Repeating in a lace chart

#1

Hi! I’m so happy for any help! This is my first attempt reading from a chart, and I understand the basics, wrong side left to right and right side right to left. What is confusing me is the repeated part. It’s 18 stitches long, but I have 91 stitches to work with. When I get to the end it seems like I will be somewhere along the repeat, not neatly at the end of the block, so then where do I start the next row so it will all line up?

The instructions are under the beginning of Left Front. This pattern has you do a strip of lace, knitting top to bottom and then back to the side seam. If I can do the lace bit, the rest is easy and I’m looking forward to doing this project. It’s for my Grandma!

Thank you!

#2

Hi!
When you work a pattern like this, it may actually be, that you end your row / round within the repeat. That can happen.
But it does not happen here.

91 stitches, 18 for the repeat:

when you work, you do 1 to 18, 1 to18, 1 to 18 and so on. Do that 5 times. Then you have worked 90 stitches. And there is the miracle: the one stitch that is shown behind the repeat: the last stitch of your right side row or the first stitch of your wrong side row. It never gets worked, but only those times at the end of your row / at the beginning.

so you just work within the red box until you get to the end of the row and have one stitch left (seen from right side). That stitch is a purl on right side. Work it and your row is done.

Maybe, if you ended up somewhere within the middle of your repeat you were not reading the chart right? The repeat is the part in the red box. And only that. And stitches outside that box only get worked when you are done repeating.

This may be “starting rows” on the bottom. This may be edge oder beginning stitches on a row. Or finishing stitches or rows after the repeat.

here the problem to grasp is that one stitch after repeat No. 5. (and the one row on the bottom of the chart that does not get repeated, either.

#3

Wow, thanks! I hadn’t tried it yet, because I couldn’t work it out in my head. I’m all cast on, ready, though! I think I was trying to work in the other two stitches, too, but those are edge ones, knit at the beginning and end of each line, and then the chart is the 91. I knew it had to work, I just couldn’t see it! Thank you!

#4

Hi, me again. I’m ready to start…what about the set up row? How do I repeat it? It’s not incuded in the box that shows the repeat. I’m learning lots from this pattern!

Thank you!

#5

The set up row uses the stitches indicated for that row and is knit in an 18st repeat as the pattern rows in the red box. The row itself is only done once at the very beginning of the project, so it’s not included in the red box. And again you’ll end up with 5 repeats of the pattern plus the one end st.

#6

Great! That makes sense. Thank you for helping me. I really appreciate it! I’m so glad I found this site. I had a look around yesterday…I’ll post some of my successes, too! And maybe someday, I’ll be able to help someone else. Thank you both!! :heart:

#7

Well, I got started, and something went wrong, so I unraveled it and tried again. And it happened again. When I get to row 3, I have too many stitches. I made it work last night, but I had to purl two together at the beginning of each repeat. I think it has something to do with the YOs in the second row. Any help would be appreciated!

#8

You should have the same number of sts as the set up row. The yarn overs should create one extra st each time, so 2 extra sts in each repeat (the red box). Every yo is balanced by a k2tog or an ssk so no change in st number.
In row 2 you should purl (or knit) the yo’s as the pattern indicates.
See how it goes the next time and if you end up with too many sts, look at the repeats and see if you can tell where the extra sts are coming from. Using stitch markers between the repeats may help too.

#9

Thanks, Salmon. I know that’s how it should work, and so I think I’ve done something a bit too much on the yarn overs. Your matter of fact reply gave me the push to go back to it and start yet one more time! I unravelled, cast on again and got through a row last night. Hopefully today I can have a bit of quiet time to sit with it and try that second row again. I think it must be something in the going from purl to knit and yarn overs, I’m going to be careful of where my yarn is. I was consistent, though! I had an extra stitch in each set of the repeat. LOL. Thank you!!

#10

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to re-do the first row of a pattern! When I yo after a purl, i take the yarn to the back between the needles, then over the top of the right needle toward the front, around and to the back again between the needles. And you’re ready to knit the next stitch. You’re right that a little quiet helps especially when you’re starting a pattern. Good luck with it!

#11

Well, thank you very much!! I’ve done it. I’m over the hump, past that third row and now I’ve done all there is to do, as far as new things. I should be good to finish it! Oh, and do the other side, too. I’ve learned a lot and I’m so grateful for your help. I’ll post a picture when it’s done!

It was the yo and mixing knit and purl. I got out the stitch markers and proceeded with awareness and calm, and voila! It came together. Fourth try, I think. And then when I hit the most complicated bit (for me!), slip 2 as if ktog, knit 1, p2sso…It took two tries, but I did it! The rest of the sweater is garter stitch. That will be a picnic!

#12

Great! Please post a photo of the finished sweater.

#13

Well, here it is! When I put it on for this picture, my husband said “when are you starting one for yourself!” And, there is nearly enough left to do another one. I never use as much as it says. I bought 7 balls (100g) and only used nearly 4. So, I’ve arranged for another one and I’m going to start a sweater for me.

#14

Very pretty work, I bet your grandmother will love it!

#15

Hi I’m also new to knitting charts and I’m quite confused. My rows are only 7 stitches long technically but I have 96 stitches which leave me 5 left over to not completely finish another set… so confused, help!

#16

Hi and welcome to Knitting Help!
It depends on what the blocks in your chart repeat are telling you to do. There may be yarnovers in the chart which don’t use a stitch but do take up a block or k2tog which takes up one block but requires two sts. Can you write out the first line of the chart whcih is causing trouble and tell us which section is repeated? or give us a scan of the first few rows?
Can you post a link to your pattern or chart or give us the pattern name?