Need Help With Stahman's Shawls

How-to Questions
1

I have been working on the plain garter-stitch faroese shawl in [I]Stahman’s Shawls and Scarves[/I]. I tried to add a pattern to the shawl when it had 71 stitches in the side panel. This perticular pattern stated that I needed that many stitches to be able to start it. However, I can not make the pattern work out. I have included the YO’s when counting the stitches and I have counted the stitches without the YO’s. I have frogged it back to my life line, I know 5-6 times, maybe more. I spent an entire day (8-10 hours) on this alone. I always come up atleast one stitch short or the pattern doesn’t work. Also, are the YO’s by the left and right borders, and before and after the back panel included in the pattern or are they to be worked as a continous understood part of the basic faroe pattern? This simple shawl should not be so complicated.

If you have worked these shawls, I would greatly appreciate your input and advice.

Thanks, Sandra from SC

2

Which version of the st pattern are you making? Some of them take 11 or 12 sts and some 17 or 18. I can’t think of one that would use 71 sts.

3

The pattern is a repeat of 18.

I am making the “Fenna” on page 38. I want to add the pattern from the shawl on page 44. On page 47 (up top) it states that I needed to have 71 stitches in the side panels in order to start it and have it work out correctly.

I check for errata corrections and there is none noted for these two shawls.

You’re thinking why is she making the one and using the pattern from the other.

I starting with the “Fenna” thinking that I wouldn’t want a pattern since I am learning, but then I changed my mind. I can not get it to work.

Both shawls are made the same with the same number of stitches, etc.

Thanks.

4

I’d double check the pattern repeat. If it’s a pattern repeat of 18, you wouldn’t use 71 stitches since 18 doesn’t go into 71.

Very often a pattern repeat would be a number + something else–for example, 17 + 1; or 16 plus a certain number of edge stitches.

5

With the F&F, 17 works - k2tog 3x, (yo,k1)5 x, yo, k2tog 3x, repeat. For 18 sts you’d do the yo, k1 6 times.

17 repeated 4 times is 68 sts, so if there’s 2 edge sts, plus the one that separates the side panel from the center panel, that does work out to 71.

Sandra, I’m the last person who’d ask you why you’re combining 2 patterns; I do that frequently, sometimes even using 3 patterns.

6

[I][COLOR=“Purple”]On page 47 (up top) it states that I needed to have 71 stitches in the side panels in order to start it and have it work out correctly.[/COLOR][/I]
I could not find any information stating whether or not the 71 included either one or both of the YO stitches between the border band and the back panel. I took it to mean just the side panel stitches.

Anyway, I got so frustrated that I frogged the entire thing and started to make the Baby surprise jacket pattern with the yarn. BTW, I was making it out of Lion Brand Microspun and it looked great. I love the feel and look of this yarn, but it is bad to split.

Thanks for trying to help me. I’ll just continue to read and study the book and pattern instructions and will try again in a week or two.