Wool forward on knit stitches? - lace blanket

How-to Questions
1

I am knitting a lace shawl for my grandson, due in December. The pattern is an old P & B shetland pattern that I purchased. It begins with a large garter stitch square, knit on the bias from corner to corner. Then stitches are picked up along the side and the lace is knit from there.
That’s where I’m at now. After picking up the stitches along one side, and knitting one row, here I am:

The pattern says:
1st row - wool forward, K3, *(w.fwd., k1) 6 times, k6, rep from * to last 9 sts., (w. fwd., k1) 6 times, K3

I understand what the directions call for, but can’t understand how to do the w fwd, so that it makes any difference. It’s a brain block. Is it yarn forward before I insert the right needle into the stitch? Is the yarn wrapped around the needle in the same way? When I do it, it just comes off looking like a regular knit stitch, so I’m not sure if I’ve done it right or not. And every single row requires this w fwd movement, so if I don’t get it right, it’s not gonna look like it’s supposed to.

I don’t think that they mean a yarn over, because the square started with a w.o.n. which meant wool over needle (yarn over) and a k3 tog - this created a loop on each row, for picking up the stitches. Does anyone know what they mean and can tell me how to do it???

I’m knitting it in a white laceweight alpaca/silk yarn that is absolutely heavenly, and I really want it to turn out nicely.

Thanks so much for any help!!!

Confused in TX

2

It’s probably a YO since it’s followed by a k1 and it’s lace.

sue

3

I don’t think that they mean a yarn over, because the square started with a w.o.n. which meant wool over needle (yarn over) and a k3 tog - this created a loop on each row, for picking up the stitches. Does anyone know what they mean and can tell me how to do it???

I think you’re supposed to continue with that loop at the beginning–basically a yo before the first knit on the needle. I don’t know why they’d word it differently, though.

Insert the needle and then bring the yarn from the front over the right needle to knit the next stitch. You’ll get that loop at the edge.

4

Ingrid & Sue,
Thank you both so much! You were right, it is a yo, although I don’t know why they would call it something different than they did in the previous instructions. Anyway I knitted about 12 rows of the lace design and it is turning out beautifully!

Thanks again!

5

British patterns have about 3 different ways to say yarn over. Beginning with calling yarn `wool’ even if it’s synthetic. :wink:

sue