I need help with an intermediate knitting pattern (decreasing)!!?

Question

i am trying to make a purse..the instruction says:

"Cast on 74 sts. Purl 1 row.

Next Row(1): K 1, place marker, work in Cable Pattern across 72 sts, place marker, k 1.

(this part i don't get)

Work in pattern as established and, AT THE SAME TIME, dec 1 st each end of center section every 8th row 7 times – 60 sts.

thanks!

Answer 1

Without knowing the pattern, I'm guessing that there's a cable pattern going through the center.  What that instruction means is that every 8th row you should decrease one stitch when you come to the middle of that center cable pattern, at each end of it.  You do that seven times.

Answer 2

while your working the cable pattern across the 72 stitches, you decrease 1 stitch on each end of the 72 stitches every 8th row 7 times until you have 60 stitches left.

Answer 3

You probably have 74 stitches on your needles.  Those k1 stitches are the edge stitches of your pattern for seaming later on.  On the 8th row you will k1, ssk, work to the last 3 stitches on the needle, k2tog, k1, work 7 more rows (get a piece of paper and mark off each row as you work) and then repeat the decrease row, work 7 more stitches, etc.  until  you have 60 stitches remaining, total.  Why use the two different decreases?  They will blend in to the work with left and right leaning slants and be less visually distracting.

Answer 4

This sounds like you are knitting on Double Point needles and the 2nd needle on every 8th row you would K2TOG on the first and last stich on it. Is this for something like a Santa hat or something similar?

Answer 5

Reads to me as if the "pattern as established" is your 72 sts of cable pattern which is also the "center section."  (The cable pattern is listed somewhere else, I hope?)  There are various ways to dec at each end depending on how you want the slant of the dec to look.  (see any number of online instructions, knitting books at library, etc.)  On the 8th row, I would k1, sl the marker, make 1 dec, work through the pattern, make 1 dec, sl the marker, k1.  Hope this helps.