Row 3: CO 5 st

#1

Ok, part of the problem is that I don’t know if I’m reading the chart correctly, so I need to either CO 5 st at the end of Row 3 or at the beginning of Row 3…

So let me start over: I am TRYING to work the Backyard Leaves scarf from Scarf Syle. I am TRYING to get over my anti-chartness with this pattern, but it’s been a difficult task. It isn’t a normal square/rectangular chart because the pattern requires a different stitch count on each row. So the chart literally looks like a leaf.

Question 1: Starts with CO 10, then work set up row. Do I read this row left to right, or right to left? It is a WS row, so I would assume left to right. However, I kind of thought the purpose of charts was to show the stitches in relation to other stitches, and it doesn’t seem to want to read that way if I try to read left to right. Set up row ends with 10 st., Row 1 has 12 st as a result of 2 yo’s. In the chart, Row 1 is aligned with the set up row on the left side and hangs over set up row by 2 st. on the right side. Because of this, my head wants to read the Set up Row from right to left, and then read Row 1 from left to right.

Question 2: If my head is correct in reading the chart and I read my RS rows from left to right, when I get to row 3, I’m supposed to start by casting on 5 stitches. What is the best method for this?..Of course if I’m just reading the chart backwards and I CO 5 at the end of the row, I can handle that and you can just ignore this question.

Ugh. I know I’m making this harder than it needs to be.

#2

If the set up row is part of the chart, and it is the first row of the chart, my first inclination would be to read it right to left.

As for casting on at the beginning of row 3, you’re gonna hate me for this, how about casting on those stitches at the end of row 2 in preparation for row 3?

#3

Ingrid, how did I know that you were going to be the one to answer my questions? :rofling:

and I had thought of doing that. So would I just slip the stitches over to the right needle at the beginning of row three? and if I did that, then my working yarn is going to be to the right of my 5 stitches, rather than in between the last CO stitch and the first pattern stitch to be worked. that doesn’t jive in my head…

“Help me, Ingrid-one-kenobe, you’re my only hope”

#4

Calm down, Luke.

I would just, at the end of row 2, do five backward loop cast on stitches, turn my work and be ready for row 3.

#5

ok, i think i have it figured out now. For the fun of it (and since I had only gotten to row 3 previously), I tried reading the pattern left to right for the set up row, and then begin the right to left with Pattern Row 1. While I was concerned about things not lining up on paper, they seem to be lining up in the pattern and in the yarn, so I think I’m going to stick with this.

Thanks Ingrid for coming to my rescue once again and helping me think through this pattern!

#6

Well, I guess I wasn’t much help after all, but it does help to ‘talk things out’ sometimes. I’m glad you’ve got it figured out. I don’t understand why patterns don’t specify these things!