Please help! My first pattern I'm confused

[aysmith]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to knitting and trying to do a baby cardigan, was all going very well but now I'm confused please could you translate this pattern for me (I'm knitting the 3rd size) I've done the begining bit and put a ** at the point I'm at now and confused with

Shape Neck

1st Row - K1, S1, K1, PSSO, Knit to last 2st, k2tog. 14 (16,19,20,21,23) sts

2nd Row - purl

3rd - knit

4th - purl

1st to 4th rows set raglan and neck shaping

** (confused by all the following)

Work 8 (4,0,8,12,16) rows dec 1 st as before at raglan edge in next and every foll 4th row AT SAME TIME dec 1st at neck edge in next and every foll 4th row. 10 (14,19,16,15,15) sts.
Work 12 (18,16,12,10,20) rows dec 1st as before at raglan edge in next and every foll alt row AT SAME TIME dec 1st at neck edge in 1st (1st,1st,1st,1st,3rd) and every foll 6th (6th,4th,4th,4th,6th) row. 2 (2,7,7,7,2) st

For 3rd, 4th and 5th size only

Work 8 rows dec 1st as before at raglan edge in next and every foll alt row AT SAME TIME dec 1st at neck edge in 3rd row. 2st, k2tog fasten off.

Please help xxx

[salmonmac]

OK, for patterns like this I usually write out the rows and check them off as I go along. Ignore the first set of directions because it says to work 0 rows for your size. Go to the next set and call the next row, row 1:
row 1 raglan dec-----neck dec
row 2 and all even rows, purl
row 3 raglan dec
row 5 raglan dec-----neck dec
row 7 raglan dec
row 9 raglan dec-----neck dec
row 11 raglan dec
row 13 raglan dec-----neck dec
row 15 raglan dec
(that's the first 16 rows, 7sts left)
row 17 raglan dec
row 19 raglan dec-----neck dec
row 21 raglan dec
row 23 raglan dec
row 24 purl
(that's the next 8 rows, 2 sts left)
Have fun finishing up this cardi!

[aysmith]

Thank you sooo very much!!!! Hopefully be able to get this done before my little girl get here xxxx

[fatoldladyinpjs]

It looks like it's a multisize pattern. Print it out, read through the pattern, and circle the directions for the size you need. This will avoid confusion. You can also cross off the row number as you complete each line.