Need help, have frogged too much on this one!

#1

I need some advice on this one. I am starting (I’ve started it a couple of times, actually) the high neck lace top from Vogue Knitting Holiday 2005 shown on page 92. The first five rows are driving me nuts because I am not doing it right. Here are the instructions:

Cast on 104 sts.
Row 1 (RS) P2, *yo to M1, p4tog; rep from *, end p2.

Here is where I think the problems starts:
Row 2 K2, *k1, (k1,p1,p1) into “made” st of previous row; rep from *, end k2.
Row 3 Knit.
Row 4 Purl.
Eyelet row 5 (RS) [K2, yo, k2tog] 26 times.

So Row 1 is tough because of the purl 4 tog, but I get through it without a problem. But Row 2 looks weird. The (k1, p1, p1) into the “made” stitch looks weird, especially the two purl stitches done one after the other in the same stitch. And when I turn and do row 3, trying to knit each stitch of the (k1, p1, p1) gets messed up. I think I drop stitches while I am doing the p1, p1 but I am not sure and the pattern doesn’t tell you the number of stitches until after you finish the 5th row. What do I do? Does anyone have any suggestions on how to do this?
Thanks for any advice.

v.

:pout:
#2

maybe you could make a swatch of just a couple of repeats and see what it looks like a few repeats into the pattern?

Sometimes it does take a couple rows (repeats) for the pattern to appear…

wish I had something better to say…

#3

I would try k,p,k into the stitch rather than k,p,p, because that second p would just be wrapped around the needle, which is why you’re losing the stitch.

Also, make sure you’re doing the yo before the purl correctly–bringing the yarn over the needle and then back to the front.

A tip on the p4 tog if I can explain it. If slip them over to the right needle, put your working yarn over the tip of the needle and lift each stitch one at a time and pass it over the tip and your yarn, it has the same result, without the hassle of trying to get all 4 to p4tog.

#4

Yeah, I think it is the two purl stitches done in the same stitch that is the problem. It makes the yarn wrap around the needle, and then I think it unravels if I don’t keep my finger on top of it when I come back on row 3 to knit all stitches, so I end up losing a stitch here and there. I will try k1,p1,k1 into the “made” stitch to see if that works. The sweater just has this small 5 row “lace” border before going into 18 rows of st st, so it isn’t meant to be a major repeated motif.

And the purl 4 tog: I use a small crochet hook (like the steel ones for lace or fingering weight yarn) and yarn over and pull the yarn through the 4 stitches, then put that single loop onto the right hand needle. It works really well. When things are hard to pull a loop through, I alway cheat with a crochet hook and then make sure the yarn is put onto the needle in the right direction.

By the way, the tutorial on wrap and turn was really helpful in preparing for the shaping of this sweater I am working on. I recommend that video tutorial to every one who can’t get that technique down. It was really good!

Thank you! :hug:

v.

#5

Ingrid, I understand what you are saying about lifting each stitch and passing it over but I dont understand what you mean by putting your working yarn over the tip of the needle. Can you explain that to me. :oops:

#6

Hmm. You slip the 4 stitches over to the right needle, and your working yarn is hanging from the last stitch that you knit on the right needle. Bring it around behind the 4 that you slipped, to the front and then back over the needle. You have to hold it there for the first stitch that you slip off the tip, but after that it stays. If you need a picture, I can try to take one.

#7

Ingrid, I just tried it and when you slip for a dec you have to slip knitwise correct? Ok, so I slipped the four sts knitwise onto my right needle. Then I brought the yarn inbetween the needles, then over the right needle. When I did this the yarn was at the front of the stitches on the right needle, is that OK? I held it there and passed the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th off the right needle. Am I doing it correct?

#8

I slipped as if to purl, and had the yarn behind the stitches before I slipped so I wouldn’t have that bar across the front.

I’m sure this is a ‘technique’ somewhere, but I was doing a p5 together on a shawl pattern with fine yarn and just couldn’t get my needle in, and getting a crochet hook through was also difficult. So I looked at what happened with a p5 together and just tried to do it from a different direction with pretty much the same result, I think.

#9

great, so the only thing i did wrong was slip knitwise it should be slip purlwise. Thank you.

#10

Ingrid, I just googled it and found this.
P4tog
slip 3 purlwise, purl 1, pass 3 slipped stitches over

So basically it is just what you are doing. I thought you might want to know.

If it was K4tog would I slip it knitwise?

#11

Thanks! That makes sense.

I don’t know about k4 together, since you’d be putting the needle in starting with the 4th stitch from the point, I’d imagine. I’d have to play with that one.

#12

Me again, I found two tricks here they are

K4tog-with a samller sized crochet hook, i slip the hook through the stitches(knitwise or purlwise, as indicated), hook the working yarn around and then pull through. Then it’s just a matter of transfering the new stitch to the right needle while dropping the other stitches off the left.

K4tog- K2tog, place the stitch back on the left needle and K2tog again and again for K4tog

What do you think? Would the first one look better?

#13

I think the first one would look more like a true k4tog.