Pattern malfunction or me misreading?

[ABC's Mom]

I'm working on a Dolce cardigan pattern and am having trouble with the armhole shaping on the back.
I've frogged it once and after very carefully following the directions still come up with something goofy, as in the sides not matching.
The first 2 rows, read RS BO 5, knit 1 more st, work in patt as set to last 7, knit to end. WS, BO 5 sts. p6, k1 PMwork in patt as set to last 8 sts, PM, k1 purl to end. That was fine. It's the next part that messes me up. *Dec 1 st at each edge every RS row 3 times as foll: ssk, knit to 1 st before marker, p1, work in patt as set to marker, p1, knit to last 2 sts, k2tog.* Next row (WS) purl to marker, remove marker, p1,k1,PM, work in patt as set to last 7 sts, PM, k1, purl to end removing original marker. Beg with next row (RS) rep btwn*.
Something is missing here. Are the astericks supposed to include the WS row? If not what are you supposed to do with the WS row?
If I follow it as if the * is in the wrong place and includes the WS row, I wind up with an uneven number of stitches on the edges. One has 9 while the other has 7. ARGHHH!!!

[ABC's Mom]

OOPS the last sentence should read: I wind up with 9 stitches to the marker on one side and 7 on the other.

[suzeeq]

You're only supposed to do the decs on the RS rows, the WS rows are knit in your pattern as described. The first * is outside the actual directions for the RS row and the other is at the end of that row. It's a clunky way to write it, but that's what they mean by "next row (RS) rep btwn*"

The WS rows are simply - purl to marker, remove marker, p1, k1, PM, work in patt as set to last 7 sts, PM, k1, purl to end removing original marker.

[salmonmac]

I think the problem may be in the last line below.

RS BO 5, knit 1 more st, work in patt as set to last 7, knit to end. WS, BO 5 sts. p6, k1 PMwork in patt as set to last 8 sts, PM, k1 purl to end. That was fine. It's the next part that messes me up. *Dec 1 st at each edge every RS row 3 times as foll: ssk, knit to 1 st before marker, p1, work in patt as set to marker, p1, knit to last 2 sts, k2tog.* Next row (WS) purl to marker, remove marker, p1,k1,PM, work in patt as set to last 7 sts, PM, k1, purl to end removing original marker.

It seems to me that you start with 8sts on the ends outside the markers. Then you decrease one st at each end on the RS, leaving you with 7sts outside the markers on each end. On the WS row you purl those 7sts and move the marker over 2sts and work to the last 7sts and are told to PM, but the marker is already there and there's no marker to remove a couple of sts later. It probably should be work to the last 9sts, PM,k1 purl to the end removing the original marker.
The pattern in the main part between the markers may be the reason that you need the markers to begin with and need to keep moving them to keep that pattern going as you decrease at the ends.

[ABC's Mom]

Thanks, I think that will work. I was a bit confused as to why they had me move the marker at one end and not the other. I'll frog again and try it out. If it works I'll change it to 9 sts instead of 7. Hope I don't have the same problem on the fronts.

[salmonmac]

Take good notes on what you do with the back because in many cases the front shaping is the same.

[ABC's Mom]

Thanks, that did work and I changed the numbers and the way the pattern was written. Now I just hope I don't run into any other major snags. I've not been knitting that long so it takes me longer to figure these things out!!

[Jan in CA]

Thanks, that did work and I changed the numbers and the way the pattern was written. Now I just hope I don't run into any other major snags. I've not been knitting that long so it takes me longer to figure these things out!!

We've all been beginners at one time so we understand. You're doing great!