Wednesday, June 23

fraught percy




Dear readers - you may have realised I have taken on a large lace project with a deadline.

Until yesterday all was going very well - chart A is a series of yarn overs and knitting two stitches together in one direction and purl in the other.  This is a free pattern so it isn't as fully written out or charted as a lot of purchased patterns are.  

How to set up rows is a bit vague especially if you are new to charts and lace, which I am not but it did take me a minute to work this out.  The first and last 3 stitches as well as the center stitch are not charted and it isn't clear which way to read the chart as only 1/2 of the shawl is charted  - this is ok for chart A but when you get to chart B this is not ok.  Chart B is lace knitting both rows back and forth - and not a symmetrical pattern.

Bring on the life line and Ravelry forums.  The first is a must and the second is helpful although there is a great amount to wade through before my specific question was answered.  This was -

How do I do this?  

The difficulty being that the chart is neither mirrored nor symmetrical.  So I knitted the first row, row 5, then as I started the next row I realised that I needed to read row 5 left to right and then left to right again.  I also added another marker in the middle of the 32 pattern repeat, this really helps as I kept losing concentration and my place over 32 stitches.  Row 6 is knitted reading left right  and then left right again.

So this morning I took an hour to sit and concentrated on these first 2 rows.  Wish me luck for the next 2, then the remaining lots.

Chart C looks like it is much easier.  

10 days to go til I need to finish this to allow time to block.  Will I make it?


7 comments:

LynS said...

This is a real cliff-hanger!

Rose Red said...

you can do eeet! And if ever in doubt, pull out your Knitters Guild certificates and feel reassured!!

Yarna said...

Now you know why I gave up! However, you are much cleverer than me (and certified to boot!) so I am sure that you will prevail. Good luck!

Anonymous said...

yes i am enthralled too! of course you can do it, you are so clever. but i like a chart that spells out as much as possible too....i know its going to be gorgeous tho.

M-H said...

Thanks so much for this - I started this shawl last week and spent the first night redoing the initial rows - It is nice to know we both fell into the same hole! I have also just started section B and so far have needed to redo every second row - progress is indeed slow but it is a nice pattern. I hope you are progressing and picking up speed but am awful glad i am not trying to do this one to a deadline - good luck!!
Sandra

M-H said...

Thanks so much for this - I started this shawl last week and spent the first night redoing the initial rows - It is nice to know we both fell into the same hole! I have also just started section B and so far have needed to redo every second row - progress is indeed slow but it is a nice pattern. I hope you are progressing and picking up speed but am awful glad i am not trying to do this one to a deadline - good luck!!
Sandra

Virginia G said...

You can do it!

I see you've also been working really hard to make 900 posts. :)

And lifelines are the best things ever, aren't they? They have saved me from kniticide many a time.