knoitting! please help?

[J20BABY]

have just taken up knitting, and trying to knit a little blanket, but i just don't understand the pattern!!

it says;

-with MC C/O 4 sts
-begin incrs:
rw 1(rs) k1, kfb, k to the end of the row
rw 1 (ws) k1, kfb, p to the end of rw
repeat rws 1 and 2 until sides measure 13" from the start of decrease
-b/o all sts

huh??

anybody explain in laymans terms please?

this should help

With your main colour, cast on 4 stitches
Begin increases:
On row 1, which is the right side of the work, knit 1, knit into both the front and back of next stitch (this will give you one more stitch) and then knit to the end of the row,
On the next row, which is the wrong side of the work, knit 1, knit into both the front and back of next stitch, purl to the end of the row.
Repeat these two rows until you have 13" of knitting (from the start of what decrease though? There are no decreases you've mentioned- have you missed a bit?)
Bind off (cast off) all stitches.

Does that help?

What it is basically saying is that you cast on 4 stitches, then:

Row 1 (right side), knit one stitch, then knit the next stitch twice (front and back), then knit to end of row.

Row 2 (wrong side), knit one stitch, knit the next stitch twice (front and back) then purl to the end of the row.

Repeat until it's 13", then cast off all stitches.

Sounds a bit odd to me. I always thought you purled only on the wrong side, so don't understand why you start off knitting on the even rows, but maybe someone more experienced will explain. Otherwise, try it for a few rows and see how it looks...

I think the knit stitch at the start of the purl row is to give a bit of a border, or to help the kfb to work. The thing that puzzles me is the lack of mention of decreases- as written, this will be a triangle like a shawl, and I wonder if there shouldn't be another half with the same kind of pattern but now decreasing on each row, to end up with a square.

can't i just cast on a row of 13" and then carry on knitting?

sorry, but i'm a complete novice!

Yes,of course you can. That will give you rows that are parallel, this pattern will give you a nice patern of rows at right angles to the long edges.

oh, i think it's meant to have a hood on it, and that might be a neck band or something, but i just want a square of knitting, that kind of looks like a blinket, that i can be proud of

or even blanket and also just noticed the title, obviousley meant to be knitting!

If you want a dead easy pattern which is quite nice, then I made a basket weave blanket for ds which is SOOOO simple...

(This is knitting according to me so quite unstructured!!!) You simply cast on a load of stitches (divisible by 5) until you have the length of blanket that you want.

Then knit the first row, purl the second, knit the third, purl the fourth, knit the fifth and purl the sixth to give you a border.

Then for row 1, knit 5, purl 5, knit 5, purl 5, etc. until you get to the last 5 stitches which you knit.

Row 2, purl 5 to create your border, then either knit or purl the next 5 stitches, depending on what you did on previous row, and then carry on alternating.

After 6 rows, you purl the stitches you previously knitted and knit those you previously purled. Then follow that for 6 rows.

When you have knitted however much you want, you end with 6 rows of knitting again to complete the border...

Does that make sense?

hmm, it kind of does mump, but don't know how to purl yet got to go do school run now, but will have another look when i get back and practice purling, off the ilnk ib gave me.

thanks for all your help everyone

oh my typing is terrible today!!

stupid old style keyboard at work!

right, i've had a look again at your post mump, and it does make sense!
but, i'd better practice purling first!

is it possible that 'with mc c/o 4 sts' means cast off? but i can't imagine the scenario where you'd actually do that, then increase...

it sounds like you're knitting from the corner, rather than the side.

don't want to knit from corner

am just going to do what mump said i thnk, btw is binding off the same as casting off?

i managed to knid of learn how to do that from a video link, but i so can't work out how to purl!

Yes, binding off is casting off. If you look at my first post on here I've written it all out for you. It is starting from the corner, warty, but J2Obaby doesn't want to do that If you just want to make a straight square you could just knit every row and not learn to purl- it would be better actually as it won't lie flat if you do stocking stitch.

stocking stitch?

thanks all, have decided i will just buy one

no i'm only kidding, will just knit it in one straight knitting square thingy and not bother purling, am probably far too blonde to get it right with purling anyway

aaahahaha i'm slowly catching on!

You'll get a nice texture if you just knit, like lines! What colour are you making it?

i've got some real nice soft white wool, i might put a couple of lines of pink in it, i have been practicing and think i could manage it, but i seem to be adding stitches and its kind of growing in width, don't know how!

The initial pattern sounds really quite complicated for a beginner. A very simple knitted blanket, done all in knit, would be much easier and more likely to be a success.

It's pretty easy to end up with 'extra' stitches when you're starting out. Are there holes, too? (there generally are!) If you know any experienced knitters irl, they could have a look at it for you, but odds are you're making yarn-overs without meaning to.

ruby - thats exactly what it is,and its mearnt to be a a 'learn to knit' kit

notquite, thanks i think i will, no holes so far, just wonky edges

Am quite and that someone is passing off such confusing instructions as a 'learn to knit' kit!

never mind, it was half price anyway they also had scarves and dog blanket kits