Help I need help with a pattern

[Christine H]

I'm knitting a v necked jumper for myself which is my first jumper. the instructions for the neckband are: with right side facing pick up and K46sts evenly down left side of front neck and 46sts evenly up right side of front neck, work across stitches from back neck inc 2 - 128sts. 1st row: (P2, K2) 20 times, P2tog, place a marker into loop before next st to mark centre front, P2tog tbs, (K2, P2) 11 times. My problem is that the instructions do not complete the first row and this is the row which sets the rib. My reasoning is that the neck back stitches are 36 in number and P2, K2 20 times will only come mid-way down the front neck. Please can somebody tell me what I'm doing wrong.

[suzeeq]

The first sts you pick up and work from are along the side of the neck, not the back. The k2p2 20 times is followed by p2tog twice, so that uses 44 sts, and then you would k2 to finish the front neck's 46 sts.

[Christine H]

The first sts you pick up and work from are along the side of the neck, not the back. The k2p2 20 times is followed by p2tog twice, so that uses 44 sts, and then you would k2 to finish the front neck's 46 sts.

Thanks for your speedy reply. I did think the pattern must refer to the neck edge but when I initially pick up and knit the prescribed number of stitches I finish with the stitches at the back which total 128 stitches. From your answer it seems I must start purling and knitting as soon as I pick the stitches up and not just knit them until I get the complete row of 128 stitches and then start the knitting and purling rib. I followed the pattern literally when it said pick up and knit and didn't think it meant start the rib straightaway. So in other words, the first row is literally the first stitches I pick up.

Thanks again.

[suzeeq]

So in other words, the first row is literally the first stitches I pick up.

That's correct, you do just pick up the sts knitwise, then start the rib on the next row.

According to the instructions - "with right side facing pick up and K46sts evenly down left side of front neck and 46sts evenly up right side of front neck, work across stitches from back neck inc 2 - 128sts." - it seems to me that you start picking up from the left front neck, then the R front neck and end with the back sts. So if you started picking up with the back sts you won't be in the right place to begin the next row at the left front. I think you can just k2 p2 across the back sts, then begin the instructions for R 1 "1st row: (P2, K2) 20 times, P2tog, place a marker into loop before next st to mark centre front, etc" and work your way around the neckline.

[Christine H]

That's correct, you do just pick up the sts knitwise, then start the rib on the next row.

According to the instructions - "with right side facing pick up and K46sts evenly down left side of front neck and 46sts evenly up right side of front neck, work across stitches from back neck inc 2 - 128sts." - it seems to me that you start picking up from the left front neck, then the R front neck and end with the back sts. So if you started picking up with the back sts you won't be in the right place to begin the next row at the left front. I think you can just k2 p2 across the back sts, then begin the instructions for R 1 "1st row: (P2, K2) 20 times, P2tog, place a marker into loop before next st to mark centre front, etc" and work your way around the neckline.

Thanks yet again for your speedy reply. It's exactly the same conclusion I came to but I think it's rather confusing for the pattern not to include the back neck stitches where the first row will start from. Unfortunately this has been my third attempt and the neckline is looking very tatty. I find it very hard to pick up the stitches as there never seems enough room to pick up the required amount. This is probably due to my cast off stitches being rather tighter than those demonstrated on the site video as I cast off using the same sized needles and wished I'd done this on bigger needles. I'm feeling thoroughly disheartened at the moment as to undo it all yet again will make the work even tattier as the edges where I pick the stitches up is getting stretched and I seem to have lost a stitch on the back neck stitches during the unravelling and can't see where. I really don't know if there's anything else you can suggest, but thanks for your help anyway.

[suzeeq]

The first row is supposed to start from the left front though, not the back sts.
"with right side facing pick up and K46sts evenly down left side of front neck and 46sts evenly up right side of front neck, work across stitches from back neck inc 2 - 128sts"