What does this line mean?

[pandaca]

I'm working on Flat Ted from Zoe Mellor's Knitted Toys book. It's the pink and white bear pictured on the cover. The pattern says:

110th row: P23, cast/bind off 1st, P23
111th row: On 23sts, k21, k2tog
112th row: P2tog, P20

On row 110, was I supposed to P23 then go back and bind them off and then P the last 23 stitches? I thought it meant to BO 1 and then continue to P the next 23, so that's what I did, but it doesn't make sense with the next line. I'm seriously confused here.

This is the teddy bear's face, if that helps.

Thanks in advance!

[suzeeq]

No, you did right; you BO 1 st right in the middle. The next row you would be working on 23 sts only - k21, k2tog. My guess is you'll just be working the 2 sides of the face separately. Later on, you'll probably go back and work on the other half.

[pandaca]

Even though it doesn't say to put the other 23 sts on a stitch holder? I already have 10 sts on a stitch holder - 5 on either side of this center strip - that I assumed would be the side of the face. And the pattern told me to put them on a stitch holder.

[suzeeq]

Read ahead and see what you do with the other 23 sts.

[Ingrid]

It could be that you can leave them on the needle. If it gets inconvenient, then you can put them on a holder.