank you so much!!

I think I get it now… so basically for rows 1-5 there should be a decrease either at the begining or at the end of the row at the armhole side, and then continue on.

Thanks again! :woot:

#4

So for the first 5 rows it would be:
Row 1 decrease 1 at armhole
Row 2 decrease 1 at neck and armhole
Row 3 decrease 1 at armhole
Row 4 decrease 1 at neck and armhole
Row 5 decrease 1 at armhole