Hi, I’m so frustrated and don’t know where to get help. The pattern that I’m using is very confusing to me. I’ve got a good amount of the sweater done and I have no idea where to go from here. If someone could take the time to help me figure it all out, I would be so appreciative. At this point I’m thinking of searching for someone who can perhaps tutor me to help me through…that’s how desperate and at a loss I am…Thanks to all who reply…Linda
Really upset...need help desperately
I’m sorry, it must be so frustrating that you can’t remember the name… 
You really need to let us in on what pattern you’re making and what problem you’re having with it. We’re not mindreaders…
I apologize…It is Drops Design 112-9
www.garnstudio.com
I don’t know where to quite begin about where I’m stuck…
I’ll try to explain…
I reached the part where the piece measures 13 3/4"…I still have to complete the front band with the buttons and button holes. Now, I guess I’m suppose to be starting the raglan shaping…but all it says to do is the one row where the instructions say “when the piece measure 13 3/4” "…What do I do after that one row?? Do I just keep repeating the raglan decreases?? Is it just me that finds this pattern impossible???
And the other thing that confuses me is that in the pattern where it instructs me to bind off the 8 sts when the piece measures 13 3/4", it appears to me that it is saying that I should have 161 sts after the decrease…but I have that many sts now!
Here’s [the link.](http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/us/pattern.php?id=4079&lang=us)
Okay, I see the measurement now, it didn’t show when I first linked it.
So just follow the instructions - When piece measures 31-33-35-37 cm / 12¼”-13”-13¾”-14½” bind off 8 sts each side for armhole (= 4 sts on each side of marker) = 145-153-161-169 sts. Put piece aside and knit the sleeves.
If you have more sts, it may be you cast on the wrong number; it should be 177 sts for this size, minus the 8 sts per side would be 161.
Yes, that is the link…I’m in the body piece section. It is the part right above the section marked SLEEVE…To me it seems like the pattern is extremely poorly written…but what do I know??
Well…no…I don’t think that is correct…I still have to continue the body piece since I still have to continue to knit the band for the button holes, buttons, etc…It doesn’t make sense to me to just decrease the one time if it is the beginning of the raglan…And if I decrease (which I did) HOw do I end up with 161 sts (in the body, not counting the button hole bands) when I decreased stitches?? Do I make sense??
To me, the pattern doesn’t seem to instruct how to shape the raglan…It tells me how to decrease one row…but one row isn’t going to give the raglan shape?? Do you see what I mean?? Or am I just missing something??
It’s not poorly written, just written without a lot of detail which is typical of European patterns.
At this point, you just BO the sts for the underarms, put the body on a holder and knit the sleeves. Once you have them done, you join the sleeve sts to the body, then you begin the raglan decreases and continue the button bands.
You’re getting ahead of yourself a little, so just take a deep breath, BO the sts and start the sleeves. If you dont have the right number of sts, check to make sure you CO the right amount and not the number for the next smaller size. Or see if you did some decreases along the way somewhere.
And the other thing that confuses me is that in the pattern where it instructs me to bind off the 8 sts when the piece measures 13 3/4", it appears to me that it is saying that I should have 161 sts after the decrease…but I have that many sts now!
If you are making the 11/12 size you were supposed to have 177 stitches at the point where you do the underarm decreases. You are supposed to have a marker placed at each “side seam” (although there is no seam at the side) and to have been keeping the 8 stitches on each end (you are knitting fronts and back at the same time) of the piece as button/button hole bands and by the time you come to the length given (13 3/4") you should already have put in two buttonholes (it tells you where to place them under “Buttonholes” before it begins the directions for the sweater).
It[I] is[/I] saying that you will have 161 after you bind off 8 stitches (4 on each side of the side seam markers you have placed). 177 minus the 2 8s for the underarms will leave you 161. After you do the bind off you put that whole piece aside and knit the sleeves from the cuff to the top. Then you will be joining the sleeves onto the body piece you have laid aside, putting the sleeves where the bind offs were for the underarm stitches.
After you have the sleeves attached to the body part you will continue making the yoke keeping the end stitches as the bands and adding the other buttonholes in as called for. It is not until you have the sleeves joined to the body that you start the raglan decreases.
SEE KNITTING TIP! Slip sleeves on the same circular needle size 3.5 mm / US 4 as body piece where bind off for armholes = 233-249-265-281 sts. Insert a marker in all transitions between body piece and sleeves = 4 markers. Continue in rib with front bands as before. AT THE SAME TIME dec for raglan – SEE DECREASING TIP!
