So remember I’ve started to knit a cardigan? My very first garment made from warm string? The fabulous Wisdom by Kim Hargreaves?
Well, it had to take a break with Christmas knitting but I picked it back up again last week. I noticed that in the double moss stitch I’d accidentally knit a quadruple moss stitch, just once. In the middle of the back. Surely I could get away with it – didn’t show afterall did it? However, I got to a new stage of the pattern and just couldn’t get it. ” these last 38 rows form pattern and cont side shaping” plus all that went on before and after. What is it about knitting patterns? I feel I need to put them through Babelfish. It’s a new language, with strange grammar.
Luckily I was visiting my mum and could ask her to interpret. She did. She also persuaded me that the quadruple moss stitch would show, that I would always know it was there and that with such lovely yarn it would be a shame. It had to come out. I need to say here that my mum is a super kind teacher. All those decades ago, as a very willing child, she taught me to sew. This meant that until I became confident and proficient in sewing she would unpick all my mistakes for me, taking away the disheartening aspects of learning something new. She would wield the seam ripper as an expert, not only reducing mistakes to nothing, but obviously without shredding the fabric which is surely what I would have done had it been left to my junior ministrations. She’d then set it up so it was all ready for me to try again. She sure knew how to help a learner.
So, knitting. I think you know what’s coming. My 6 rows following the quadruple moss stitch had to come out and my dear mum did it for her 40 something daughter. And then, having ripped it, picked it up, she also knitted it to get it back for me to start knitting again. She is such a sweetie. Thanks mum!
And then I took it with me on the train & knit the next 10 rows. I was rocking, until I came to the next bit of the pattern. No comprendo. I hit the brakes & visited my wool shop yesterday lunchtime. And guess what I found out? (anyone who is knitting this spectacular cardigan has probably worked it out already). Uh huh. Yep. This pattern is actually made of bands of stocking stitch and double moss stitch. (Which I failed to remember working from a black & white photo copy of the instructions). I have only one band of stocking stitch. I had a revelation, although not a good one: that was what “These last 38 rows form pattern” meant. Argh. ”Pattern” being a stocking stitch band followed by a double moss stitch band. I have to rip out 38 rows of my knitting. All on my own. No Mum to help me.
Lesson learnt – a full size colour picture can really help with interpretation of this strange language.
I am aknitting novice and have started my first follow a pattern waistcoat. Just when you think you’re getting there, STOP a pattern part that just makes no sense. I keep phonning the helpline as I don’t have a knitting mummy!
I am so glad I’m not alone! I’m sure I’m going to get best friends with the wool shop ladies, in lieu of my knitting mummy living near by!
Oh, no! I feel your pain. I must confess that while I like that in knitting you get “do-overs” of your mistakes, I also hate ripping row after row of knitted stitches. It feels like such a waste to me. But there is no need to feel stupid – just think all you’re learning! I think I’ll get started with my own Wisdom (in the same yarn you’re using!) sometime in February, as soon as my Cybelle is done, and at that point you’ll probably be done with yours so don’t be surprised if I come to you for advice when I get stuck – you’ll be the expert by then!
Ha ha! You think I’ll be finished in a month? That’s faith! I am not even going to attempt to make it into a challenge, so unrealistic does it feel Andrea. Good luck with finishing your cybelle – look forward to when you post about it!
You only have to rip it back if you want stripes, plural. Why not have just one stripe? Nobody says it has to be a carbon copy of the one in the picture!
You know what? That’s what knitting mummy said, much to my disbelief. I felt it was so unthought of that if I even dared publish those heretical thoughts I’d be advised against it. And looking at the stocking stitch stripe, it is in danger of looking odd there on its own, so it kind of feels a non option. Sigh.
If it’s any consolation (which is probably isn’t) I have just knitted a top of which only about 2 inches were only knitted once (first half too big, last half too small). I now put knitting onto a yarn and try it on at least every half a ball of wool to check. A pain in the backside, but it minimises too much ripping back when things don’t fit.
Miriana, hello! I don’t like to take consolation in other peoples pain, but at least we’re not alone! Thank you for sharing
I hear ya on feeling stupid! I’m starting my first cardigan this week and I tried to make some swatches the other day to get a head start… but the lace pattern swatch just doesn’t make sense! It has 14 stitches and then magically increases to 15 for a couple of rows and then decreases to 14… with no indication of when/where to increase. Apparently stitches just ~appear. UGH. I’ve got a knitting night tonight, though, with my teacher, and hopefully she can figure it out for me because I am sad.
