I accidentally posted this in the general knitting forum too… I apologise…
But…
I bought a pattern for a scarf… I am a begginer and after purchasing it, I noticed that in microscopic writting it is stated this pattern was for intermediate knitters! I need help deciphering what this pattern wants me to do!
Fist it states cast on 17 sts. Knit 14 rows garter st. This I understand but then below this it says:
NOTE - break of C1, between stripes, carry C2 and C3 loosely up side of work catching in on every alternate row.
What the…?
I understand that the c1, c2 and c3 stands for the different yarns, but I do not know what I am supposed to be doing with it.
Row 15 I also understand, using one strand of C2 and one strand of C3 together knit one row but then further confusing me is the next row…
16th row Knit next st wrapping yarns around both needles once, then around right hand needle once more, repeat… how do you knit like that… oh I am so confused… please help!
Lets say your knitting with red (C1), white (C2) and blue (C3)
you start knitting with your red. At row 15, it looks like you are going to knit a row with both white and blue together. Then when you go back to knitting with red, you’ll carry the other colors up your work, instead of breaking and joining yarn.
I’m not sure I understand the remainder of your problem.
Is it possible to write out row 14, 15, 16 & 17?
So we might understand and advise properly?
I’ll write out the whole pattern if it will help someone explain it to me!
Cast on 17 sts. Knit 14 rows garter st
[B]NOTE-[/B] Break off C1, between stripes, carry C2 and C3 loosely up side of work catcing in on every alternate row.
** Using one strand of each C2 and C3 tog [B]15th row-[/B]Knit.
[B]16th row-[/B] * knit next st wrapping yarns around [B]both[/B] needles once, then around right hand needle once more, rep from * to end.
[B]17th row-[/B] as 16th row
[B]18th row-[/B] Knit
Using 1 strand of c1, knit 2 rows garter st
Using 1 strand of c3, knit 8 rows garter st
Using 1 strand of C1, knit 2 rows garter st **
Rep from ** to ** until work measures Approx 98cms from begining, ending with 18th row
Using one strand of c1, knit 14 rows garter st
cast/bind off loosley knitways.
That’s the pattern. I think the bit that confuses me most is the Note… is that refering to the first 14 rows… and if so, why do I not have to do it with the last 14 rows…
I’m sorry if this is really simple but I don’t understand it! 
ok, I casted on 5 sts. I knit one row with 2 strands.
The only thing I can think of for row 17 is:
you put the RN in the st to knit as normal.
Instead of just putting your yarn over the the right needle and then coming under the left needle and off (a normal K st), you put your yarn over both needles, and then you do the normal K by putting your yarn over the right needle. You will then (try to) ignore the yarn that is on the top of the needles and only knit the 2nd portion of the st.
[needle through st to knit - yarn around & on top of both needles - yarn around RN and knit normal ignoring the yarn on top - that will come off needle with st.]
it makes for a very thick knot at the back of your work.
sorry its hard to explain - just keep trying…
Oh k… that sort of makes sense, but I still don’t understand the note. I have tried running the other two threads up from the beggining but it’s just so hard and messy and ugly and doesn’t look like the picture… maybe I should just cut my losses and hurl this pattern into the dark recesses of my cupboard…
I have tried running the other two threads up from the beggining but it’s just so hard and messy and ugly and doesn’t look like the picture
When carrying yarns up the edge you need to wrap them in the same direction so they somewhat weave themselves. Always drop the old color and pick up the new from underneath (behind). If you do this every time they’ll twine up the edge. Also, make sure you leave them slack enough so they don’t pull up too tight, causing the edge to shorten. As you’re carrying them up the side check every couple rows to make sure the wrapped edge and the other edge are the same length.
To catch the unused color you can twist the two strands on the edge on those alternating rows.
For the wrap, sounds like you’d need to have the ends of your ndls crossed (like an X) and wrap the yarn around the point where they cross, then pull out your right ndl and wrap the yarn around it again. That’s my take on what you posted.
HTH,
cam
You said you were going to give the whole pattern, but it seems like there are a few things you aren’t telling us. Like which color does it say to cast on with? I think they probably say to cast on with C1 and that the first 14 rows of garter are all done in that color. Then according to the instructions you would cut the C1 and take up a strand each of C2 and C3.
