I’m confused (not for the first time!). I have a lace shawl pattern where each one of the three charts is numbered 1,2,3,4, etc. up the right side. I’d understand easily what was required if I were knitting in the round, of course, but for flat knitting does it mean I read from right to left on both the Right Side and the Wrong Side? Or should I be reading from left to right for the Wrong Side rows? It says in the pattern “follow the next Chart A row” (or whichever chart you are on) but is that always, as suggested by the numbers running up the right hand side, from Right to Left??? Is this a convention in lace knitting that I’ve never found elsewhere?
Lace chart confusion
I’ve never seen a chart like that. I always follow charts in the usual way.
What may be helpful though is to go to the pattern projects on ravelry, filter so you show projects with notes and have a read. A lot of the time other people notes are incredibly helpful.
Or failing that, message the designer.
It’s a new pattern from Amarisu and there’s one person on ravelry who’s made it, so I’ve messaged her to ask! I think it must be that you read all rows from right to left- the numbering along the bottom - the stitch numbers along the row go from right to left. It must mean (?!) that those numbers refer to both right and wrong side rows. I’m a bit reassured, YarnPlease, that your have never come across this either! Someone here will doubtless know the answer. If I hear back from the ravelry person I’ll post the answer. I guess I could try both ways and see what happens, but it starts with only five cast on stitches, so it’s really hard to tell for a while what the pattern is doing. I do wish pattern-writers could perhaps imagine what it is like for someone new, and maybe be a little more explicit sometimes in what they are trying to tell you? I appreciate that Japanese patterns are a law unto themselves - this is a Japanese site and a Japanese pattern that at least does come in an English version, which is rare in itself.
The chart is there as a guide to show you what the finished pattern will look like, the eyelets, the knit or purled areas and so on. If you’re knitting flat, row 1 is usually a RS row and is read right to left. Row 2 is then read left to right. This holds true even if the numbers are all on the right hand side of the chart.
It is difficult to see the pattern with so few sts, but you may be able to see it after a few more rows.
What is the name of the shawl and the designer please? You are always knitting such interesting projects!
Does the designer have other similar patterns? Maybe those could help, with any notes left.
Also is there written as well as chart? That could give you the answer.
I agree with @salmonmac, and would defer to her regardless of what I think! I just wanted to say that at least you won’t have to frog much if you do a few rows and change your mind. Also, is the lace on only the right side? If so, that should help. I’m going to look for it on Ravelry.
Yes, I’ve got that book, YarnPlease, and checked it out (plus another on Japanese lace stitches); but it still doesn’t explain the kind of chart where the row numbers are all on the right side. Along the bottom are the stitch numbers - it’s a triangular shawl that starts at only five stitches, but goes up to 19 across the rows by row 30. Those numbers start at the right hand side. Which intuition (a dangerous thing!) makes me think is the number of the stitch across rows on both the right and the wrong side since the row numbers go 1-30 all up the right side. There’s a key to the symbols with the usual convention of, for example, a blank square being a knit stitch on the right side and a purl on the wrong side, etc. I’ve now emailed Amarisu’s website, where they say check ravelry first, which I did. Maybe I’ll hear back from them now the weekend’s over. Meantime we are in the middle of a typhoon here in Hong Kong where I live - I don’t think I could cope with Japanese lace knitting while the wind is howling around our harbourside apartment, the windows are rattling and the rain is lashing down while we all huddle indoors, not allowed out in what is called a T8 typhoon……it’s all a bit dramatic, but I keep thinking of people going through worse weather than us and feel pretty lucky.
The rows, as far as the written instructions go, tell you in each pair how to begin a row with a S1wyif, for example, but then say ‘continue with Chart A, then Chart B, then Chart C’ or whatever section you are at. It really seems that it can only sensibly make sense if you read both RS and WS rows starting on the right hand side. The increases slope the shawl so that the right side is straight and it grows along the left side. I think maybe I’ll just have to try both ways and see what happens?!
The pattern in called “Wright” and is by Keiko Kikuno and is on the Amarisu website. I’ll defer to your always wonderful advice, Salmonmac, and try it that way and see what happens, but oh, wouldn’t it be kind if people would just write patterns a little more clearly? It would only take one sentence to tell you what to do, or else just number on both sides as most charts do, even Japanese ones. And it we are really getting ambitious, oh, wouldn’t it be wonderful if there could be some sort of global agreement that all patterns are written the same! That is usually the case with Japanese charts, and people are expected to know the conventions which then follow whoever the designer is, but I’ve still never, in other Japanese patterns, come across all the numbers being on the right hand side. I should have stuck to Stephen West!!!
Totally agree re Salmonmac’s advice, Beth_Leatherman!
OK, I’ve tracked down the designer on ravelry and messaged her; her website is in Japanese, which is beyond my scope, but ‘pooki’ gets you to where you can message her. I’ll post her answer if she picks up my message, just in case any of you wants to tackle a similar chart (though it won’t necessarily follow that another designer means the same thing!)
I’m so sorry to hear about your weather, Lalla! My brother and his family lived in HK from 1979 - 1994.
If you’re using Wanderlust yarn , why not try a few rows with inexpensive yarn?
It’s a beautiful shawl!
Oh my, I can’t wait to quote you to all my friends who have trouble with Stephen West patterns. They will be in awe, as am I, of your facility with his complicated directions.
Definitely practising on inexpensive yarn, Beth_Leatherman!!
Like most teachers of anything, if you stick to one for a while you get to know their little ways! Actually, I think Stephen West is a really good explainer - his modular shawls workshop taught me so much, and many of the techniques are used in many of his designs. So when you get to grips with one, the next is easier, and so on. Just like cooking recipe books, you get used to someone, don’t you. Then, if you can face it, getting back out of what has become a comfort zone is a good thing, though I’m not so sure that diving into Japanese methodology is exactly sensible!! But I daresay it’s good for one?? Or something??!
One more thing, Salmonmac, a propos your kind words - who said anything about ‘facility’!!!
There’s no doubt among those of us who have seen you beautiful work!
Wish I could help but,I can’t read from a chart! If it’s not written i can’t follow the chart! Good luck though
Well, coming from you, and if others think so, that makes me positively glow with pleasure, and I shall remember it when I’m going crazy trying to solve some simple problem!!!