Confused by my knitting pattern - please help!

[Tigerschick]

Hi.
I'm attempting to make this pattern.

I've done OK so far but now I'm onto shaping the back for the arms to go.

The basic pattern is 8 rows where rows 3 and 7 have detail, creating the little holes you can see in the photo on the link, if you click to see the larger image.

What I'm not sure of is:
I've now got to decrease one stitch at each end of every row. Do I count that as stitch number one and then continue the pattern from there or is that 2 stitches? Or should I be working out where I would be up to had I not decreased the stitches?

I'm concerned that, if I start with that as stitch number one, the design will shift sideways and will that look OK? But, if I have to work out where I would be up to had I not done the decreasing ... well, my head may explode!

Really hope someone can make sense of all that and offer some advice.

TIA

you keep the pattern so if you decrease a stitch your first stitch becomes no 2.

you do not want the pattern to shift sideways

you don't want to shift the pattern sideways. your new first stitch should be counted for pattern purposes as stitch 2.

Does your pattern say, 'keeping pattern correct' on the line where the decreases are. Usually you have to work the lace bits of the pattern from where you'd be if you hadn't decreased iyswim and the line 'keeping pattern correct' or words like that are usually used on those patterns. Otherwise, as you have already realised, your pattern will be out of sync.

So on the nest row, my first stitch would become number 3?

snap snap snap!

yes

Oh my!
Right.

Thank you very much ladies ... wish me luck

You might find it easier to write it out (or draw it out on squared paper if you have some) - that's what I do if I have complicated pattern/decrease situation to handle

Oh - but what if the first stitch the becomes part of the 'twiddley bit'?

The 'tricky rows' go:
K6, k2, yfwd, s1, k1, psso, k5 and rep to last 4 then k2tog k2.

At some point the first stitch is going to be one of those surely ...

Oh goodness, what have I begun???

then make a decision about whether you want a hole right near the edge - if it is too close, ie would get caught up in the seam (or IS the seam!) then just don't do it.

OK.

Thanks again.

Think I'll go and get a pen and paper out, like Miaou suggests ...

trust yourself - feel the force.

or alternatively get onto ravelry

Yes, just knit straight to the next bit - so using the example above, when you get to k0, k2 yfwd etc ... do k2, k6 (ie k5 plus the k1 in the pattern), k5, then repeat including the pattern this time - does that make sense?

LOL goat I was just going to ask if Tigerschick was a raveler

If you were on ravelry you could ask all the other people who have knitted that cardigan, and seen pictures of them!

!

The designer is on ravelry, you could email her and ask

Actually, this is her website

and if you go on ravelry you get to see miaou's rather witty avator (sp?)

goat

Just get on ravelry. OK?