Up for a challenge? Please help!

How-to Questions
1

Hello!
Just recently I found out that I am going to be a mum for the first time! I’m a keen knitter and thought what a perfect excuse to get knitting cute baby knits. I bought myself a pattern for a cabled sweater, and seemed to be doing great untill all of a sudden I have become very stuck. I’ve tried over and over and over again, and have now just completely confused my self. Please help! :frog:
I’m knitting the back peice and am now about to start shaping the raglans. But it will probably be easier for you to understand if I give you the pattern so far.
cast on 76.
1st row. k3, yfwd, k2tog, *k1, sl1, k1, psso, yfwd, k8, yfwd, k2tog, rep from * to last 6, k1, sl1, k1, psso, yfwd, k to end.
2nd row. p5, k1, *p12, k1,rep from * to last 5, p to end.
Rep 1st and 2nd rows once more.
5th row. k3, yfwd, k2tog, *ki, sl1, ki, psso, yfwd, c8f, yfwd, k2tog, rep from * to last 6. K1, sl1, k1, psso, yfwd, k to end.
6th row. as 2nd row.
Rep 1st and 2nd rows twice more.
These 10 rows form the patt. Cont in patt (throughout) untill work measures approx 15cm from beg, ending with a wrong side row.

Ok, so I’ve done that bit fine, it’s this next bit that confuses me.

Shape Raglans.
Cast off 6 sts at beg of next 2 rows**
1st row. K1, SL1, K1, psso, patt to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.
2nd row. p2, patt to last 2 sts, p2.
Rep 1st and 2nd rows 10 times more. 42 sts.

So at first I thought I had to cast off 6 at every row, but if I did that 10 more times, I wouldn’t have any sts left! Also where it says patt, where abouts do I pick up in the pattern? Do I k1, sl1, k1 and k2tog in every 1st row? Also if I do k2 tog, k1, aren’t I decreasing an extra one on every first row? And surely if I do that, then 1 side will be more sloped then the other? I’m so confused, I’m sorry if I’ve over complicated things but I would be so greatfull if you could help? As I don’t want to get disheartned and give up, Mel x

2

Cast off 6 sts at [B]beg of next 2 rows[/B]** - Only on the next 2 rows. Then you go to the decreases which are on the RS rows -
“1st row. K1, SL1, K1, psso, patt to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.” which decs on [I]both[/I] the beg [I]and[/I] end of the row; and work the WS rows - “2nd row. p2, patt to last 2 sts, p2.”

After you do these 2 rows 10 [B]more[/B] times you have 42 sts. Or don’t count the rows and just repeat them until there’s 42 sts left. The ‘patt’ is the rib/cable pattern that you’ve been doing up till now, just continue that. If there’s not enough sts at the beginning and end of the rows with the cast offs and decs to do a cable, then just do the sts in plain rib (knit and purl sts).

3

You’ve been a huge help! thanks x x:woohoo: :muah: :woot:

4

I like these kinds of puzzles and am willing to work on it to see where you will need to pick the pattern up and maybe a little more, but I don’t want to have to work on 76 stitches. I’ll only be working on 37 (a mulitple of 13+11), but I will run out of stitches before I can do all the decreases, but it will give you a way forward and if you are observant maybe you can figure it out from there. This is if my attempts succeed, I haven’t started yet, so don’t really know what I’m up against. I’ll need to work the whole pattern to see how it works. So give me some time.

You only bind off 6 at the beginning of 2 rows for the underarms. This is the raglan decrease row:

1st row. K1, SL1, K1, psso, patt to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.
It won’t get lopsided because it has a dec at each end, at the beg it has the sl1, k1, psso and at the end a k2tog.

Congratulations on the baby! Hold on I’m trying to help. :out: