would like to make this picot swirl washcloth - http://foothillsofthegreatsmokymountains.blogspot.com/2007/07/picot-swirl-cloth_25.html - but i’m a bit fuzzy… i’m doing the pattern 6 times, but then what am i using to bind the pieces together, the 12" leftover from my cast on each time? and if that’s a yes, then is it recommended that i tie/stitch together those 6 seams where they meet in the middle?
kissin’-cousin versions also here http://www.sew-funky.com/2008/06/02/crazy-daisy/ and here http://www.groupepp.com/dishbout/kpatterns/cotcloth.html and i suspect the answer(S) would apply to all 3…
thanks! 
…i’m not ready for this yet, darth yarn… obviously need to learn more about slipping stitches, creating stitches in the middle of a row, leaving a stitch on the needle and turning and whatever other dark side skills i can’t do…
Well the best way to learn these techniques, which are not as difficult as you might think, is to do them. This is a great pattern for all of the above and thanks for the link to it.
Since this is knit “sideways”, each row extends from center to outer edge so the 6 sections are continuous and won’t have to be joined. Only the first cast on and last bind off are seamed.
Whenever you’re ready, give it a go. We’ll all be happy to help.
Thanks so much for sharing the “plain jane” version - I’ve been looking for one. I’ve been working the [COLOR=“Red”]almost lost dishcloth[/COLOR] - a kissing cousin pattern with fewer points - and it’s an addictive pattern to work! I’m looking forward to giving those patterns a try! 
salmonmac is spot on - knitting is a learn by doing proposition, and there are lots of people here who are more than willing to help out when you get stuck. Speaking as a repetitive stuckee, I know how helpful the members of the forum and the mods are! 
I think you’ll like making any one of these. Yes, it can look intimidating to just read the pattern but if you just do it as written - you know you can ask about any detail that hangs you up here - you’ll be soon be watching the magic of a circular cloth appear right before your very eyes. These are cool and will impress anybody who sees them. They’ll just know you’re a crazy mad knitting expert. You’ll also learn things that will come in useful again and again. If you get frustrated with it put it down and do something else and your yarn will be waiting for you when you’re ready to work on it again.
ok… thanks to all for offering suggestions and support… i think i’m going to start this type of cloth with justplaincharlotte’s ‘almost lost’ pattern, as it seems easier to me with less steps. but…
knit back?
when i look at the videos for it here (http://www.knittinghelp.com/video/play/knitting-back-english or http://www.knittinghelp.com/video/play/knitting-back-continental) they show work already done, not starting from the cast on row. and, even the english version of it looks very left-oriented instead of normal right-hand/english.
wouldn’t it be possible to just cast on, turn the work so it’s going left-right and english style, and then just knit the 14 stitches as normal, or does that just mess it up from the get-go?
I don’t think this pattern means to “knit back” in the sense of maintain stocknette stitch and knit backwards. The use of “knit back” is meant to mean [I]turn[/I], knit the row, just as you suggest at the end of your post. That’ll give you the garter stitch that is shown in the photos.
Xtopher: I think so many of these round cloths say “knit back” because they’re trying to make sure that you’ve turned and changed direction to work back the way you came but aren’t finishing in the original direction. Hence the term “short row.” Easiest darn things to do, but the wording gives so many of us fits!
I hope you’re enjoying almost lost, I just cast on your picot swirl and adore it!
thanks for the clarifications!
ok, so cast on 14… turn around, knit those 14 again as row 1… turn around, knit 4, yarn over, knit until there’s only 2 stitches left as row 2… turn around, and knit those now 12 instead of 14 again as row 3… but, what about those 2 stitches i left on the needle in row 2?
ok, enough of my whining… here i am, 3 repeats in…
Lookin’ good! I guess you figured out what about those 2 rem sts. Good going.
i did figure out the 2/4/6/8 ‘issue’ - thanks for checking in - and now i’m up to 6 ‘points’. might even have this one done tonight.
but i will have a question about the casting off of each pattern row, when i’m done.
already i have ideas for this too… thinking it would be an easy pattern to use with some of my fancy, silly, boucle, and novelty yarns, and make scarves with… increase the stitches to say, 20-24, and just keep going with the pattern beyond the 14 ‘points’ needed for the washcloth. then a regular bind off at the end, and no seaming together… would end up all whirligigesque…
Your idea sounds cool. You might want to look up potato chip scarves. They’re similar to what you describe.
it’s 2 am… but it’s done! next time, in brighter colors, maybe a cotton instead of acrylic, and then that scarf idea… thanks to all for the group effort. it really does take a village… to get me knitting.
You did it and it looks great! All those new techniques in one project and very nicely done, too.
Oh, I like it a lot. You really did do well. You learned a lot of things, as salmonmac said, and getting to see it done is always the best part. I think it’s magical the way it comes together.
GG- yup, potato chip scarf, that’s exactly the idea i had in my head, just didn’t know it already had a name. have seen them described as ruffled, twirls, even spinners, propellers, twists, and pinwheels… i’m sticking with ‘whirligig’ tho, it’s fun to say…
I like whirligig too. It’s fun to say and just different enough to be very appealing. 
Looks great!! 
Short rows are such amazing things: you can knit flat in a round (you just did!), you can do a sock heel, and make a wavy scarf!
Congratulations!
