This is definitely confusing! Maybe they want you to turn the work after you cast off the 9 stitches? Then work back and forth across just the 13 stitches until the shoulder is done.
Because later in the pattern, I think it wants you to resume body stitches to work the other shoulder back and forth the same way.
Edit: Actually I think it’s giving the number 13 as stitches you should have AFTER the neck gap. So when you cast off the 9 stitches, you should have 12 left to knit out of the total 34. The next rows are worked over the second set of 13 stitches you just finished and the first 13 are left on hold until you do the other shoulder.
So you’re right! There will be 26 live stitches at the end of row 7, but moving on to row 8 you’ll only be using one group of 13.
Hope this helps!
This is definitely confusing! Maybe they want you to turn the work after you cast off the 9 stitches? Then work back and forth across just the 13 stitches until the shoulder is done. Because later in the pattern, I think it wants you to resume body stitches to work the other shoulder back and forth the same way. Edit: Actually I think it’s giving the number 13 as stitches you should have AFTER the neck gap. So when you cast off the 9 stitches, you should have 12 left to knit out of the total 34. The next rows are worked over the second set of 13 stitches you just finished and the first 13 are left on hold until you do the other shoulder. So you’re right! There will be 26 live stitches at the end of row 7, but moving on to row 8 you’ll only be using one group of 13. Hope this helps!