I spent all of New Years Day knitting on the mystery shawl. I had turned the corner. I had also committed the pattern to memory. I was speeding along until . . . I began to have the sneaky suspicion that I wasn’t picking up the edge stitches at the proper ratio. More specifically, I was going to run out of border rows to knit before I ran out of border. So I ripped back and started again. Cruising merrily along right into the same problem.
I consulted with a friend to see if there was a way to avoid this. I’m willing to make the same mistake twice, but not crazy enough to go for three. She told me I would have to stop knitting, do the math, and mark out the placement of the repeats.
She was right. It is the first thing I stress to beginning knitters. Mark your edge so you know you are picking up your stitches evenly. Use locking stitch markers, safety pins, 1980’s hoop earrings, whatever it takes to divide your edge into easily counted groups of stitches.
Like most shortcuts, it is always the long way around.
5 responses so far ↓
Kristyn // Jan 7, 2008 at 8:51 pm
I always make the same mistake 3 times before I learn from it. I prefer to think of it as being persistant not stupid.
2paw // Jan 8, 2008 at 1:45 am
Look how you stopped at twice this time though. I think you are an eternal optimist and just think that things are going to wok out well!! Nothing wrong with that!!!
2paw // Jan 8, 2008 at 1:45 am
Look how you stopped at twice this time though. I think you are an eternal optimist and just think that things are going to wok out well!! Nothing wrong with that!!!
Kate // Jan 9, 2008 at 4:45 am
Think of it this way - you are a leading light, showing us the way forward, teaching by example - where would we be without you???
Larjmarj // Jan 10, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Ok, explain this to me like a two year old because I have never had to pick up large numbers of edge stitches. I assume that you’d measure the piece and then place markers every so often? Is that how it works? Glad to hear that I am not the only one who forges ahead in to disaster. I’m good that way.
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