Following a pattern

by Vanessa
(Brisbane, Qld, Australia)

I have a pattern that says:

Next row - P2 pattern until last 1 p1
Next row - K2 pattern until last 1 k1

(or something to that effect - I don't have the pattern in front of me).

Where it mentions "pattern" does this effectively mean I should just purl/knit the whole row(s) or keep continuing on the previous pattern before I had to change the instructions?

YOUR ANSWER

Generally when the knitting instructions in a pattern say "pattern until" as in your pattern, what they mean is to continue in the pattern established in earlier rows.

For example, let's suppose your pattern is for a simple cable pattern something like this:

Row 1: P6, K4, *P2, K4, repeat from * to last 6 stitches, P6.
Row 2: K6, P4, *K2, P4, repeat from * to last 6 stitches, K6.
Repeat rows 1 & 2 twice.
Row 7: P6, C4F, *P2, K4, repeat from * to last 6 stitches, P6.
Row 8: As 2nd row.
Rows 1 - 8 form the pattern.

For a pattern like this you would keep repeating them until your work is the length desired.

But when you reach the armhole (or any other type of shaping) instead of writing out the full row stitch by stitch, pattern makers will often just include detailed instructions for the stitches that are different and use the phrase "pattern until" to indicate that for the main part of the row you should just follow the pattern you have been using up until that point.

To illustrate with my fictional pattern instructions, when you got to the armhole you might see something like this:

SHAPE ARMHOLE

Keeping pattern cast off three stitches at the beg. of next 2 rows.
Next and all alt rightside rows: K2, Sl1, K1, PSSO, pattern until last 6 stitches, K2tog, K2.

Next and all alt wrongisde rows: P3, pattern until last 3 stitches, P3.

The long hand version of the first decrease row after the casting off would be:

K2, Sl1, K1, PSSO, *P2, K4, repeat from * to last 6 stitches, P2, K2tog, K2.

To write out the instructions in full the pattern maker would need to list every row for the shaping as the instructions would vary with each decrease row.