Bumble Bees Sweater

[pug]

I was thrilled when I found this website! :cheering:

This is one of the free patterns on the website.

I was taught how to knit when I was a child. I have just knitted little things never a garment. I am trying to knit the Bumble Bee Sweater pattern by Amy Finlay and have a few questions.

I am on the back of the sweater and have gotten to the shape armholes. I understand the BO and get to the remaining 41 stitches. However the pattern ends with a knit row before starting the butterfly stitch. Is this correct? :thinking:

Then on the butterfly stitch it say: (You will have to add or decrease some knit (or purl) stitches from the beginning and end of the knit (or purl) rows, in order for the butterflies to be centered where you want them to be in the garment.) I am not sure how to increase at the beginning of the row. Row 1 is K5, *K2tog,yo,K1,yo,SKP,K5*. Do I increase in the first three stitches of the K5? :??

Help is greatly appreciated

[Jackie F.]

I am on the back of the sweater and have gotten to the shape armholes. I understand the BO and get to the remaining 41 stitches. However the pattern ends with a knit row before starting the butterfly stitch. Is this correct? :thinking:

I've knitted this sweater before and love it! You have the same questions I did when I knit it. You must begin the Butterfly Stitch on a knit/RS row. Therefore do a purl row before you start the Butterfly Stitch pattern.

Then on the butterfly stitch it says: (You will have to add or decrease some knit (or purl) stitches from the beginning and end of the knit (or purl) rows, in order for the butterflies to be centered where you want them to be in the garment.) I am not sure how to increase at the beginning of the row. Row 1 is K5, *K2tog,yo,K1,yo,SKP,K5*. Do I increase in the first three stitches of the K5? :??

The wording is confusing, I know! :wall: Here's a quote from the pattern: "Begin Butterfly stitch; adjust by Knitting or Purling 3 (1) extra stitch(es) at the beginning and end of each row, to center this pattern in the garment." What she meant by increasing/decreasing sts didn't really mean performing increases/decreases, per se. She's trying to say that you must center the pattern stitches no matter what happens to the stitches on the outsides of the pattern. If you did Row 1 of the Butterfly Stitch pattern as is, you'd end up with 2 leftover stitches and wonder what to do with them.

So, how do you center Row 1? Since it takes 10 sts to do a butterfly and you need 5 sts at the beg of Row 1, you'll have to: 1)subtract 5 from your stitch count; and 2) divide 10 into your answer. Round down and note your remainder sts. For example: on a Size 2 with 41 sts, 41 minus 5 = 36. 36 divided by 10 = 3 remainder 6. So, 3 butterflies will fit on Row 1. You've got 6 sts left over. So, divided evenly, put 3 knit sts at the beg of the row, and 3 knit sts at the end of the row. The pattern would now read:

Row 1 and 3: K8, *K2tog, yo, K1, yo, SKP, K5*, K3. We changed the number of knit sts at the beg and end of the row.

Row 2 and 4: P3, *P7, sl 1 P-wise, P2* P8. Again, put 3 extra purl sts at the beg and end of the row.

Row 7 and 9: K3, *K2tog, yo, K1, yo, SKP, K5*, K2tog, yo, K1, yo, SKP, K3.

Row 8 and 10: P3, *P2, sl 1 P-wise, P7*, P2, sl 1 P-wise, P5.

You're still knitting with 41 sts. Changing the number of sts at the beg/end of the row just compensates for the fact that you have more sts than the actual butterfly pattern. Now Amy's line, "adjust by Knitting or Purling 3 (1) extra stitch(es) at the beginning and end of each row" makes a little more sense I hope!

I hope this helps and does not confuse! :lol:

[pug]

Thanks Jackie

That makes sense. I will give it a try!