NOTE! Make the first 2 dec on body piece only and not on the sleeves. Dec on every 4th row a total of 4-3-2-2 times and then on every other row 14-17-20-22 times.
After you have the whole works together you will have 265 stitches altogether. (A hint here: I usually find I need to use 2 or 3 circular needles to work the first few rows of the yoke, or you can add in some double points or something to help you get around the “corners” with all those stitches.) It tells you to place a stitch marker at all the transition points where body piece and sleeve pieces meet. So that is 4 markers altogether. Notice it says to SEE DECREASING TIP. That is where it really tells you what you have to do to shape the raglan sleeves. And don’t forget to do the first decreases only on the body piece and not on the sleeves. After that you will decrease on both the sleeves and the body at each marker as given in the “decreasing tip”.
I like Drops patterns but they are written a little differently and you have to really pay attention to all the parts of the directions including the notes.
Thank you for your kindness and patience…I hope that my messages don’t sound rude or anything since sometimes it may come across that way in the written word…
I did cast on the proper amount of sts…I did a decrease, but I think that I did it wrong. I have the markers in, etc. I think I was doing everything correct until I got to the decrease for the underarm part…So, now I have a total of 173 sts…including the 8 + 8 for the bands…I will unknit that last decrease row I did…But, where am I decreasing?? Before the first marker and after the second marker? And what kind of decrease do I do? K2Tog? I have knitted some complicated patterns, but this one is leaving me brain dead…Also, thank you to Suzeeq, too…and everyone…
PS…Yes, I have 2 buttonholes in place, too…
Yes, go back and undo the dec row you did, that should take you back to 177 sts. Then reknit to the right length. You’re not decreasing right now, you bind off or cast off 8 sts at each underarm. You should have 2 markers, one at the beginning of the round and one halfway across from it. Start another round and when you get 4 sts before the halfway marker, BO the next 8 sts. You’ll remove the marker when you get to it and to BO you have to knit 2 then pass the first of the those 2 sts over it. After that’s done, continue around and 4 sts before the beg of round marker, do the same - BO the next 8 sts, removing the marker. Then you’re at a stopping place for the body right now, so put the remaining sts on another needle or stitch holder or scrap yarn, you can leave the yarn attached, and with an new end of yarn start the sleeves.
Sue, this is not made in the round, but back and forth. She is supposed to have 177 sts; 48, marker, 81, marker, 48 sts.
Linda, you don’t do any decreases until you have the sleeves done and join the whole works into one piece for the yoke. After you knit your 13 3/4" over the 177 stitches and have the markers placed, you bind off four stitches on each side of the markers, so that you have 8 stitches gone at each underarm. Then you will have 161 sts. At that point you set this piece aside and knit the two sleeves. Then join it all together and begin the yoke.
It tells you how to decrease for the raglans in the note:
DECREASING TIP (applies to raglan):
Make all dec from the RS. Beg 2 sts before marker: K2 tog, marker, slip 1 st as if to K, K1, psso.
But it also tells you to do the first dec only on the body stitches and not the sleeves. So on the first right side row after joining everything together you will knit across the first front, slip the marker as you begin the sleeve stitches, knit across the sleeve part, slip the marker and then slip one as if to knit, knit one, pass the slipped stitch over, knit on across the back section until you are 2 stitches before the next marker, k2tog, slip the marker, knit the sleeve stitches, slip the marker, knit the other front section.
After that on each right side row you will decrease at each marker, before and after it. So: knit across the front till 2 before the first marker. Knit 2tog, slip the marker, slip 1 as if to knit, k1, pass the slipped stitch over. Knit across the sleeve stitches until 2 before the marker and repeat the decreases as you did them on each side of the marker at the first marker. Knit across the back stitches till two before the next marker, repeat the decreases, knit across the second sleeve till 2 before the marker and repeat the decreases on each side of the marker. Knit across the other front section. (Keep the bands on each side and add in the buttonholes as needed.)
Oh right, it’s a cardigan on one needle. Sorry for confusing things.
No problem. I hope Linda is making progress on this sweater now.
Thank you all very much again!! I have binded off the 16 sts on the body and have the proper amount of sts…I’m going to start the sleeves. I wouldn’t be so desperate and in a hurry, but my granddaughter wants to wear this sweater for her winter concert at school. I feel so stupid when I have knitted so many things (beautiful dolls, hats, sweaters), but am so devastated over this pattern…