Knitting help please- picking up stitches

[MummyHomeEd]

I haven't done any knitting for tears so thought I'd start with something easy so I'm knitting this

www.sirdar.co.uk/designs/babiesDesigns/cardigansjacketsBabies/1390

I have finished all the pieces and am now up to BORDER!

The instructions say...

Join shoulder seams. With RS facing pick up and knit 36 sts evenly along straight edge, 24 sts evenly along straight edge and 15 sts evenly to centre of back of neck.

I have tried twice and cannot find 36 along what I believe to be the straight edge.

Please can anyone help?

How many did you find? If you really are only one or two short it won't matter as long as you have a multiple of the pattern repeat.

Of the first 36 I only found 22,

the 24 should say along the shaped edge

I guessed you meant shaped edge there.
It's hard to say without seeing it.

Can you take it into a wool shop? They would help.
I would measure the edge, say its 18 cm, then you need to pick up 2 stitches per cm for example.

Thank you I will try your method of 2 stitches per half cm and see if it looks ok, if not I will go to a wool shop.

I got it from Hobbycraft, I'm not sure how much help they will be.

Hobbycraft do have experts there so don't expect a blank look of 'WTF is knitting' if you go back. Or you can go to a local yarn shop, they're not going to throw out a knitter in need just because you bought the yarn elsewhere.

OR we can find a local MNer to assist you if you want to post your approximate location.

Did you slip the first stitch of every row? That can make picking up stitches a pain in the arse as you effectively create one stitch for every two rows, which doesn't give you enough to pick up.

In the meantime, YouTube is your friend. Have a look at to get you started but shout if that isn't any help.

How long is the edge you are working on?

If it's 36 cm, one stitch per cm.
If it's 18 cm, 2 stitches per cm, total 36.

If it's 12 cm, 3 stitches per cm, total 36
And so on.

Sorry I'm not v. good at explaining.
If you can go to a wool shop I think they'd help, even tho you didn't buy it there.

You might buy the next wool there after all.

I put safety pins at each end of the piece I'm picking up. Then fold in half and put a pin at the midway point. Then another pin in each of the midway points of the two sections just made. This divides the piece into 4 equal sections.

Then divide the number of stitches needed by 4. So if you need to pick up 24 stitches then a quarter is 6 stitches. You then pick up 6 stitches in each marked out section.

If you are in North Northants or around Mkt Harborough/Oadby I can help in person.

Thank you all.
I am going to try and sort this tonight, I will let you know how I got on.