Susan, the pattern, is troublesome!
This should have been my first clue.
But my Granddaughter loves this dress! I started with the back left panel and all went well through the CO, ribbing, shaping, armhole decreases and shoulder and neck bind offs, until —
Four stitches on the needle, but three rows to go including directions to BO 6 stitches! Of course I immediately assumed that I had made a mistake or two even though I took copious notes and thought I was meticulous in the execution of the directions.
I checked the Internet for errata – nada! I even made sure I had the most recent version of the pattern – check! Then I started doing the math.
At the last point that the necessary number of stitches is mentioned (36), I was right on target. I think.
Then came the decreases. Here’s the line by line math:
With 36 sts on needles at correct armhole length:
“At the armhole edge, bind off 3(4-4-5-5) sts twice, bind off 3(4-4-4-4) sts once, then bind off 3(3,4,4,4) sts twice. AT THE SAME TIME, at neck edge bind off 10 sts once, bind off 6 sts once, bind off 2 sts once, then work even at neck edge until shoulder bind offs are complete. Fasten off.” (4-4-4-3-3=18 knit row stitches bound off; 10-6-2=18 purl row stitches bound off). Total number of stitches to bind off equals 36 – same number I’m supposed to have when the decreases start, so should work out. But it didn’t.
Oh, oh, I feel a frog coming on!! Yikes!! And I thought it was the pattern — it’s me!
My knitting is troublesome!”
Twisted Stitcher 