The part between the ** and the other ** is what you will repeat over the length of the scarf until you add the end border after a row 18. That 14 rows of garter will be a border and you repeat it at the far end of the scarf.
I did a small rendition of the scarf using only 9 stitches and not doing such a long border because I just wanted to get to the other part. I don’t know what your picture looks like, but what I got could be a scarf. Are all the yarns called for the same weight? The fact that you use double strands part of the time and single strands for part will cause the side edges to move in an out a bit; they will not be straight up and down.
The colors I used are pretty hideous together but maybe in the right colors this could work. I used a dark purple as C1, C2 is black and C3 is gold. So I have a purple border, then gold and black worked together then a stripe of purple and a wider stripe of gold, another narrow of purple and then back to black and gold.
So cast on C1 and do 14 rows of just that. Cut it and work one row of C2 and C3 held together (that would be row 15)
Now for that row 16. I think Lynn had it right, but I’ll try to explain it again. Like she says it is hard to explain, but not that hard to do really once you get it.
I’ll be describing this as if you knit English style, holding the yarn in your RH as you work. You might find it helps if you begin this maneuver with the LH ndl sticking out more than you would normally have it to knit.
Okay, here we go… Insert the RH ndl into the first stitch like normal. Begin by bringing the two yarns held together up and over the RH ndl like you normally would to knit the stitch, but keep going right up over the top of the LH ndl as well (your yarn will be moving clockwise around). After you have gone over the top of the LH ndl keep moving in a clockwise direction and bring the yarn back around the RH ndl one more time and end up with your hand where you normally would to prepare to bring the RH needle through the stitch and off. At this point you will have 4 strands of yarn (2 of each color) lying over the LH ndl, and you will feel pretty much like you are doing a regular knit stitch. Just go ahead and complete the stitch bringing your RH ndl under all 4 strands on the LH ndl as though they were one regular stitch loop, and take the whole works off the tip of the LH ndl. You end up with one double stranded loop on your RH ndl just like you did after knitting any stitch on row 15.
Do that in each stitch all across row 16. Row 17 do the same thing. Then for row 18, knit one more row of normal stitches with the two strands.
That next little section:
Using 1 strand of c1, knit 2 rows garter st
Using 1 strand of c3, knit 8 rows garter st
Using 1 strand of C1, knit 2 rows garter st
is the next sequence of rows. I don’t know why they don’t number them or anything, but I think that must be the way it works.
Don’t cut C2 and C3 according to the way they write it. Leave them both there for a minute and work 2 rows of knits with one strand of C1. (This is where the NOTE comes in. They tell you to cut the C1 after every time you use it, and just keep C2 and C3 going, carrying them as needed) So after you do the 2 rows of C1 cut it, leaving a tail.
Now knit 8 rows of a single strand of C3, bringing the C2 along up the side so you will have it again in a minute. To do that just pick the C3 up so that it runs under the hanging C2 before you knit the first stitch at the beginning of each row where the C2 is hanging. (I explain this better in the other thread on this topic)
Next knit another 2 rows of one strand of C1. Cut the C1 again.
Now you have come to the second set of **, so that is the end of the repeat. Go back to the first ** and start over. You will begin again with another row 15, doing a plain knit row with a strand each of C2 and C3. Work to the second ** again. Keep repeating that until you have the length you want or that is called for. Then finish up with a row 18 of the repeat and do the other border of 14 rows of garter with C1.
You were perplexed by the NOTE in particular. They ask you to cut the C1 after every use of it and I think the rest of the carrying is mostly bringing the C2 along while you do the 8 rows of C3. If the colors are real contrasting that may look all right, but if they contrast a lot it is going to show as you bring it up the side. You may want to cut the C2 instead of carry it over that section, but it will mean a lot of ends to work in.
It looks like the result would be a scarf with a lot of texture and an undulating edge on the sides. Depending on the colors it could be very colorful, or have shades of 3 colors that are similar. I think it could be an attractive scarf and not that hard except maybe for working in the tails. 
Good luck.
Thank you so much for your reply, it’s very detailed and exactly what I needed to understand what was going on… I’m sorry I didn’t mention it, but it is indeed a scarf… that’s why I thought it was something easy that even a beginner could do, but I didn’t realise it was marked intermediate.
I’ll try again today, now that I understand what to do!
Thank you once again for your help, it is very greatly appreciated!