Slipping stitches to a stitch holder?

#1

I’m not understanding these instructions. Hoping someone can tell me what they mean. The pattern is for a baby sized cardigan.

They read:

Shape Neck

Next Row (WS) Slip 5 stitches to a holder, bind off next 3 stitches, work til end. Continue to shape neck, decreasing 1 stitch from neck edge every row 4 times, every other row 4 times, every 4th row 4 times - 12 stitches remain. Work even until same length as back to shoulder. Bind off.

The part I’m really not getting is where I’m supposed to slip the stitches. How do I slip stitches when the working yarn is coming off of that first stitch? Is the pattern possibly written wrong, and those stitches should be bound off, along with the next 3. There is a place in the pattern during the finishing where I will be picking up those outside stitches and knitting again in seed stitch, so I’m thinking it may just be easier to bind off, but I don’t want to mess it up if I’m totally guessing wrong. :pout:

#2

here I think the pattern means take them off the working needles onto a stitch holder, or piece of scrap yarn. just thread the scrap yarn thru the 5 stitches and let them dangle from your work as you do the rest. (I tie the ends of the scrap yarn togehter in a loose knot so I don’t lose anyone…) Then, the loops are there later to replace on the working needles according to the pattern. You can also buy stitch holders which look like enourmous safety pins to hold stitches.

hope this helps, MKZ

#3

I’d purl (or knit, whatever your pattern is) those 5 stitches and THEN slip them to a holder. Definitely don’t bind them off if it says slip–they’ll be easier to pick up on later. Are you sure your working yarn should be there? What comes before that in the pattern?

#4

The instructions before being told to slip those stitches is to knit in an alternating seed stitch pattern until the piece measures 4" from beginning, ending with a RS row.

Thanks for helping, both of you :slight_smile:

#5

I think I’ve figured out a way to do it, without dealing with cutting the yarn at all - look ahead at the pattern, and not work those 5 stitches in pattern, since when I add on to the edge later, it will continue on in the seed stitch. So my working yarn stays at that next to 5th stitch, and those stitches just go right onto the holder.

I may have just been overthinking this whole process. Or does that still sound wrong?

#6

:shrug: Well, no, it just sounds like you figured out what they want you to do in your own words…the whole point of moving those 5 stitches to a holder is to “set them aside,” so to speak, and not work them until you do the seed stitch later. Does that make sense, or did I not understand what you said?

ETA: :doh: Oh! I think I get what you mean. On the RS, just slip them rather than working them and THEN slipping them? That should work fine, too.

#7

Nope, you got it right :slight_smile: I was definitely overthinking it. Such an easy pattern, and I got stumped on something I haven’t ever done before.

#8

:teehee: Happens to all of us! Glad you got it figured out.