Increasing in a round

[KimS]

I am working on a sweater and do not understand the instructions. I have placed 20 markers as indicated and have 80 stitches in my round to start.

Next instruction: work in the round with dc AT THE SAME TIME inc 1dc at all markers as follows: Inc every other round 6 times and every 4th round 2 times.  Ending with 240 stitches. 

There is also an increase tip: Inc 1 st by working 2 dc in 1dc, first on one side of all markers on round, next time on the other side of all markers on round, continue inc like this. 

Thank you for your help!

Kim

[Granny Square]

Welcome to the 'ville!

Last question first:  I am guessing you are working in the round (in a spiral) without turning.  Starting with the increase tip -- I think they are telling you to alternate the side of the marker to work the increase to keep the increases appearing to be in a straight(er) line.  When you work in a spiral, the stitches don't want to appear to line up one over the other like knitting stitches, they drift to the right.  I attached an experimental swatch  I did a while back to 'test' a technique given in a pattern for a colorwork hat, done in the round in a spiral, that said stitching into the back loop would keep the stitches lined up, instead of drifting (see below).  I'm not recommending you work in the back loop, just look at the bottom half with the drifting grey stripe - that would be your increase line if you stacked the increases on top of each other, like these grey stitches are.  

Back to the first question,  "AT THE SAME TIME inc 1dc at all markers as follows: Inc every other round 6 times and every 4th round 2 times.  Ending with 240 stitches.  "  I don't blame you, this is confusing.  I can see multiple ways to look at it:

1) It said something else before 'at the same time', example "continue with armhole shaping, and at at the same time" one of the next possibilities:

2) "Inc every other round 6 times THEN every FOLLOWING 4th round 2 times."  So that would give you a steep increase over the first 12 rounds, then a more gradual increase for the next 8 rounds--so covering 20 rounds.  This is most probably what was meant - see below

3) it could mean to double up the increases.  Every other round is every 2nd round.  So if the round before increasing is row 1, rounds 2, 6, 10 would be regular increases, and round 4, 8, and 12 would be doubled-up increases.  This does not work with the math - see below

Math:  Starting with 80 and ending with 240 means you are adding 160. 

Method 2 would have 6 rounds times 20 increases=120 plus 2 rows x 20 increases=40, 120+40= 160 so this works. 

Method 3 has 3 rounds x 20=60, plus 3 rounds x 40 =120, 60 + 120= 180 which won't work.

 

Edited September 28, 2019 by Granny Square