I’m starting my first Fair Isle project, a felted tote bag:
www.patonsyarns.com/totetofelt
The pattern is a 12 st repeat, but the chart shows 13 columns. The first column appears to be unnecessary. I’m thinking of ignoring it, but thought I’d better check here first. Is this normal for a Fair Isle pattern? Is there some technique I’m missing?
Nooooo, don’t ignore it!!! You do that first stitch. Then do the 12 st repeat all around the bag. Each round, you do that single st, and then the 12 st repeat. So let’s say you cast on 145 sts. You would do that single st, then the 12 st repeat 12 times. If you don’t, your Fair Isle pattern won’t come out right.
Ok, I have 168 sts. That makes 14 repeats of the 12 st pattern. If I do the extra stitch, doesn’t it just move everything over one stitch? Or am I makiong a spiral to avoid jogs? The bag gets felted anyway, so wouldn’t any jogs disappear?
I don’t get that extra stitch either. At first I’d have agreed with Sandy, but now looking closer at the pattern, it doesn’t make much sense.
I looked it up at Ravelry, only 4 projects and none of them mentioned any problems.
Hmmm… maybe Ravelry users ignored it too?
I’ve looked at several other Fair isle patterns and none have an extra stitch.
I’ve been looking around too and not sure about that first stitch. It isn’t included in the 12st repeat…I would prolly either cast on the first st to work and then just work the 12st repeat around the rest
If your on ravelry I’d pm the ones who have made it and see what they did with that first st…
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I’ve looked at the pattern and chart. The number to the right is the row number and the twelve stitches to repeat are marked with a bracket on the bottom. The extra column is a duplicate of the last one on the opposite side and :think: I believe is given as a guide.
If you number the stitches from right to left it would be stitch 168 (or 12th st x 14th rep) before your marker then follows stitch 1, 2, etc through stitch 12.
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I believe you’re right! That makes perfect sense to me. Now if I can just keep all those colors untangled. Thanks so much!