3rd times a charm…
Ok. So I have threatened to post and here it is! I stated knitting a few nights ago a baby blanket for my college roommate Becca. She is due in February so I figured I had plenty of time to learn something new. I made about 10 scarves around Christmas time, which I see Cheryl already filled you in on and they looked marvelous. They were all garter stitch. (Forgive me I am still getting all the lingo down…) So when Cheryl taught me how to purl on my last trip I figured what the heck. Let’s give it a whirl. She created me a very simple what I thought was Erica proof pattern. Erica proof being simple and easy to follow. I spend all day working and the last thing I want to do is have to knit a seriously complex pattern. So I started the project. I made sure I looked up all the stitches on KnittingHelp so that I knew what I was doing. First 5 rows where fine since they were garter stitch and I am a pro at that. Got to the lace pattern and my first complicated knitting stitch and of course somehow managed to add an extra stitch in there. Little did I know you actually need to count the stitches every time you go through a row in between markers. Silly me, or I would have caught the error. So I went about my business, purled the next row and then started the 2nd lace row. I then realized that I had extra stitches. Un-knit 2 rows… of the 7 complete rows (each row has 159 stitches) worth it?? I ripped it out and started over. Again, started off with a bang and then of course on the first lace row, messed it up AGAIN! This time I was counting along the way so I just had to un-knit only a few stitches, but when I was un-kitting the s2kpo stitch I messed it up dropped a loop and the next thing I knew a big unraveled area of my project. AGAIN ripped it out thinking it would just drive me nuts trying to figure out how to exactly to fix the problem. So they say 3rd tries a charm. I started over for the 3rd time and this time I made sure I reviewed the stitches again on KnittingHelp. Thank god I did. I was doing something wrong. Those videos and of course numerous calls to my DivaKnitting sister saved my project. I will keep you posted on the status of the next couple of lace lines, to ensure I don’t mess something up again!!!
Stay tuned for pictures….
4 comments
Oh, Erica, welcome to my world. Our world. Knitting World.
If I may suggest a lifeline once you get moving: Every few rows (and you’ll figure out where your break-even point is for the hassle of installing a lifeline vs. the hassle of removing several rows of lace pattern), take a piece of smooth, preferrably contrasting-coloured string/yarn and run it through your stitches right alongside the needle. Take note of where in your pattern the lifeline is and carry on with your knitting.
That way, if you screw up and have to go back, you just madly rip back to the lifeline, which will hold the stitches in its benevolent grasp and you can pick them up on the needle (just run the needle back parallel to the lifeline and remove the lifeline) and start from there.
It’s kinda like that restoration point you can set on your computer that says, “Today, everything is good. I’d like to be able to come back here when it all goes pear-shaped.”
I look foreward to seeing your next installment.
Thanks so much Marin! I forgot to tell Erica about the whole life line thing until she had already frogged once. Then when I told her about a “lifeline” she said “oh what a great idea” but then like all of us figured she didn’t really need it (I’m always thinking that and then always wishing I had done one!) I’m looking forward to the updates and pictures too!
Lifeline. Seriously. Dental floss works great. Have fun!
I concur on the lifeline tip - I never use em and often wish I had
Um, did you know this is the title I MY post yesterday too? GMTA!
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