1) The stitch K1B directions state, "Insert right needle from front to back into the stitch one row below the next stitch on left needle. Knit the stitch then slip the top stitch off the left needle without working it." Does this mean to push the stitch off the needle … (but do not slip it onto the right needle)?

When you knit into the stitch below, you will have worked through two loops (the loop on your needle and the loop below that loop). Just slide the loop sitting on the needle off the needle just like you would have you worked directly into it. This technique is used for stitch patterns such as the brioche or shaker's rib. XRX Publications which puts out Knitters magazine has just published a new book called something like Knit One Below which apparently uses this technique to create some interesting patterns.

2) I’m having trouble with instructions that mix the symbols * * and [ ] in the same line. You may want to take a marker to highlight these changes. If you weren't Math Averse, treat it as parsing out a math problem. Both the asterisks ** and brackets [] are symbols used for repeating instructions. In this situation where they are having you do repeats within repeats, work from the inside out -- in other words, figure out the biggest section of the repeats (in this case asterisks **) then find the repeats within (in this case brackets []) and work the inside sections first and then what's between the asterisks.

Row 6: K1, K1B, P1, K1B, K7 *K1B [ P1, K1B ] 4 TIMES; K7; REPEAT FROM * TO LAST 4 STS. K1B, P1, K1B,K1

My question is about the instructions between the two *'s. *K1B [ P1, K1B ] 4 TIMES; K7; REPEAT FROM *

This represents a 16 stitch repeat that works like this -- K1B, P1/K1B, P1/K1B, P1/K1B, P1/K1B, K7 =16 stitches.

3) The end of row 6 says … *To last 4 stitches. K1B, P1, K1B, K1. Is this a misprint? Should it read “to last 6 sts”? K1B requires 2 stitches.

K1B DOES NOT require 2 stitches in the sense of 2 loops sitting on your needle. It uses just one loop sitting on your needle and the loop immediately below it so these instructions are correct.


4) Row 7: [ K1, P1 ] twice, K7,* P1,[ K1, P1] 4 times, K7; rep from * to last 4 sts. [P1, K1] twice.
Regarding the instructions between the * * --


The instructions between the asterisks are telling you to P1, K1/P1, K1/P1, K1/P1, K1/P1, K7 = 16 stitches.

In reading your questions, it appears that you want to "pair" that first stitch with the first stitch within the bracket. It might help you to think about working that first stitch before the brackets, working the bracketed stitches as a group, and then working the stitches after the bracket.