Have NO IDEA What This Pattern Means...

[LeeC]

I'm working on a teddy bear and have no idea what this part of the pattern means:

cont in garter st and inc 1 st at each end of next row and 6 foll 6th rows. 36 sts

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Crycket]

It means, continue knitting each row....

Inc on both ends of row, and on every 6th row following until you have 36 stitches.

So

Row 1 - Inc
Row 2 - K
Row 3 - K
Row 4 - K
Row 5 - K
Row 6 - K
Row 7 - Inc

Repeat until you have 36 sts. Without knowing what the instructions are before, or how many stitchs you currently have, that is the best I can do.

What pattern are you using?

[hyperactive]

I agree with what crycket said. Totally.

Now comes my question, though:

....
and 6 foll 6th rows.

I assume the minimum of stitches is 1 to begin with (I should be right about this).

Now I increase on each end of each row, so I have 1 new + 1 + 1new = 3 stitches. This is row 1 of the increases.

then in row 7 I do this again:

row 7: 1 new + 3 + 1 new = 5

if I continue like this, it will be

row 13: 1+5+1=7
row 19: 1+7+1=9
row 25: 1+9+1=11
row 31: 1+11+1=13
row 36: 1+13+1=15
row 42: 1+15+1=17


In my eyes this instuction should say: Increase in that row 1, then do that 6 more times, doing it every 6 rows. so in row 7, 13, 19, 25, 31, 36 and 42.

As you see my math above: you must have had more stitches that just one (oh, who would have thought that :D)

So my math is:

before you start your first increase row, you have 22 stitches. Then you add 7 times 2 (14 stitches) and end up with 36 stitches.

Are you happy with this last part? Did you count 22 stitches before? If it confuses you: skip the math part and read again

[Irishmam]

Is this the Debbie Bliss Teddy bear pattern?

http://www.allaboutyou.com/craft/ted...ing-pattern/v1

I am trying to clarify the k 2 tog tbl

really beginning to go off Debbie Bliss patterns they always seem so complex and lots and lots of seaming!

Good luck with the pattern I am starting it this evening

[suzeeq]

K2togtbl is a left leaning dec with the sts twisted. If you do ssk or sl k psso instead, it's nicer looking.

[Crycket]

Is this the Debbie Bliss Teddy bear pattern?

http://www.allaboutyou.com/craft/ted...ing-pattern/v1

I am trying to clarify the k 2 tog tbl

really beginning to go off Debbie Bliss patterns they always seem so complex and lots and lots of seaming!

Good luck with the pattern I am starting it this evening

I have the Debbie Bliss toy pattern books, and I haven't even done one out of there...and I am totally turned off the patterns...*smiles*

[Irishmam]

Although I see photos of the finished items, I always wonder whether the patterns have actually ever been tested? I looked on Rav for a free teddy pattern and this is the one I liked best. So far the shaping works ok but I do have to wonder. I did a baby blanket from one of her patterns last year and there were loads of mistakes and not nearly enough info on making up.

Irishmam

Irishmam

[hyperactive]

I have a feeling, sometimes these patterns are written after the fact... someone makes a teddy bear and then rethinks the steps. That MAY work, but I have hit some trouble with that, too.

I just worked a very nice shirt and had to undo several parts for pattern mistakes or unclear instruction. It was from a magazine that was rel. pricey and I expected better results.
The top is very nice, don't get me wrong. Now that I fixed the mistakes.

What do you do, when you find mistakes like this? do you write an email or a letter (if there is no place to leave comments?)?

I will write to this magazine and let them know that I was diappointed. Maybe that will reduce my frustration.

[Crycket]

As someone who knits a LOT of teddy bears, I would say there are much better patterns out there!

I love Alan Dart! http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Crycket/the-bear

And I use this book A LOT - http://www.amazon.com/Knitted-Teddy-.../dp/1400054370

There are others out there that are worth while, but they don't have the shaping that these ones do!

[hyperactive]

talking of other sources of patterns: my favorite bear pattern is from the "Knitted Toy Tales", Laura Long
http://www.lauralong.co.uk/books.htm

I bought this book at easter in the US (Book from the UK), and I just LOVE it. The mice are really quick and nice bring-alongs, the bears are just gorgeous and I have made 2 elephants that are soooo cute - and really quick to knit! You wouldn't believe it.

What made me buy Laura Long? The cute pets and the fact that all the shaping is done by the knitting and very few by sewing, still most stuff knit flat and not a lot of fumbling to do.
I find the patterns great for beginners, even, as long as you are to go a step or two beyond just knit and purl - but the book has instructions on ALL stitches used, pictures, text and everything. And really: kbf, skp and k2tog are probably all she uses at all.

BIG recommendation.

I will check Crycket's books, too!