Follow pattern after turning work

by Kerryn
(Ebden, Victoria Australia)

Hello,
I am knitting a baby sleeping bag and am up to the “shape left front” part of the pattern (photo of pattern attached). I’m not sure once I pattern the first 50 sts and place the remaining stitches on a spare needle how to follow the pattern. As the pattern is 92 stitches for the whole row, how do I follow the pattern if I’m only knitting 50 sts each row when shaping?

Do I only know 50 sts of a row then turn and start the next row?

Thank you
Kerryn

Comments for Follow pattern after turning work

Average Rating

Click here to add your own comments

Sep 25, 2025
Rating

follow pattern after tunrning work
by: Ratchadawan

Great question, Kerryn! this part of a pattern can definitely be confusing the first time you hit it. Let me walk you through what’s going on.

What "shape left front" means

Your baby sleeping bag is knitted flat across the full body (all 92 stitches) until now. At this point, you’re splitting the work into sections (left front, right front, back, etc.) so you can shape each piece separately.

"Pattern first 50 sts" --> You’ll continue working whatever stitch pattern (rib, stockinette, cables, etc.) applies, but only over those 50 stitches.

"Place remaining sts on spare needle" --> You’re setting the other stitches aside; they’re resting until you come back to them later (to knit the right front or back).

How to work the rows now
Yes, once you’ve set aside the other stitches, your "row" for the left front is just 50 stitches wide, not 92 anymore.
You knit/pattern across those 50 stitches.
Then you turn your work, and work back across those same 50 stitches.

From here on, all your shaping instructions (increases, decreases, armhole shaping, neckline shaping, etc.) apply only within this 50-stitch "mini-fabric."
So you’re basically treating it as its own smaller project — you’re not missing anything, and you don’t try to "keep counting" over the 92 stitches anymore.

How to keep the stitch pattern lined up
The only tricky bit is making sure your stitch pattern (if it’s lace, rib, cables, etc.) still flows correctly when you’re only working part of the fabric. Usually the pattern is written so that the first 50 stitches begin neatly at an edge. If not, you may need to adjust slightly (for example, if you’re in the middle of a repeat, just continue the sequence across the 50 stitches).

In summary:
Yes, you now only knit those 50 stitches back and forth, turning at the end of each row. The other stitches are "sleeping" on a spare needle until you’re ready for them later.

Happy Knitting!
Ratcha

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own comment! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Knitting Questions And Comments.

Share this page:

What’s this?

Facebook X Pinterest Tumblr Reddit WhatsApp Messenger

Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

Click on the HTML link code below.
Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.