Please help with pattern!

#1

Hello! I am new here and also kinda new to knitting. I need your help, please!
I am trying to knit a cardigan (above my skill level perhaps, but I’d like to try!) and I am stumped with the pattern (free pattern). So, this is what it says,

“Using 3 mm needles, cast on 131 - 139 - 149 - 157 - 173 sts and work in k1,p1 rib for 1.5 cm, beg and end 1st row with k1.
Change to 3.5 mm needles and st st. Work 7 rows, then purl 1 row (WS) and evenly dec 9 - 11 - 13 - 13 - 15 sts in this row [122 - 128 - 136 - 144 - 158 sts]. Then change to patt st (see chart) and dec on each edge: on foll 18th row, dec 1 st once, on foll 16th rows, dec 1 st 5 times [110 - 116 - 124 - 132 - 146 sts]”

Question – Does this mean that I decrease once at the BEGINNING of the row AND once more at the END of the row (making it 120 sts from 122 sts, perhaps)? Also, I keep knitting this until I hit the 18th row, then I decrease one stitch (making it 119 stitches?), THEN I continue to knit according to pattern until the 16th row AFTER that, then I decrease 5 more (down to 114 now?)? How do I end up with 110 stitches?

Also, the chart looks like this for the patt st:

image

Question: On rows 2,4, 6… (WS), do I K1, P2 and repeat, or is it purl ALL? And why does it say “only work yo if compensated for with dec 1”? Don’t I work 1st yo and drop 2nd yo for everyone of the yo in WS? If not, please explain.

Any help is greatly appreciated. THanks so much in advance!

Jane

#2

Welcome to KnittingHelp and to knitting!
What is the name of your pattern?
Starting with 122sts, on row 18 decrease at the beginning and end of row. Then you will decrease every 16 rows so decrease at the beg and end of rows 34,50,66,82,and 98. That’s 2sts decreased per decrease row (2x6) taking you to 110 sts.

For the chart, work the even number rows, the wrong side rows all in purl because the chart symbols are all open boxes for those rows.
You’ll be decreasing at each end of the rows noted above (rows 34,50, etc) as you work the chart. That will “eat into” the chart at each end. You will come to a row where the decrease step in the chart becomes part of a decrease row noted above. In that case, don’t work the following or preceding yarn over. The reason for that is that you wouldn’t get a true decrease in that row because it would be compensated for by the yarn overs. The solution is to not work the yarn over that is paired with the chart decrease.

It’s so good to stretch out and work new patterns that have new techniques like charts or cables or new stitch patterns. Good going for working this pattern to keep knitting interesting and challenging.

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#3

Thank you so much! That’s very clear and helpful! :blush:

#4

But the WS rows AREN’T all open boxes! There’s a line, 2 open boxes, a line, 2 open boxes… I’m confused by the description “K1 (RS) or P1 (WS)” when there are 2 symbols given. It looks to me like WS rows would be P1, K2…??

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#5

Yes you’re right. The chart key says that either the vertical line or the open box are purl on the wrong side. So the result is purl across the wrong side rows. I’m not sure why both designations are used but perhaps there is somewhere else in another pattern chart where this shows up.

Knowing the name and designer of the pattern will help.

#6

Yeah, that’s what confused me. I got the pattern off of Sixtine Cardigan in Phildar Merinos 3,5 - Downloadable PDF | LoveCrafts. I don’t know the name of the pattern, but it’s called “sixtine cardigan” by Phildar (I think that’s the name of a yarn brand?).

#7

Hmm… I have another dumb question. When you mentioned to “not work the yarn over that is paired with the chart decrease”, wouldn’t that make the holes bigger than the other ones that ARE worked? I’m assuming “not work the following or preceding yarn over” means to DROP BOTH 1st and 2nd yo?

#8

Believe me these are all good questions. When I say don’t work the yarn over or double yarn over in this case, I mean don’t make it at all.
For example, say you have a decrease that occurs on row 1. There would be 3sts then a double yarn over. Make the decrease by sl1, k1, psso. Then you have one stitch remaining before the double yarn over but you need 2sts to work the decrease-double yo pair. In that case, knit one, skip the double yo, proceed to the next k1 and then the next double yo, k2tog pair and the rest of the chart row to the decrease at the other end of row.

Here’s a nice article from Patty Lyons that talks about decreasing in lace about a third of the way down the page.

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