The only thing that reassures me about ripping out rows of stitches (hard as it is), is that I can still use the yarn. Ripping up sewing mistakes… ehh, sometimes. If you’re lucky.
You’re right Lauren about mistakes in knitting not being fatal. And when we feel so able to attempt all sorts of sewn things, it’s humbling to have such little knowledge and experience and be back in crafting kindergarten!! Enjoy knit night- sounds fun!!
Oh, man, I’m so sorry! You know, there’s a huge difference in clarity and ease of instructions from one knitting pattern to the next. I got lucky in that the first couple of projects I tried were easy to understand. If I’m organized enough, I try to check Ravelry before starting a project to see if other knitters have encountered any issues or typos in the pattern– sometimes that can save you a headache further down the line!
You know what ginger, I really need me some time on ravelry. Great idea, and for a different reason than other knitting needs already identified in earlier knit discussions! Thank you
Gah, how annoying! I hope it hasn’t put you off too much, it can be hard seeing your hard work unravelled. All part of it though, and you’ll be very proud of your finished cardi after all your work and what you’ve learned.
Awww! My heart goes out to you, that is sad sad news. I think a gin and tonic will be in order to get through that.
Good Luck!
You’re definitely not alone. I have just started a new jumper and had to read instructions many time to make some sense. And I still don’t understand it. I have a fantatsic groups of knitter friends whom I meet on a pub on Thursdays and they are my absolutely savers in deciphring things.
Oh gosh if you only knew how many times I have ripped out SCADS of knitting – and I mean right up until very recently, not just when I was learning … My husband is always aghast, but I know from experience that (usually) I will be happier if it’s fixed. My philosophy is that I’m not doing it just because I want the finished product, but for the pleasure of knitting it, so having to go back gives me more knitting time. So I really don’t mind, because I don’t see it as a catastrophe, just as part of the process. Knitting instructions can still baffle me too. Despite all this, I love to knit!
(This is meant to cheer you up, not make you despair that things will never get easier, by the way.)
Christine, that’s a great philosophy – creating more knitting time – for free – no extra yarn buying involved. Thank you for the reframing!!
Ouch. I have to admit that I always feel a bit afraid when I read knitting directions, even the ones I make for myself. I do think that American patterns tend to have more details and schematics. After many mishaps with odd sizes and shapes, I will not knit anything unless it has drawings with the measurements on it.
Never mind it happens to all of us ALL the time…it is just very frustrating when you want to get on with something…I have done my fair share of unpicking the one I am knitting at the moment for one reason or another!
Your Mum is right when she says that you will know that the mistake is there.Even if no one else can see it you will always know it is there lurking to haunt you.
I worked with a girl once whose mother-in-law had knitted a jumper for her and it had a panel on the back and front with a cable pattern.The first time she wore it I saw that one of the cable twists was going in the wrong direction and every time she wore this jumper my eyes were just drawn to the mistake….so I make sure that all my mistakes are rectified.
Don’t be put off though as your knitting looks lovely and the pattern is a nice one.If you feel frustrated with it at the moment why not just put it to one side for awhile and pick something else to have a go at.Don’t be defeated!!
I won’t be defeated Catherine! That moss stitch afterall knits up pretty quickly in the grand scheme of things. (10 rows in just over an hour – that’s quick for me!)
Roobeedoo is right! You can do whatever the heck you want to do, design-wise! If it is any consolation, I am ALWAYS ripping out and NEVER regretting it. Any time I make a jumper for my husband who is very particular about fit, I usually end up ripping back a huuuge chunk about 3 times (3 times PER jumper!) but it is always worth it because he always ends up with a perfectly-fitting jumper that he loves and looks great in. I’m a big proponent of ripping in certain circumstances.
Hello Kristen!
You are giving me courage in whatever I decide! But what’s it to be? Ripping or redesigning my version? Thank you for the moral support
Thank you everyone for all your words of “wisdom” (geddit!) & more importantly moral support (& suggestions of a G&T – cracking idea!). As yet I have not done a thing to the cardigan….. but know that whatever I do, I can be more confident knowing that mistakes happen to everyone, & that ripping out means more knitting time for me (without the expense of buying more yarn for a new project – win!) But that also if I decide to not rip, then that’s OK too. I may not be part of a knitting group, or have my knitting Mum close by, but I’m feeling really lucky to be able to call on such support & cool advice. Thank you again from a knitter with ‘L’ plates!