How To Interpret These Instructions For A Sweater

by A Knitter
(Somewhere)

Question

NEXT ROW: (RS) K4 (3:3:2:1), M1, (K2,M1) 26 (30:34:40:46) times,K5(4:4:3:2) 88 (90:110:126:142)stitches.

I understand Right Side
K 3 for my size the first in the brackets
M1 that is increase or make 1 stitch BUT for my size usually the first listed inside a bracket thus should I M1?
then do I K2 (knit 2) 30 times if so that is a lot more than 90 stitches total at end of row.
Last instruction for my size is K4 that is knit 4.

PLEASE HELP.
Frustrated knitter or as my hubby says I am a "MEAN KNITTER" similar he says to a mean drunk!!!

Answer

Hi,

You are really good at reading the pattern! It is very frustrated looking at these instructions. After going back and forth trying to figure out how in the world I am going to get 90 sts out of these instructions, I got a solution. I counted the end sts of all the sizes given. And I found that every stitches listed at the end of this row are correct except your size.
Another odd thing I found is that the 1st size has 88 sts and your has only 90 sts. This makes only 2 sts differences comparing to 16 sts of the two larger size.

So my conclusion is the pattern has typo.
You should end up with 98 sts at the end of this row.
You can work on this row as follow;
Knit 3, Make 1, then do (k2, M1) 30 times, k4. (98 sts)
Then proceed to the following row and see if the sts are matched with the pattern.

I'm quite positive that what happens. If possible you can try contacting a designer and show her the typo.

Thank you for sending in your question. Have a wonderful day and wish you the best!

Ratcha