Socks, that asterisk does connect to something. You are doing a section of basketweave, then a section of mesh stitch, then a section of sugar cubes and then a section of seed stitch. After you do the seed stitch section the pattern instructs you to repeat from * 3 more times, for a total of 4 sections of all pattern stitches. Does it make sense now? That is a lovely scarf.

The two *s identify the beginning and end of the sections you will repeat across the row. "Rep" means repeat. I will say they could have worded this a little more clearly.

The reason they say to K4 and then work Row 1 of the basketweave is that the 4 stitches you are knitting first make that border along one edge of the scarf. So every row will begin and end with the 4 border stitches.

So in making this scarf, you are building a border around all 4 edges. First, you made the border across the bottom of the scarf with 6 rows in knit. Now as you do the designs, every row will begin and end with the 4 border stitches, and then you will make the very last 6 rows in knit to match the other end of the scarf.

"Next row" is the first row after the 6 knit rows. For the following row, you will do the next row by repeating the 4 stitches of border, doing row 2 of the basketweave, and ending with 4 stitches of border. You do this progression of the basketweave until you have 4 inches of the basketweave, being sure to end with either row 6 or row 12 in the basketweave pattern. So you might have to do a little extra length to get to row 6 or 12.

Hope this helps.

This helps a lot. Thanks, Donna and Sheila. I think I'll tear out and start fresh. I do this every time I start a project--obsess so much over the details that I get stuck! Once I get rolling, I'll be ok.

socks;

I don't know whether or not I should be glad to see someone else does the same as I do. I even heard a saying for it some years ago.
"Paralysis through analysis" - if I remember correctly.

I used to get it before starting housework. Which to do first - dusting, vacuumming or tidying?

A couple of hours later I still wouldn't have decided. And I would be too tired out from all the fussing to actually do anything!

Happy knitting,
Jane2, who has that very same scarf pattern bookmarked.

Oh yeah, seems I have to start a project 3 times before I get it right. It's just me (and you too I guess!). LOL!