help with a debbie bliss knitting pattern

[caramelcoffeelover]

Hello to fellow knitters,

I wonder if one of you could help me with a debbie bliss pattern i tried to start on this morning. I am a beginner and I am sure you would be able to tell once I explain my problem with following the pattern.

The instructions state to start with casting on 36 stitches, which i did. It then says to do a row of K1, which I was also able to do. But then on the first row instructions it states "k1, yf (yarn forward), k16, yf, [k1, yf] twice, k16, yf, k1". My problem is that I ran out of stitches by the time i got to the second "k16". Common sense tells me I am doing something wrong but having started out with 36 stitches how can you work to make 41 stitches??

I am sure it is all very easy to explain so please help!

You do only have to knit 36 stitches for the first row of the pattern. The yarn forward which you do 5 times in that first row of pattern creates the 5 extra stitches to make 41 by the time you finish that first row. Yarn forward simply means wrapping the wool round the needle to create an extra loop which is knitted in the next row. HTH

oh i see so YF is just the action of moving the thread to create an extra loop and the k1 that follows after it is the action to complete the extra loop? so in effect every k16 becomes k15?

No, you do K16, not 15.

k1, yf (yarn forward), k16, yf, k1, yf, k1 yf , k16, yf, k1 this is your second row.

yf does not mean you are knitting any stitches, it is only the extra loop. The K1 that comes after it is the next stitch that you knit into.

So when you start your next row, the yarn forwards will be there on your needle ready to knit as normal stitches.

Does that make sense?

Is it a loopy scarf?
If so you do as moaning Minnie says but when you come to do the next row, you drop the "stitch" that was made by putting the yarn forward. So when you finish the row you are back to the correct number of stitches.

OP - Take a look at this

to see how to do a YF

It might help if you told us what the 3rd row is. The others are right that the yf will create extra stitchs but only in the next row will they become knitted stitches.

The alternative is that you drop the yf bit in the 3rd row and leave a bit of a hole which will just look lacy when you have finished.