Hi! Haven’t tried a difficult pattern (lots of cables) since 87. This pattern is awesome, sleeves are done but the body back is written like an in the round pattern but you are knitting straight. I restarted after getting to to row 12 or 15 at least 5 times. It’s a pattern with odd rows left to right, even right to left. I finally figured out on the odd rows I had to reverse all the cabling stitches to get this to work. What am I missing? I viewed videos, read pattern help stuff. I’m tempted to put the pattern into writing so I don’t have to remember to reverse the stitching in the cables! Any help is appreciated.
Welcome to KH!
What a spectacular looking sweater.
Are you knitting with the unworked sts on the left hand needle and the working needle in your right hand?
If so the chart is written with the odd rows read [I]right[/I] [I]to[/I] [I]left[/I] and the even rows left to right. This is the way most though not all charts are written. You can see that that will put the cables which are on the odd rows onto the RS or out-facing side of the sweater.
Yes, the unworked stitches are on the left and the knitting done with the right, and I’m reading the pattern the way you describe. But if you looked at the pattern, where the cables are, it shows a knit stitch on the right side (odd row) of the pattern but tells you to also knit stitch on the wrong side (even row) over the knitted stich, which produces a moss stitch, not a cable. For a cable to occur, the stitch has to be a purl on odd (wrong side) rows to produce 2 knit stitches on the front. It is not on this pattern.
What am I missing?
Usually the key will say a blank square on the chart is knit on the RS, purl on the WS. The squares with the dot would be purl on the RS, knit on the WS.
Your key may be missing this information.
This is slightly different, it says : the back is shaped by incorporating decreases around the cables. In the charts on pages 6-8 in order to keep the alignment of seed stitch sections and cables, the shaping results in gray “no stitch” areas. When a grey box appears, it indicates a place holder on the chart and this box should be ignored.
If you open the pattern and enlarge it (it was attached) it shows a true seed stitch on the rows, with knit on RS, purl on wrong side.
The blanks squares are knit, the squares with dots are purl, true, but if you knit the cable so it protrudes from the stockinette stiches between the cables, and you are told to knit the same stitch on the opposite side (all the cables are knit stitches in both WS and RS rows. How do you read that? If you knit it the way it is written, it doesn’t result in a cable and instructions don’t address that.
thanks for all your input! every bit helps
Yes, the grey boxes can be ignored as they are only there to keep the chart boxes aligned.
I agree the major part of the background is seed stitch. Stitches that were knit on the RS are knit on the WS for example.
For the cable itself, the stitches are knit on the RS, [I]purl[/I] on the WS (not knit on the RS and WS). That’ll give you a smooth stockinette stitch cable, all Vs on the RS. Don’t think of the blank squares as always being knit sts. They’re only knit sts on the RS. Charts are written this way so that you have the visual of the cable pattern or lace stitch pattern or whatever.
The interior spaces of the cable are reverse stockinette, purl on the RS, knit on the WS.
OK, that’s what I was missing! I figured it out after 7 failed starts, but this is the first time I’ve used a pattern. I just didn’t have peace I knew what I was doing! I watched 4 or 5 videos on patterns but none of them addressed cabling. Thanks so much for your patience and help.
If I may, one more question. On the rows that have those gray boxes, for example row 53, it shows 4 gray boxes. But it only has no decreases for that row. Isn’t that going to leave me with 4 extra stitches at the end of the row unless I slip them off if I’m not to knit or purl them? Her instructions say decreases are around the cable but it looks like they are only every 5 or 6 rows and there aren’t decreases for row 53.
thanks again!
It looks like there is an accumulation of decreases on the preceding rows, 11, 35, 47 for example. Keep count of your sts and you’ll be fine. Once you’ve gotten started with the first few rows, you’ll begin to see the pattern and you can also use that as a guide.
One of our less active moderators has made this so I’ve reached out to her to see if she can help/talk to you about this sweater.
Jan mentioned that you’re knitting Sylvi. I knit Sylvi in 2008, so my “memory” isn’t fresh about the details.
There is a KAL at Ravelry, but it’s mostly died down now.
http://www.ravelry.com/groups/sylvi-kal
The advice salmonac has been giving you is good, and I agree with her. Anytime a grey box appears on a given chart row, skip it, ignore it. It represents a stitch that hasn’t been born yet.
Are you [B]absolutely certain[/B] that you’re understanding your chart symbols correctly?
Have you color-coded your charts? The chart you posted looks plain black & white. The reason I ask is because I found it necessary. I could [B]not[/B] have knit this project from a black & white chart.
I’ve never EVER seen a such a complicated Chart Key and corresponding Chart Symbols. Some symbols are NEARLY identical. Very subtle differences.
This is a daunting project, let me warn you. If you’re having trouble already, just wait. It gets worse. I’m not gonna lie, it was a real challenge. But, many women (1,487 Ravelry knitters) have successfully knit this project, so I thought “Why not me, too?”
I didn’t work my bobbles and flower petals in the charted work. I knit them independently and attached them afterwards.
I’ll look around later for my color coded charts and chart symbol key, and try to post them using my Android phone, but don’t hold your breath about that. It rarely works for me (posting a newly taken smartphone photo cuz it’s not small enough pixels, anger my smartphone editor doesn’t resize pixels).
