Could anyone help decipher a knitting pattern?

[parttimepunk]

I'm knitting a jumper for the first time and I've run into a problem. I'd be v grateful if a more experienced knitter could help me see where I'm going wrong.

I'm knitting the back section which has 38 stitches. I've got to a decrease row where I've to cast off to create a neckline.

The pattern reads work 15 in moss stitch, cast off 12 and then work 14 in moss stitch again. Then tells me I should be left with 30 stitches.

15+12+14 adds up to 41 stitches but I have 38 (as per pattern). So I can't figure out how to make his work. If I follow instructions I end up with 26 stitches - but the pattern tells me I should have 30.

Does anyone have any ideas. I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.

Thanks!

Ravelry, the website for knitters has a vey active and helpful forum. If you post with a link to your pattern someone may be able to assist.

Oh thanks! I hadn't heard of ravelry. I'll give that a try.

Could you post a photo here, of that part of the instructions? If you start with 38 and cast off 12, I can't see how you could be expected to still have 30 stitches - maybe it's an error in the pattern?

@parttimepunk After you have cast off your 12 stitches you will have one stitch on your right hand needle (assuming you are right handed) and 14 on your left hand needle. Once you work across these 14 stitches you will be left with 2 lots of 15 stitches with a cast off gap of 12 stitches in the middle.

I'm a bit embarrassed. As I was taking a photo of the pattern to post here / on ravelry I could suddenly see what I was doing wrong.

I'm knitting a size 3. The decrease row I was knitting didn't apply to all sizes. (Thinks it was for sizes 1,3 and 5).

So while I was used to looking at the third number along for the number of stitches, on this occasion I should have been looking at the second number.

Ah well hopefully I'll be less of an eejit next time.

Glad you got it sorted. It can be an issue when you have a multi-size pattern. Sometimes I go through at the start and underline/highlight all the instructions for my size, to keep me on track.

Highlighting the bits for my size is a genius idea. Thanks!