Verified answer

You will knit that increase row twice to get to 26 stitches, the count is right, once in row 4 and again in row 6 (the alt row). You will knit a reverse side row (this, given the row where you pick up the top of the stitches below, will make a ridge that will be the fold in that row 5 you're having a problem with), then go to the next section of pattern that you quote, working 4 rows of stockinette stitch.

You then are knitting a row where you work one stitch together with the top of the same stitch 4 rows below it, lifting the crown of the stitch in the row below (count down two ridges on the back) from the back. This appears that the instructions are for you to make a fold or hem in the piece from what you've written. This is often used to pick up the cast on stitches for a picot or other hem where the fabric is folded to be twice as thick.

While you've chosen a pattern that may have some technical challenges for you, it is doable and you'll gain some valuable experience in technique here, so hang in.

Oh, my - well, something isn't working here. Let's see what I can come up with and then maybe others can add in and we can sort it out. I'm skipping Rows 1, 2 and 3 since they gave you no trouble and renumbering all rows from here. I don't know how many sts. you started with but at the end of Row 3 I'm assuming you have 22 stitches. I'm also going to assume that the "m1" this pattern uses is kfb or knit front and back.

Row 4: k1,m1,k7,m1,k2 (since I'm skipping brackets),m1,k7,m1,k1. That would give you 26 stitches so the next part doesn't add up. Once I get this down, I'll knit it up as an extra check but you're right. There's a problem. I think the designer may have tried a shortcut that's confusing. I think she may have meant the following:

Row 5: purl across

Row 6: k1,m1,k9,m1,k2,m1,k9,m1,k1 (but this would then give you 30 sts. Your increases would line up this way but I'm not sure how this would fit on the baby's foot.)

Row 7: knit

"Proceed as follows:" (so I'm going with their numbering from here)

Row 1: knit

Row 2: purl

Row 3: knit

Row 4: purl

Row 5: (Ah, now here's the main befuddlement. I think this may be intended to form a "pleat" effect. Remember that seemingly mismatched row 7 where you knit when it looked like it should have been a purl? Well I think this entails working with that row as well as this current row.) If you've ever done a three needle bindoff it would be somewhat comparable to that. Boy, I hope you're working with wool and not cotton or acrylic or you're going to have some sore fingers. You'll need to pick up stitches from the back of that errant row and knit them with the ones on your needle. I'm going to go play around with that and see if I can find an easier way to do it without struggling not to drop stitches. Will be back in a few and then will write out that last row.

. . . .

Oh, wow, does that make a cute ridge! It's much easier to do if you pick up the stitches from the back of that row and hold them to the back as if in a 3-needle bindoff - or you could just run a string through it as you originally knit it but my clumsy fingers would have a problem not dropping it otherwise.

BUT that last row, while okay in itself, brings you back to the original problem - those first few rows.

Here's the last row written out:

Row 6: k2, m1, k2,m1 k2,m1, k4,m1, k4,m1, k2,m1, k2,m1, k1 . . . but then you have the four stitches extra that I mentioned way back at the beginning.

I think that you need to wind up with the 26 stitches (instead of 30) and in order to do that you'd have to skip those rows I mentioned in my beginning section as 5 and 6. But I can't tell from the directions whether you should purl that row 5 and just plain knit across row 6 or whether you should skip them altogether.

Good luck. And let us know how you do.

The instructions between parentheses are a patter that is to be repeated aa many times as indicated in next word/instruction.

I am havng difficulty understanding row 5 - the part where you are to do same to rows below from back. Please recheck written instructions.

The astericks are indication of stitches/pattern that is to be repeated.

6th row: knit two, increase in next stitch (make an additinal stitch by knittig in front and in back of that stitch.

You may get some help with understanding the abbreviations at :

http://knitting.about.com/od/learntoknit/l/bl_abbr...

patt ;- means that you will continue to work in the same stitch/pattern that has been established for the rest of the item for the stitches required. shape armhole:- you are decreasing 1st at both ends of this row (in the first and last 3sts) and on the stitches in the middle you will work the established pattern. ROW 2 - just work in established pattern for the entire row (with no decreases) NECK - you are working on the first 27sts only using the stablished pattern and the rest will be put on hold til you are working the other side of the neck. Row 1 neck - bind off 2sts and then work in established pattern to end If you still find this confusing then email me and maybe I can decode instructions for you to make it easier

how many stitches did you cast on?

4th row: knit one stitch, make one stitch, knit 7 stitches, make one stitch, knit one stitch, knit one stitch, make one stitch, knit 7 stitches, make one stitch, knit one stitch. work one row purl and one row knit increase 4 stitches on every other row. you should end up with 26 stitches.

next row: you knit every stitch

row1: knit every stitch

row 2: purl every stitch

row 3: knit every stitch

row 4: purl every stitch

row 5: im sorry but i even dont get what row 5 wants you to do.

row 6: knit 2 stitches, increase one stitch, knit 2 stitches increase one stitch, knit 2 stitches, increase one stitch, knit 4 stitches, increase one stitch, knit 4 stitches, increase one stitch, knit 2 stitches, increase one stitch, knit 2 stitches increase one stitch, knit one stitch.