I have a Ravelry project page. My Sylvi is Hibernating if you can believe it! I got it all assembled, but my coat weighed so much (my yarn choice was too dense and heavy Rowan “Polar”) that my raglan sleeve seams (not much support with Raglan style over traditional shoulder seams with set-in sleeves) allowed the coat to stretch, and my sleeves became mountain gorilla length when the coat was donned. So I took the coat completely apart, and purchased fabric with which to line the upper body, to help support the stitches, to prevent the stretching…but there she lays, in my knitting room, in neatly folded pieces with two fabric yardages neatly folded on top. I just haven’t had the mojo to tackle my “fix”. I’d have to “wing it” when cutting the chiffon “pattern pieces” of the lining. Next, is have to hand stitch the linings into place. Oy vey.
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/ArtLady/sylvi
Well, I located my color-coded charts, all 5-6 pages of them, but I’m going to (try to) post only two: Back Chart with Rows 1-84, and the Chart Key.
If you’d like [B]all[/B] of my color-coded charts to work with, give me your express permission to email you directly. I can see email addy you signed up with for KH, but I’m not sure you’d like to receive messages with photos.
In general…
I muddled through each RS row, stitch by stitch. And on the WS, work the stitches as they present themselves. Knit the knits, purl the purls. Ignore grey boxes, aka stitches that haven’t been born yet.
BTW, the [B]M[/B] on Chart Rows 13, 15, 27, 29 [B]isn’t a ‘row increase’[/B] because they’re paired with a corresponding SSK and K2T, thereby creating those little leaves. I think the M is a “Make 1” increase. but it could be a bar increase (kfb). It’s a bit confusing because the ABBREVIATIONS list on pg 4 doesn’t say what the [B]M [/B]means. It states the M1 and M2 increases, but not plain “M”. But for sure, there’s an increase there.
The same page under CHART NOTES is very clear about the Back shaping. It’s a novel increase because it’s not worked the way shaping is usually worked, at each end of the rows. These increases are worked [B]within the field of knitting[/B], aka, they’re slipped in at the location of the cables.
The Chart Notes, paragraph 1, are very clear about those grey boxes, and its exactly as I’d said: these grey boxes are to be ignored, they’re “place holders” that indicate stitches that haven’t been born yet.
So as you’re knitting along, just step right on over those grey boxes and work the Stitch that comes next.
Beautiful! This is the first time I’ve used a pattern and not written instructions, so no, I haven’t color coded it. How did you do yours, did you color match the 6,5,4 stitch codes, and all the others? Your right, it is very extensive. I was just coloring each line as I finished it so I could keep track of where I was, and match each of the 'special stitches as I came to them. (This page was black and white because the entire pattern was too large to attach so I printed and scanned one page.I didn’t know bout the library on Ravalry to link via HTTP.)
On the stitches, I think I understand the stitches–I had already decided to do the petals separate, I even bough a darker yarn of the same type for the flowers and was going to do the boubles the same dark color… I didn’t want to use a very heavy yarn or wool, I’m in SC so I might get to wear this in Jan or Feb LOL. I bought Bernat Satin sport weight, it’s 100% acrylic and I’m using an 11 needle for gauge. I really hope it doesn’t stretch out on me! Seriously the last cable sweater I did was about 3 years after starting to knit, and that sweater I finished in Ramstein Ge in 1989. It’s attached. I would love to knit this again but I’ve lost the pattern for it.
awesome, now I see what you mean by color coding, and yes, please send to my email directly, that would be so helpful. I’ll be sure to keep in touch as I go and ask questions as I come to it. I did see some mistakes I made on the sleeves, but it didn’t take long to do those and I may make them again without the cuff, wasn’t real fond of the cuff pattern when it was done.
Thanks to both you and salmonmac for all the assistance. I’ve never gone on a knitting help page to ask questions, although I’ve watched lots of videos.
No. Those handwritten numbers you see beside each chart symbol in the Key were just visual triggers for me. It helped me get a grip on “what’s next”.
I’ll send you an email with attachments for my other charts.
Email sent! Let me know when and if you receive it.
Another quick question: have you joined Ravelry yet? If not, please do so at your earliest opportunity. Then “friend” me. I’m Artlady there. (Click my link below in my signature space). Ravelry has many advantages with respects to specific patterns, and who [B]is[/B] or [B]has[/B] knitted Sylvi, as well as the opportunity [B]to read their notes and experiences.[/B] I read many many many knitter’s notes before and whilst knitting Sylvi.
I’m getting a sense that you’re a self help girl, taking initiative to get outside help when you’re stuck. But my experience is: getting a full picture [B]before[/B] beginning is a great practice. Remove the stumbling blocks beforehand is the motto.
Thanks so much, Dollyce. Your jacket turned out so beautifully, it’s a pleasure to see! Maybe time to get it out again and finish it off? As i was reading your post, i wondered about using seaming tape along the raglan sleeves to strengthen and stabilize the shoulders?
I also color code cables to make knitting easier. It’s a very good idea. Marking the decreases on this chart will help too. And sticky notes are a good way to mark your place in the chart. I’m using them right now on a chart.
The one place that you can’t work the sts as they appear (knit the knits and purl the purls) of course is the seed stitch background.
Many thanks for the invaluable notes and photos.
Thank you both, I see what you mean about getting stumbling blocks out the way first, and I did get the email, thanks much. I can’t wait to get started again tonight. I don’t remember if I joined Ravalry but will check it tonight and friend you! thanks so much for all your help! 