Questions on intermediate prayer shawl

[IsaacsLaughing]

I'm working on a free pattern from Knitting Daily for a prayer shawl with unusual shaping (Comfort Shawl, "3 free prayer shawls" ~Knitting Daily, Feb. 10 2012). The back is a solid piece instead of having the yarnover spine common in triangular shawls.

Where I'm hitting a block is in the setup section. First, my row count doesn't match the pattern. With 52 pattern rows plus the starting row, I'm not on the wrong side of the work. It also gave me only 25 selvedge stitches to pick up instead of 26. I've counted the rows and the edge several times and come up with the same count.

[suzeeq]

Can you type out just a couple rows where you are so we can take a look and figure it out with you?

[IsaacsLaughing]

Set-up row: (RS) K2, p1, k1, p1, k2. Work 52 rows as foll: Sl 1 pwise wyf, [k1, p1] 2 times, k2. Next row: (WS) With same side of work facing you, rotate piece so selvedge at end of row just completed is uppermost. Bring yarn to front. Skipping the first slipping selvedge st closest to the needle, *wyf, insert right needle from back to front under both legs of next slipped selvedge st, wrap yarn around needle as if to purl and draw up a purl st onto right needle; rep from * 25 more times - 26 sts picked up and purled from selvedge of piece; 33 sts total.

[suzeeq]

Okay, with the set up row you would have 53 rows, so it should be easy to pick up 26 sts in the end sts of those rows, you pick up in every stitch since the slipped st spans 2 row. Half of 52 is 26, so maybe you only worked 50 rows instead of 52...?

[IsaacsLaughing]

It should be, yeah. But I actually have 54 rows on, attempting to correct for being on the right side instead of the wrong side. And I still have only 25 selvedge stitches. I can't see any mistakes that would've lost a stitch, either.

[suzeeq]

Then just fudge the extra stitch, maybe in the corner, and pick up in the cast on sts. You just need to have 33 sts to begin the pattern rows.