I am working on a sock pattern (three needles with stitches on them, for a total of four needles), and it states that I should “work in st st until cuff measures six inches from beg, ending with needle 2.” What does “ending with needle 2” mean? Should I knit through needle 2, or stop just before I knit needle 2 (i.e. after I knit needle 1)?
In case this makes any difference: After “ending with needle 2” I am supposed to redistribute my stitches. I am supposed to combine needles 3 and 1 for a total of 32 sts and then divide the sts on needle 2 into two needles of 16 sts each. My yarn should then be in the position "to begin working back and forth on combined needle 3/1."
This is a premier yarns (Deborah Norville collection) pattern.
Thanks!
What does "ending with needle 2" mean?
When you get the length and have knitted all the sts on both needles 1 and 2 then you’ll be doing something else. Which would be to redistribute your sts as set out so you work on only the 32 sts.
Oh, and ‘end with’ means, when you’ve finished; sometimes you’ll see a pattern that says ‘ending with a WS row’ which indicates that you will finish the WS row in order to work on the RS.
Thank you!!
I am also working on this pattern and would be interested in how you make out. I am having a problem with the heel flap, it doesn’t seem centered. And then when I start to work the gusset I end up with too many stitches. I would be interested in seeing how you make out. Let me know if I can help.
I am glad someone else is working this pattern! I will keep you posted on my status. I am about halfway done with my heel flap, but I’m hoping to do some more tonight. I’ll let you know how it goes!
I have tried this a couple of times and ripped it out and started again. I am just at the heel flap again so hopefully we can figure it out together. This is my first sock. I do like the yarn so want to figure it out.
Thanks
I just finished trying to turn my heel again and it wasn’t working. So I pulled the label off another colour I was going to use for another pair of socks and the pattern was changed!!! So make sure your pattern has 2009 and not 2008.
That’s good to know! I had to put my knitting down for a few days to get some other stuff done, so I’ve been away for a bit. Sorry for the delay in my response!
Anyway, I see my pattern says 2009, but I did find a few things that I had to “make up” on my pattern. For instance, in the turn heel portion, it jumps from Row 5 to Row 7-12. Not a big deal because the rows were all the same, but it could throw off the count if a person didn’t realize the pattern skipped Row 6.
Also, when I got to Row 14 of the turn heel, it said that I should have 18 stitches. Well, I had 18 stitches on the “gaining needle”, but I still had 1 stitch left over. So I ended up re-doing that row and knitting the last two stitches together so I ended up with 18 stitches. It seems to have worked out okay.
I am now working on the foot, but I’m sure I will have some questions when it comes to finishing off the toe.
Hope your sock is coming along well!
I have found in pattern reading, it’s best to keep your understanding simply. How would you say it if you wanted someone to work needle 2 and then stop? You’d most likely say, “ending with needle 2”
If you wanted them to stop after working needle one (in your question–“should I stop just before I knit needle 2?”), wouldn’t you phrase it more like, “ending with needle 1” or “ending just before you start needle 2?”
I find that when I take the instructions step by step and very literally, I can often work right through something that sounds difficult at first glance.
Sometimes patterns are written so that if you read ahead a bit, it clarifies things as well. If your next instructions were something like “now combine needles 3 and 1,” you’d know that you had to be ready to start on needle 3 for that to work…so you’d have to end after working needle 2.
Hope that helps. It’s so hard to find wording that “speaks” to everyone! And what’s clear when you’re writing a pattern and know what you mean, isn’t always clear to those of us reading and trying to figure out what the designer meant!