You are a star!
OK Iāve just thought of another problem. If I start the chart 11 rows underneath the armhole shaping, the decreases will now occur level with the deer, as the instructions are: Cast off 4sts at beginning of next 2 rows. Decrease 1st at each end of next and following 6 alternate rows. This is going to make me lose a portion of the first and last reindeer. What a nuisance. I donāt suppose this can be avoided.
You may still be ok since there are several rows of the main color within the armhole shaping. Even so, thereās part of a reindeer poking out from the armhole seam on either side in the photo. Those parts could be deleted in any case.
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Iām really dreading doing this chart again as itās the most difficult one Iāve encountered, as the star pattern doesnāt start and end predictably and the chart isnāt like a graph. Since the armhole shaping will now occur inside the chart rather than at the start of it, the decreases will now differ from the instructions. Am I right in thinking that the 4sts to be cast off each end which start the shaping, should now be knitted in the main colour instead of being cast off and the instructions for decreases should be ignored and 1st in main colour should be knitted until the correct part of the picture is reached and then continue but then not forget to knit the 4sts at the end. This is so disorientating.
Yes, the decreases to shape the top will start with the 4sts cast off. Cast off the sts when you get to the same length as the armhole cast off on the back (see decreases on back, arrow below). Youāll be mostly working in the main color at the edges. It may help to keep at least the edge sts each side in the main color. You could delete those small repeats of the reindeer that may peek out at the armhole (see circle below). Just work in the main color. Follow the decreases and their spacing once youāve started the underarm cast off of 4sts. It may help to make a spreadsheet with the row numbers and the decreases so that you can cross them off as you work them
Youāre doing a little redesigning here to fit in the graph with your knitting. Watch the pattern in your knitting and youāll be fine. The colorwork on the back is very nice and neat.
Thank you. Knitting the reindeer was actually more straightforward because itās evenly balanced. Itās the stars that are more the problem. Iām more concerned with completing the first 11 rows before I cast off. Getting started was the problem I had initially. Row 2 on the wrong side was difficult. I donāt have the facility to do a spreadsheet. I wrote out the rows, identified the pattern repeats and then followed it. 1st wrong will jog the pattern with the stars.
Can you print out a couple of copies of the chart, or enough to tape it together to get the whole design, and then draw in the armholes based on the decreases? So youāve thought it all out ahead and then only have to follow the chart. Or print out some graph paper and redo the chart so itās easier to read as youāre knitting?
If the stars are tricky you can eliminate the bits of stars from each end and work main colour at the sides and begin with a full star. Basically what salmonmac suggested with the reindeer but doing ut in the staes section too.
You could then place a marker each end where the full star begins and everything outside the marker is main colour. It makes charts and colour work much easier.
Charts are generally easier to work from the chart too rather than from a written line of pattern. Learning to read a chart scared me but it was well worth the challenge as overall it is simpler.
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I think Iāve noticed another pattern discrepancy. Would you kindly take a look at it as Iād like to ascertain whether this is worth going on with. Thereās two sets of instructions for the shoulder shaping on the front. Iāve photographed the instructions for the front from when it says to work 22 rows less than on back. Iāve completed the back together with the shoulder shapings. The stage Iām at at present is Iāve finished the ribbing and have worked 30 rows in stocking stitch, so thereās some way to go before the chart begins. I donāt know what to do about the front shoulder shapings when two sets of instructions are given.
I did think about doing that but the problem is there would be a wider gap at the left than the right if I were to do just full stars. The chart boxes are tiny and difficult to follow which is why I wrote them out and then identified a pattern repeat and followed it.
Perhaps I am misunderstanding something but to me it seems the stars are centred on the sweater so you could do 5 if 5 full stars fit (green lines) or 3 (blue lines) but either way you would have them centred (pink line) making a sort of heart shape between the deer and the stars.
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The front should shaping looks fine to me. For both right and left shoulders youāll start with the same number of sts and make the same decreases. The shoulder shaping may begin on different rows (RS vs WS) but thatās ok. You need to bind off the shoulders starting at the armhole edge in each case. The difference of one row isnāt noticeable.
For the location of the stars on the front, itās similar to the location on the back in that you want to center the pattern as much as possible. If that means shifting over a stitch or two thatās ok. Just locate your center stitch and count back from there. Youāre planning ahead which is all to the good!
Thank you for this. Iāll just bite the bullet and go for it.
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It would be clearer if the instructions told you which shoulder theyāre referring to! It looks to me as if you start with the Neck and Right shoulder (as you would wear it), then go back to finish the Left shoulder.
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Iāll follow what is said and see how I get on. Iāve never had a pattern like this before and must admit I donāt have confidence with it.
The instructions for the neck and shoulder shaping are fairly common. With the RS facing youāre actually going to work the left shoulder first with decreases at the neck edge then bind offs from the armhole edge.
The cast off of the center sts is the center neck opening. Then the right shoulder is shaped at the neck edge and bound off at the shoulder from the armhole edge.
I find it also helps to make a little diagram of the sweater indicating the decreases and bind offs. You can check them off as you work the rows.
I donāt know if youāve ever heard of anybody dying of terminal frustration with regard to knitting, but I may be the first? This is now the third day of my trying to do just row 2 of the star chart and whatever I do, it just doesnāt work. I thought weād established that the star pattern is off centre unlike the photograph of the pattern as it appears on the model. Finding the centre of the pattern doesnāt work as the stars are off centre from the reindeer. Iāve photographed the centre of the chart. If I canāt manage to sort this out today, then Iām going to abandon the project for the sake of my own sanity,
which is a pity because Iāve come so far. Iāve never felt this way about knitting before. Itās having 101sts which is the number before any decreases occur which has totally thrown me. The chart shows all the decreases as, Iāve photographed earlier, which I have to ignore until I get to the armhole shaping. Iāve tried marking the start of the star so I donāt get confused with the pattern in between the stars when working on wrong side rows, but it just doesnāt seem to work out. Thanks for your attention, but I think this might be the last time Iāll post anything.
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Youāve really been so good at persisting with this pattern. I understand the frustration.
Line up the center of the stars with the middle stitch on your needle. Mark that middle stitch (blue line). Then count back from the middle stitch on the needle to the beginning of the row. You can then count back in the star chart to where the stars should begin. You can begin with a partial star or better still, work in the background color until you can start a complete star.
When you get to the reindeer, line up the stitch between them (red line) with the middle of the star.
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What were they thinking, to put out a pattern like this?? I would cut the chart and tape it back together so it lines up. Once youāve done that, you could pencil in your armhole shapes as well.
Youāve put so much into this, I hope you can work it out and finish it! But weāll all understand if you decide to put it down. Some things just arenāt meant to be.
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Itās an annoyingly off centre chart.
Along with salmonmacās direction for how to centre the pattern, with a marker around the centre stitch, I would put a marker on the needle just before the first stitch of the first star you want to include and one just after the last star, this way you know where the colour work starts whether youāre on the right or wrong side. And Iād mark the chart with pencil or post it stickers so you can ignore both ends of āextraā pattern.
This is the hardest bit, if you can get past this youāll be away on the colour work.
If itās any consolation I knitted and tinked the same 6 rows four times yesterday morning, and that was before I got to my colour work (I didnāt like how my armhole shaping looked), weāve all had these very frustrating days. It will be worth all your effort when you wear this sweater.
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