Baby Surprise Jacket KnitAlong: the next few rows

Are you ready for some notes on the next few rows, right up through Line 46, and those lovely rows of 90 even stitches? Elizabeth talks briefly about the decreasing after Row Eleven, up until the increases. I have to admit, I've been having nearly as much fun taking pictures as I go as I have had knitting. Nice thing about knitting pictures: very patient subjects who don't move while the photographer looks for just the right light. Elizabeth's notes are below. Let us know how it is progressing for you. Feel free to leave links to your blog in the comments and do stop by and take a look at the rapidly growing Flickr gallery.

So we got through the toughest row, and the knitting since then has been easy and repetitive.  We are supposed to be doing our double decreases, with the lines marked however you decided, on each odd numbered (right side) row.  How long do we keep that up?  I'm supposed to tell you to look at your pattern :-)  But after about 48 rows, or 24 ridges, or when you have about 90 stitches left, we start something new.

Why do I say "about" ???  Because it's quite rare that the count stays perfect.  Because there are many different opinions out there about whether you were supposed to do the decreases on the row we added 9 for the cuffs.  Because what if you had a three year old named george who decided to wash his socks in the potty right after you'd done the "slip" part of a decrease but before you're done the "knit two together" part and once you thankfully got back to your knitting you forgot that you'd not completed the decrease...

Our next BSJ post, with what to do once we do so many double decreases that we're down to 90 stitches on our needles, will discuss making increases along those same diagonal lines that we've grown to know and love.  This is MUCH easier than the decreases because there's no problem with what to do with the markers.  We need two, they stay in the same spot all the time, and all of a sudden our knitting grows really fast.  Also, our next BSJ post will have the details of our prizes... so if you're knitting but haven't posted or signed up or figured out the Flickr thing, go ahead and try it.  These prizes are worth it.