Custom loop off by one post

Question

Within my loop I want to display 9 posts that exclude categories X, Y, Z and all sticky posts.

Between post 3 and 5 I would like to place a sticky post with a custom template.

The below works except that it treats the sticky post as the 4 post from the first loop which results in one regular post missing.

I have to use WP 3.0.3

<?php if (have_posts()) : ?>
    <?php $count = 0;?>
    <?php
      $sticky_posts = get_option('sticky_posts');
      $arguments = array(
          'posts_per_page' => 9,
          'post__not_in'  => $sticky_posts,
          'category__in'  => array(1,2,3,4,5)
      );
    ?>
    <?php query_posts( $arguments );?>

    <?php while (have_posts()) : the_post(); ?>

        <?php $count++; ?>

        <?php if ($count == 4) : ?>

            <?php
              $sticky = get_option('sticky_posts');
              $args = array(
                  'posts_per_page' => 1,
                  'post__in'  => $sticky
              );
              ?>
              <?php query_posts( $args );?>

              <?php while (have_posts()) : the_post(); ?>

              <h1>Latest Sticky Post</h1>
              <a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a>
              <?php the_excerpt(); ?>

              <?php endwhile; ?>
              <?php wp_reset_postdata(); ?>

        <?php else : ?>

            <h1>Regular Post</h1>
            <a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a>
            <?php the_excerpt(); ?>

        <?php endif; ?>
    <?php endwhile;  ?>
<?php endif; ?>

Answer 1

you don't need if/else on the counter, just check if $count == 3 or 5 to inject a sticky post, insert a regular post in every iteration of the loop, and increment the counter at the bottom.