Thoughts on lace knitting

I'm on a binge here. I've fallen hard for lace. It's fun and extraordinarily satisfying - when it goes right.

Cast on Charlotte's Web in Koigu yesterday. Beautiful yarn. Nice looking and easy pattern. Worst pattern layout I've ever seen in any book, magazine or blog. Hard returns are cheap and there's no excuse not to use them! This is how I managed to read each line in the 29 line set up section. I've not shown the whole pattern out of respect for copyright, but imagine one long run-on paragraph of 15 pattern lines made up of very similar stitches with no breaks (except across pages). As a former document designer this kind of laziness just annoys the heck out of me.

Also turns out my copy was missing the middle page with the chart (took a bit to figure that out as it looked complete with a page of photos and the ending copy-write stuff at the bottom of the last page). That's being sent to me now, but I perversely forged ahead, compelled by wanting to see how the Koigu works out. That post-it with writing shows how I worked out the alignment of beginning and ending st st wedges with the pattern repeats. I should hope the chart shows it since it's not clear in the written instructions.

OK, enough grousing, here's how it looks so far:

The knitters on the Cozy KAL have been talking about lace patterns and avoiding mistakes. I just posted these thoughts to that group and thought I'd put them here (see below) -- gotta get all the mileage I can out of my limited PC time with both kids here. The second week of spring break, particularly when half the neighborhood has returned to other schools, is looong.

This may all be obvious to long time knitters, but as I said, it wasn't to me at first and I can't believe I’m completely alone.

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I'm newish to lace too, but have finally figured it out enough to dream of doing more (though I have miles to go). I knew it had to be easier than I was making it or all these lovely shawls I see on blogs and in books wouldn't get made. This is how I've come to understand it -- may not work for everyone, but I'm sharing in the spirit of saving someone all the counting and frogging I've done!

First, the way the pattern is written - *knit here to here* - is designed to get the pattern placed correctly in the row, but it's rarely the best way to think the pattern while knitting. Since I’m self-taught and knit by myself, it took me a while to see that. I used to memorize the instructions and count it out 1:K, 2:YO, 3,4:SKPO, etc, which was not relaxing and prone to errors with any interruption. Do any of us knit without interruption? :) The trick is to re-visualize the pattern into its natural flow. For example, a pattern repeat of 8 might be written *K1, YO, SKPO, K1, K2tog, YO, K2*, but will flow across the row as YO, SKPO, K1, K2tog, YO, -- K3 between each pattern -- YO, SKPO, K1, K2tog, YO. How to think it is personal, very flexible and will change for every pattern, but it's easy one you get the hang of it - and so liberating!

Now I follow the instructions while the pattern reveals itself (if there's no chart), but afterward, I only glance at the pattern at the start and finish of a row. With Cozy there are very strong vertical lines that develop where you can see if the current row "lines up" as it should with the last RS row below. This gives you a good checkpoint much like a marker will. After a few repeats you can see which type of stitches get made into which from the lines below.

If the line up doesn't happen you're off and need to sort it out - it won't get better on its own and it won't go away. I've tried, but no amount of prayer or cursing works. If things don't line up, stop immediately and look down a row to find the mistake. You may be able to fix it by dipping down. For me, it's usually a missing YO or a slipped stitch that didn't get passed over. When fixing it, don't forget the mistake will have been purled (or not purled) in the last WS row, so you'll need to fix that too. With practice I've found I'm almost always able to pick back a couple of stitches, then drop down to make up the right stitches and then be on my way - certainly worth trying. It's very scary to open up those stitches the first time, but you'll really learn your knitting by doing it. I can promise it's one great feeling when you get away with only dipping the tips of your toes in the frog pond. I've never been one for pond or creek swimming - too squishy and murky. And the big kids were always sure to tell me about water moccasins right before we jumped in.

Comments

[Elabeth]

Don't count on that chart even being readable. The ones I have from for the Gypsy Shawl and the Keepsake Shawl are all but useless. They are teeeensy tiny and blurry from too many copies of copies being made. I love their yarn, but I will never buy another pattern from them.

[maggi]

My Charlotte took me a long time but I am really proud of it and have worn it as both scarf & shawl. I'm hoping to try the Flower Basket sometime soon. Enjoyed my first visit to your blog!

[Chris]

You are so right about the natural flow of lace patterns. Too bad they don't tip you off to this in the pattern books. I have to agree with you on the giant paragraph of knitting instructions too. I have a graphic design background, and I get totally peeved over the poor presentation of information in some patterns. I'm an experienced knitter, but I've made some monster mistakes because of hard-to-read patterns. My solution now is to make my own charts if the pattern doesn't have one. I use the computer to create an Excel chart, using my own symbols (well, honestly, what happens to be available on my computer) in place of the typical marks. I think Microsoft is missing a marketing niche here: Excel -- it's not just for accountants!!

[Deb]

Yeah, that lace is seductive stuff, for sure! I sympathise on reading that pattern, though--it looks horrible (to knit from)! Even if you don't want to try charting it, as Chris suggested, you could always just type it out yourself. I do that whenever I'm dealing with a difficult-to-read pattern (like some of the Rowan patterns--I always lose track of which row I'm on).

[Sally]

I so know what you mean about getting addicted to lace - and you will soon find a rhythm so don't worry. What absolutely lusious yarn!

[froggy]

what a beautiful project and yarn. i hope to knit that someday.

[Risa]

By george you've got it! Absolutely and amen. I do exactly what you do and have noticed the same thing with how the patterns are written. I had the same issue with Pi even and thought it much differently than the *k4, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k6* of one particular row. Though I did move to reading my lace rather than the pattern in short order and yes, that way you can indeed find that missing YO that somehow gets forgotten.

Lace is incredibly addicting but justifiably. It is incredibly rewarding. For waving two sticks at a ball of yarn, you have an intricate and inspirational piece that continues to amaze me.

Welcome to the club :)

[Lynne S of Oz]

I agree with the reading patterns.
When knitting complicated/large lacey patterns, I've been told to remember to put in
a) stitch markers between pattern repeats (say every 2nd or 3rd pattern repeat), and
b) "rescue lines", where you put a sewing thread through all the stitches on the needles at the end of each motif, so if your lace pattern repeats after 16 rows, put a thread through the stitches there.

Why? Cos if disaster strikes, you'll have set places that you can go back to without having to frog the lot or drop stitches to fix up mistakes rows back!