Stuck with pattern

#1

I am making the Apron Dress from the book “Vintage Knitting for Modern Babies” and am at a stuck point with the directions for the pocket.

The pattern gives the following instructions for making the pocket:

[COLOR=“DarkOrchid”]CO 15 (17,17,19) sts.

Beg with a knit row, work 12 (18,18,20) rows in St st. SI [COLOR=“Black”](yes that’s definitely an upper case i)[/COLOR] sts onto a stitch holder.

Next row: *K1, p1; rep from * to end.

Rep last row 3 times more. Sl sts onto a stitch holder.
[/COLOR]

  1. What does it mean to SI? Is that a typo?
  2. How, once those stitches are on a stitch holder, does one continue knitting? Am I just not understanding the directions, or is something wrong here?

Any help would be appreciated!

#2

[color="#330099"]Lower case L or upper case i ?

I would have guessed SL for slip but then the math geek in me said S = slip and I = the count of unworked sts. If is is an i for a variable amount of sts then there must be a table in the pattern that would tell you how many to count for the “I”

As to your how question, the stitches are the ones left unworked on the left needle. I suspect if you read farther along in the patter it will later tell you what to do with the unworked stitches that are resting on the stitch holders.

My guess would be they are used in some type of a band, like a cuff along the open edge of the pocket.[/COLOR]

#3

Yes, it’s definitely an upper case I. “Sl” is used many other places in the pattern, and this one is “SI”. Unfortunately there’s no table giving a value for I. So according to the pattern, at that point, all 15 of the original CO stitches would be unworked.

This is, in fact, for the top of a pocket. As I read further in the pattern it returns to the pocket finishing with these instructions:

[COLOR=“Purple”]
Using straight needles, Sl 15 (17,17,19) sts from holder of one pocket edge onto needle.

With RS facing, rejoin yarn. Work 6 rows in k1, p1 rib.
[/COLOR]

Which, really just confuses me further.

Thanks for your help.

#4

Does it have a picture of the pocket on the apron? If it is a St st pocket with k1, p1 ribbing along the top I’d say the whole set of instructions are wrong. It sounds like they give instructions for a whole pocket at the first–knit some St st then some ribbing, that part you had the question about

SI (yes that’s definitely an upper case i) sts onto a stitch holder.
seems like it doesn’t belong there at all. From the last directions for the pocket all you do is do the St st and then some ribbing. It also sounds to me like that last whole part about how to continue the pocket is redundant because you just knitted 6 rows of ribbing, why add another 6, unless, possibly the edge is folded over. :shrug: But I see nothing fancy going on that would require you to slip X number of stitches at the earlier point where it says SI etc. Does it ever tell you to cast off this pocket? Seems like it would be a needed step?

Does it give some finishing directions that involve turning the cuff of the pocket down? A basic patch pocket is usually some St st with a ribbed cuff, cast off. Sew it on. Is the pocket pictured something other than that?

#5

I am thinking you are right. From the picture, it’s simply a St st pocket with ribbing at the top. No fold. The very last step in the pattern is to bind off the pocket and sew it “in place on inside”.

So, I’m thinking if it’s just getting sewn in, I should be fine just creating a basic St st pocket with 6 rows of ribbing, bind off, and sew it in.

I’m fairly new at knitting and thought maybe I was just missing something. Thank you for the input!

#6

Somehow I missed this reply when it rolled into my ‘inbox’. I hope this works for you. I’m a little concerned about the word “in/inside”. Sew it [I]on [/I]is usually the terminology than I would expect from a patch pocket.

#7

Could it be to slip the[B] I[/B]nside stitches to a holder?

Maybe edge stitches are slipped onto a holder as you knit and then later on you work those in ribbing as well? :??

I realize the pattern is from a book, but if you can link to a picture, even, that would help.