Sunday, April 3, 2011

Spring has Sprung ... Again

After I posted the pics of the snow storm from Friday, it got to almost 70 yesterday and all of the snow melted (except for this one little patch that was a huge pile at the end of the driveway all winter). The birds are singing up a storm out there and the sun is shining ... all is right with the world, LOL!


I ripped back the In Dreams Shawl Friday evening and last night I knit for about 3 hours and ended up back where I was before I yanked the needles out and ripped. Now I have another 8 rows to go to be back where I was where I noticed that there was a problem in the first place. I am glad I ripped it back, although in the future when there are 100s of stitches this won't be an option. I have been more attentive to my stitch count to make sure that I'm not missing or have any extra stitches.

Also, previously I wasn't using the chart, I was using the written directions. The chart was a little confusing to me, I've used charts before, but ones that have most of the repeats or a box around the section to repeat. This one does not, for example, the first row there are two stitches represented, when there are really 4 and so on as it grows.

Now that I've actually knit 8 repeats, I can wrap my head around the chart. Probably doesn't help too much that its a mystery shawl ... so there's no picture to refer to, LOL!

Its going much quicker with the charts and I'm sure that leaves a lot less room for errors when its visualized right in front of me. I already caught myself on a mistake, I was reading the chart from right to left, but I was on a wrong side row so should have been reading from left to right. I had been doing this for 16 rows, but all the previous rows were symmetrical so it didn't matter. This one was not and I noticed when I got to the end of the chart ... didn't make sense. Then I sat confuddled for a moment, scratched my head, read the written directions, saw I had done it backwards, saw that I was on a WRONG SIDE row and duh ... realized I wasn't reversing the direction I was reading the chart.


At this point I am about half way through Clue 1 ...

3 comments:

Minding My Own Stitches said...

I use lifelines and stitch markers quite liberally. I find I can notice mistakes much quicker if my repeat ends one stitch before or after the marker and so on.

And if I have to rip back, at least I can stop and pick up stitches at the last lifeline.

It's going to be beautiful when it's done!

Wanderingcatstudio said...

I really want to see this shawl finished - what you've shown is so intriguing!

geeky Heather said...

I agree...all is right with the world when it's warm outside!!!

Is this shawl called "In Dreams" because you'll be able to cast it on in your sleep?? =) Glad it's making more sense now.