I am making this shawl, it is so beautiful (I am using a new yarn that is ombre, it starts pink then gradually goes to purple then white). Anyway, the pattern I am using https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/julian-shawl is confusing me a bit.
I have two stitch markers, one on each side of the centre stitch. When starting the lace section, I think the wording is wrong, or maybe I don’t understand…
Row 1 (RS): K2, yo, pm, work Row 1 of Lace to
next m, pm, yo, slm, k1, slm, yo, pm, work Row 1 of
Lace until 2 sts remain, pm, yo, k2. (331 sts)
To next marker- place marker- I already have a marker there, so is it just slip marker? The wording just has me a bit confused. Also, later on in the pattern, I have some questions, but maybe I will just ask when I get there.
Hello
I think this is asking to place another marker.
If you work up to where your marker is, then place a new marker, then yarn over, then slip the marker you already had.
There’s another yo and pm after the centre stitch too.
It may not be obvious immediately what the markers are there for but they are showing where the yarnn over is on each side of the centre. Possibly it becomes clearer in the following rows why you need them.
It seems like an extra marker either side of the center stitch but between this marker and the center is where some of the yarn over increases are going to occur. You’ll have 6 markers and it may help to give them numbers or individual colors.
k2, yo, M1, lace, M2, yo, M3, k1, M4, yo, M5, lace, M6, yo, k2.
I’ve bolded the center stitch and its markers M3 and M4. The new markers near the center are M2 and M5. They are marking the yarn overs that will be the increases at the center (in addition to the yarn over increases at the edges).
Work these yarn overs as purl sts on the WS rows. You’ll see the increased section of stockinette at the center after a few rows.
Really delicate, pretty shawl.
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To (possibly) clarify what @salmonmac said:
Row 1 (RS): K2, yo, pm1, work Row 1 of Lace to
next m, pm2, yo, slm3, k1, slm4, yo, pm5, work Row 1 of
Lace until 2 sts remain, pm6, yo, k2. (331 sts)
So you work up to the marker, don’t slip it, place marker 2, yo, slip the marker that was already there, which is now #3, k1… It might have been less confusing if it was written " work to next m, slm, yo, pm, k1… " Then it would be more clear that you’re getting a marker each side of that yo.
I like to color-code markers for this sort of thing. Markers 1 & 6 could be red, 2 & 5 blue, 3 & 4 yellow, or any other combination you like. I find it helps me keep track of where I am in the pattern.
I might also use another type of marker entirely, to indicate the different sections of the lace pattern, maybe one every couple of pattern repeats.
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Thanks for the help, I now have my markers in place. On to the next part, for row 5 of the lace, where do I start? The previous rows were knit 2, yo, then the lace, there is no instruction for row 5 so do I just start doing the lace at the very beginning?
OK, good.
Like row 3, begin the row with K2, yo, k to the first m, slm, work Row 5 of Lace to the 2nd m, slm, k to 3rd m, yo, slm, k1 slm, yo, k to 5th m, slm, work Row 5 of Lace to last m, slm, k until 2sts remain, yo, k2.
You’ll need these yarn overs at the beginning and end of the row (in addition to the yarn overs either side of the center stitch) for the shape of the shawl.
It’s very helpful to use different colored markers to mark off the lace pattern until you can clearly see it developing. The markers can be as simple as different color yarn or store bought markers.
Thanks, I cut and pasted your explanation into my pattern, so I won’t have more trouble!
I think this will all be easier once you’ve worked through a repeat or two of the lace pattern. It’s such a pretty shawl.
I had no problems with the rows 1 and 3, but on row 5, I have 2 extra stitches- I knit it, pulled it back, and then counted again and again I have 2 extra- how did this happen? Do I need to frog to get back on track? After I placed my last stitch marker, I started the row of lace again, but I have two extra- how frustrating!
Each repeat of the odd number rows will add 4sts but you’re getting 2 additional sts over that number?
Markers at the edge sts where there are increases, between repeats of the lace pattern and at the center stitch will help locate the extra sts.
It’s frustrating because it’s so many sts on the needle at this point. You can count sts in the lace repeats to locate extra or missing sts. I go over lace patterns naming the sts, yarn overs, decreases and so on to make sure the pattern is each repeat is correct if necessary.
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Thanks, I frogged the lace section altogether, and now I am starting at row 1 of lace.
Sometimes there’s nothing for it except to start again. Count each row until you can see the lace pattern working (maybe 2 repeats of the pattern).
Are you using lifelines? They are a real help in case the stitch count goes off and can’t be fixed. If you need to start the lace pattern over, it will be easier to go back to the lifeline than to start over.
Thanks for that 
I am a little scared still, I keep thinking “what if I end up with 2 stitches again?” That is just me catastrophizing- I followed the instructions perfectly and on the first side everything worked great- it just didn’t work on the second side of the stitch markers…oh the what if game!
If you can see the lace pattern lining up as in the photo, then you should be fine. I know it’s not easy to tell with only a few rows worked but as best as you can.
Do you have the correct stitch number to begin with? It’s tedious to count so many sts but with markers every so many sts, it’s slightly easier.
The other possibility is, if you think the problem might be in the lace pattern itself, work the lace pattern on scrap yarn until you complete a repeat. That’ll make sure there isn’t a mistake in the lace.
This is going to work, I’m sure.
I’ve sometimes found some sort of quirk in counting, where it SEEMS to be off, but really isn’t. Check both sides in opposite directions–i.e. count both sides from outer edge to center, or vice versa.
Also, with lace it’s possible for a YO to move past a marker, so keep your eye out for that! Sometimes the best way to count is NOT to count, but to name off the stitches–" K1; Marker, ssk, k1, yo, k1, yo, k1, k2tog, k1; Marker, ssk, k1…" or whatever it is for that row.
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I always name my stitches, I was on the second repeat- so on the 12 row and I frogged the whole lace part again because I cannot count and silly me didn’t think I needed a lifeline!!! When will I learn??? This project is going away for a while- though I am hoping not long enough to end up in the wip pile that never gets done.
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Lace can certainly be frustrating. This is such a pretty patttern that I hope it’s a brief time-out. You’ll get back to it with a fresh mind. Good luck with it the next time around.
OK,- now I am at the same point I was before- row 1 of the repeat. I tried it last night and I have 1 less stitch- I pulled it back and recounted- now I counted again without knitting, just counting- and I am missing a stitch- I don’t know how, because everything worked fine on the previous rows- I now have 160 on the right side and 161 on the left side! I need 16 how did all the other rows work out if my stitch count was off? What am I doing wrong here? Is there a way to fix without frogging? This is frustrating- I also counted my other side and I have the right amount- I think I am going to have to frog about 2 rows- I think I missed a yarn over
It might help to place markers before you knit the row. The repeat is 8sts (after the initial K1). You could place a marker every 8 or 16sts. That’ll help with localizing a repeat with a mistake if necessary. It’s also a way of making sure you get to the end of row without an error.
A missing yarn over is correctable on the next row by picking up the strand between sts and putting it on the left hand needle. It works amazingly well.
