I’m knitting a cardigan and now need to pick up & knit stitches for the front band.
The pattern says:
Starting at the bottom of right front, pick up and knit 3 sts for every 4 rows of knitting until you come to the neck sts you have on hold. Knit neck sts.
Pick up and knit sts along left front, making sure you pick up the same number as you did along the right front.
You want to have a total stitch count that is divisible by 4+2.”
I know how to pick up stitches. I don’t get the total stitch count.
Is it divisible by 4 PLUS 2 extra stitches. If yes, are the 2 extra stitches = one stitch each on either front side?
The total count of stitches picked up should be a multiple of four stitches, plus two more. All in the same row. The math ensures that the border stitch will fit.
Is the pattern a knit 2 purl 2 rib? If so, that is a multiple of 4, and if you add 2 more stitches, the row will end with 2 knit stitches - making a symmetrically balanced ridge of fabric.
Please feel free to mention the border stitch pattern, if this isn’t making sense.
Also, depending on pattern and how noticeable it is, if you are off by a stitch or two, I would likely increase or decrease in the next row rather than starting over, but that is personal preference.
Let us know how yours goes! Last month, I steeked my Stopover cardigan and it has been in button band vacation since then. It might wait until 2023, who knows how much free time I’ll have this next 6 or 7 weeks.
