I would like to attempt a very difficult pattern by Valentina Bogdanova called Yagmur sweater. It is knitted from the top down in the round and my problem is with chart 2 where there are several chart squares indicating “no stitch” these are placed at the beginning of the round and I don’t know what to do. There are written instructions given but these seem to ignore the “no stitch” squares. The pattern doesn’t say to slip these stitches, which wouldn’t be possible without stranding, and there are several of them. Your help would be much appreciated.
These “no stitch” squares are often confusing. There is actually no stitch there. Ignore those squares and skip to the next filled square. Do exactly what the written instructions say and ignore those squares.
Those columns of grey boxes will be filled in later in the chart when there are increases. The greyed out boxes are saving a place for the increases and are there to keep the overall rectangular shape of the chart.
Lovely lace pattern on this sweater. It may help to use markers between chart repeats on this one.
Thank you very much for getting back to me quickly. Something else I don’t quite understand is a spikelet. The instructions say make 3: make 3 sts out of 1: make 1 new stitch from 3 rounds below, K1, make 1 new stitch from 3 rounds below (2 stitches increased). An explanation is given that this is worked over 3 rounds: rnd 1: m3, rnd 2: k3, rnd 3: cdd (double decrease). Looking on YouTube, there seems to be different ways of doing this. The designer demonstrates but not in the English way, which I found obscure even when slowed right down. The pattern repeats are 18 stitches, but round 1 which includes 2 yarn overs as well as the M3 gives just 20 stitches. However, the chart seems to be indicating 36 sts which is leaving me confused. I hope you can help.
Are you counting the greyed out boxes in row 1 of the chart? Those sts don’t exist so the greyed out boxes shouldn’t be counted in any row.
Row 1 of the chart looks like 18sts before you work the chart row. You’ll make a yarn over to start row 1 but that is a new stitch made between sts and doesn’t count until after you work row 1. There are 17sts in the center, 8 on either side of the stitch that will be the increase stitch when you work row 1 and then another yarn over (doesn’t count until after you work row 1) and one stitch on the left end of the chart.
For the Make 3 it seems that you work to the stitch to be increased, count down 3 rows and work a new stitch into that stitch, k1, then again count down 3 rows and again make a new stitch from the same stitch as the first make 1. If I don’t have that right then the designer’s video may at least help with the placement of the increases into the stitch 3 rows below. This kind of increase can be worked into the front of the stitch 3 rows below by placing the right needle into the opening of the stitch.
Here’s a video for continental style (see 2:25min)
On the next round, knit the 3sts. On the 3rd round work the cdd to get back to one stitch.
Thank you for this. Yes I was looking at the top of the chart which gives 36sts. I’m doing practice runs on this one and am working 4 pattern repeats, 72sts. I must admit some of the stitches are very tight and I’ve checked my tension.
Are you on gauge or would it help to go to a larger needle? Maybe the lace will spread out and loosen up with washing?
The little spikelet needs to be fairly loose so it doesn’t pucker the lace. It’s such a gorgeous pattern.
