Well.... this week's pattern is proving to be tricky! I started it and pulled it out several times before I realized that the repeat didn't start exactly at the right. Working with Japanese knitting charts is a lesson in reading all the "instructions" carefully and checking the details closely. I also had some difficulty with one of the twisted stitches. I seem to be wrapping the yarn in front so the stitch pattern isn't popping out as it should. Of course, I didn't notice it until I had already worked fifteen rows. At that point, I also realized I forgot to work the opposite stitch on the wrong side for one section.
After quite a bit of trial and error, I was able to fix the twisted stitch problem. It seems that I completely misunderstood the instructions. By using the instructions as a basis and then thinking carefully about how its opposite stitch is formed, I was able to obtain the correct outcome. Ultimately, I pulled out the entire swatch and restarted to knit the pattern properly.
The pattern itself is geometric. It consists of two repeating sections with a background of reverse stockinette. Each section's focus is diamonds formed with twisted stitches outlining the interior. These diamonds are connected with long, thin rectangles outlined by the same twisted stitches and surrounding a vertical row of tiny purl stitches. In one of the sections, the diamonds contain a single bobble knit over four rows vertically. The instructions for forming these bobbles are clear and come out beautifully. The bobble itself is what drew me to this pattern. I wanted to try out the method described.
Next week...on to pattern arrangements.
Join my mailing list for more knitting tips, pattern updates, and exclusive discounts and coupons.
Comments