Apparently, it's time to learn charts---HELP!

How-to Questions
1

Okay, so I ordered the Renaissance Sampler from KnitPicks, and I’m starting on the Cathedral Purse. It says,
“CO 5 sts using Circular Cast On. Distribute the sts on DPNs or on Circular(s)”

Begin working from Increase chart; 50 sts."

So far, so good. I figured out their tutorial and managed to learn the cast-on, and got my 5 stitches on the needle. The pattern says you can use dpns, 2 circs, or magic loop. I figured 2 circs, since that’s what I have.

So, I look down at the increase chart. The first row (bottom row of chart, starting from right side,right??) has 10 spaces,9 of which the legend indicates “no stitch.” (4 shaded squares, one knit square, and 5 shaded squares). Second row is 4 “no stitch” squares, one knit square, one make 1 square, 4 “no stitch” squares.

Okay, so my understanding is that the “no stitch” squares are like place holders for when there are few stitches on the needles than there are in the pattern row. But what if there are more stitches on the needle than the chart says to knit?

If I cast on 5 stitches, why does the first row only say to knit one? It’s not till row 5 that there are as many stitches in the chart as there are on the needles.

I’m guessing I’m missing something pretty obvious here…can any one help?

Oh, FYI for clarity, it is apparently a little bag starting at the bottom and increasing up to the mouth of the bag.

2

Are there written instructions too? Sometimes by looking at the words and looking at the chart, it clicks together. Also, read ahead - maybe you only k1 on the first row/rnd, then do more on the 2nd, the 3rd… like short rows or something.

3

Sounds like you start with 5 stitches in the round
you do the instructions around, maybe 5 repetes of the increase pattern, follow the chart with various increases and you will end up with 50 stitches after the appropriate number of rows in pattern on the chart

but I could easily be wrong

ecb

4

Sounds like you start with 5 stitches in the round, follow the chart with various increases and you will end up with 50 stitches

Sounds like the most logical solution…
those no-stitch things keep worrying me, but I will defeat them… hahahahahahaha

5

‘No Stitch’ means exactly that. The boxes are there just to keep the chart somewhat symmetrical. Just skip them and do whatever ‘real’ stitch is next.

If your chart says to knit 1, and you have 5 stitches to knit, you’re really doing 5 repeats of that row. Later on, you’ll have a wider chart, and you’ll have more stitches, but you’ll still be doing that section 5 times.

6

Okay…I’m looking at this a bit further, and also am considering a comment from ravelry that perhaps it is a “per stitch” chart. (I have no idea what that means, but am just trying to wrap my head around what I’m seeing.

The chart actually has 13 rows and it only 10 stitches wide at the TOP, where I should have 50 stitches.

SO…if the first row has only one knit stitch (but I have 5 stitches on the needles), would it make sense to knit around? And then the second row only has two stitches, K1,M1…so would I K1,M1 all the way around, giving me 10 stitches at the end of the second row?

Then the 3rd row says M1, K1,K1…so if I did that…make a stitch, knit 2, make a stitch, knit 2…I’d end up with 15 stitches on the 3rd row?

4th row is K1,K1,K1,m1…and so on.

And if that works up to the top, I’d have 5 repeats of a 10stitch pattern for the last row?

Does that make sense? Or is my inexperience seriously showing here?

I guess I could try that and see how it works. Any thoughts?

7

Okay, I think I remember this chart - you repeat it 5 times. So k1, 5 times, then 2nd round, yes, k1, m1 5 times, etc.

8

Thanks! As soon as I get a free minute, I’m going to give it a try!!

9

Really makes sense. If the chart is 10 squares big, then one square represents five stitches.
So the “knit one” on the first row means actually “knit five”…

or rather, as has been said … repeat that row 5 times…
(otherwise it wouldn’t have made a sense… like m1 five times, then knit 5… um… no…)

10

Thanks, ladies! I didn’t have as much knitting time last night as I would have preferred. I messed up once and had to frog, but I think I’m well on my way, and this definitely seems to be working.

I’m exciting to be entering the “next stage” of knitting…but I think I’m still going to prefer written directions to charts. But we’ll see. I have 5 of these “sample patterns” to knit, and they all appear to be charted!

11

I just wanted to come back and thank you all. I managed to get through the increase chart, and am no halfway through the pattern itself (it consists of two chart repeats).

It’s exciting to successfully learn a new skill.

(I do have to share that my 10yod said, “You should put in a lifeline.” I said, yes, it would be a good idea, but I didn’t do it. Can we just say “out of the mouths of babes?” Yeah…should have done it from the beginning. I did it on subsequent rows;) ).

12

Not so long ago I was having a terrible time with my instructions for a pair of booties. A very smart gal down in TX taught me to take the time to read through each line and type the instructions in order like this:

Line 1 ???

Line 2 XXXXXXXXX

Line 3 ???XXX???XXX

So you start with the first row doesn’t matter if it is from the right or from the left because you are going to count the stitches and right it down in the sequence you will read in your re-written text.
It makes is so much easier to take the time to do this first!