Tired of trying to figure this out. please help

General Knitting
1

Hello Everyone.

I bought the alligator scarf pattern and was doing really well. Until I got to the first row of binding off while still in pattern. I started with 59 stitches and are suppose to end up with 19 which is not happening it always ends being less then the 19.

the row says exactly knit 3 bind off eight tightly. then knit three which includes the stich from the last bind off. I have tried knitting the first three then binding off 8 then knitting three. Then I tried knitting three binding off eight then knitting 2. That still didn’t work. I hope someone can help me I have ripped apart this row several times. This is a gift for my sisters baby who is decortating the room in alligators. please help me.

Kathy

2

Logically,
K3 + bind off 8 = 11sts, which you will repeat 5 times (meaning 55 sts and 4 sts to end of row=59sts you start with).

The pattern repeated 5 times means you should end up with 19sts on the needles, with 40 bound off.
([B]K3[/B]x5repeats=15sts + 4sts at end of row=[I]19sts left[/I])
([B]bind off 8[/B]x5repeats=[I]40sts gone[/I].)

When you bind off, your 3rd stitch disappears and the 8th bind off leaves 1st, so you still have only 3 sts with each repeat. Don’t count the 3rd st as part of your bind off, you need to K1 to start your bind offs. So K the 4th st then pass the 3rd st over it as the 1st bind off.
When you do the first K3, bind off 8, the first 2sts and the 12th st will be the 3 sts on your needle. With your next repeat of K3, bind off 8, you’ll K the 13th, 14th, 15thsts, then K the 16th st (to start your next 8 bind offs)and pass the 15th st over the 16th…

Hope that makes sense!
Mary

3

This just got answered a bit differently on another forum. I think Art Lady’s suggestion on the [B]How to Questions[/B] forum might balance the # of sts on each end better.

4

I wanted to say thank you both of you. Your posts helped me out alot and i think i figured out the problem. I tried it last night and got the correct amount of stitches. I hope it works as well when I get to the bind off ten part. thanks again

Kathy