I need help with understanding how to do the shoulders

[soul60s]

This is the pattern I am doing.

http://www.coatsandclark.com/Crafts/...ngtime+Tee.htm

I have completed the lace and am up to the neck and shoulders but I am doing something wrong. I am just not understanding this part:

Shape Neck: K12 (13, 13, 14, 15) sts, join 2nd ball of yarn and bind off center 25 sts, K to end. Work both sides at once with separate balls of yarn, and dec 1 st at each neck edge every row once – 11 (12, 12, 13, 14) sts each side. Work even, if necessary, until 21 (21 1/2, 22, 22 1/2, 22 3/4)" from beg, end P row.

Shape Shoulders: Work both sides at once with separate balls of yarn and bind off 4 (4, 4, 4, 5) sts at beg of next 4 rows, then 3 (4, 4, 5, 4) sts at beg of next 2 rows.


When I got to the correct length I had 15 stitches on each side. The first instruction in red, I interpeted as decreasing to 14 st. That was only one decrease each side. That seemed odd. In the second instruction in red, I am so lost. How do I decrease with only 14 stitches on each side left? It brings the neck way to high up.

Someone please help. Please use the link to the shirt to get a better understanding of what I am trying to say. I am so desperate.

Thanks in advance.

[suzeeq]

You may have bound off incorrectly. Knit 14, then knit 2 more and pass the first of these over the second. There should have been 14 sts on the right needle on the other side of the bound off one, then BO until there's 13 sts on the left needle - the last one from the BO will be the 14th one. If you don't want to go back, just bind off the extra one at the shoulder.

[soul60s]

I am still totally lost. I had 14 on each side. I don't understand. Why would I be binding off with short shoulders? I am very simple minded when it comes to this. I haven't knitted for 30 years and only did scarves then. Can you explain that to me in easier terms? Sorry.

Did you have a chance to look at the link? That might help explain what I am trying to say in my ever-so-gracious way.

[suzeeq]

You copied the pattern correctly. I think I didn't understand your question.

This is the part you're confused about....
Shape Shoulders: Work both sides at once with separate balls of yarn and bind off 4 (4, 4, 4, 5) sts at beg of next 4 rows, then 3 (4, 4, 5, 4) sts at beg of next 2 rows.

Yes at this point you should have 14 sts for each shoulder. Then you BO on the armhole side, not the neck side, to shape the shoulders.

[soul60s]

You copied the pattern correctly. I think I didn't understand your question.

This is the part you're confused about....
Shape Shoulders: Work both sides at once with separate balls of yarn and bind off 4 (4, 4, 4, 5) sts at beg of next 4 rows, then 3 (4, 4, 5, 4) sts at beg of next 2 rows.

Yes at this point you should have 14 sts for each shoulder. Then you BO on the armhole side, not the neck side, to shape the shoulders.

Thank you so much for responding.
The shoulder part is only about 2 inches long. When I put the shirt up to me, shoulder seam where it should be, the unfinished neckline is at my throat. If I BO 5 st on the armhole side for each armhole (total 10 st) then I only have 9 left per side. I am supposed to do this for 4 rows. That would be 20 st total and I only started with 14. Not to mention 4 st at the beg of the next 2 rows, twice. It doesn't equal up. I don't have enough stitches.

[suzeeq]

It's presuming you're going to do both shoulders at the same time; what they're calling a row is all the way across the sweater, over the BO gap. So BO 5 at the shoulder edge, knit to the neck, drop that yarn, pick up the other yarn and knit across to the other shoulder. Turn, BO 5 sts on the WS, work to the neck, drop the yarn, pick up the other and finish the row. Turn, BO 5 more, knit to the neck, etc. Then you should have 4 sts on each side and bind them off.

[soul60s]

It's presuming you're going to do both shoulders at the same time; what they're calling a row is all the way across the sweater, over the BO gap. So BO 5 at the shoulder edge, knit to the neck, drop that yarn, pick up the other yarn and knit across to the other shoulder. Turn, BO 5 sts on the WS, work to the neck, drop the yarn, pick up the other and finish the row. Turn, BO 5 more, knit to the neck, etc. Then you should have 4 sts on each side and bind them off.

OMG I had no clue they meant all the way across. That makes more sense. Thank you. As soon as I get home from work, I am going to try it. Thank you so much!

[suzeeq]

The clue is in the words `Work both sides at once with separate balls of yarn'. That tells you to work all the way across as if there were no gap. When a pattern reads `work each shoulder separately' then you just do one side at a time.