YO help needed

#1

I just started this pattern…

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer08/PATTheyteach.html

And like a scarf with some cable knit I tried to do a few weeks back the YO within the patter is giving me troubles.For this cardigan, the part that has me troubled is the Lace pattern…

the author also put a note saying…

“Shaping Note:
Within the lace pattern, each [yo] is paired with a decrease. When increasing or decreasing at edge of work (ie. when shaping armholes and neckline), be sure to keep lace pattern correct. Do not work a [yo] if there are not enough sts to work its accompanying decrease.”

I’m new at knitting so I just found out that a YO doesn’t include wrapping the yarn around the needled AND the following knit stitch. When I did that it would mess up my stitch. correct?

So I tried just doing a YO and doing the next square in the grid. But that has me thinking I did the pattern wrong anyway because the author says to do a decrease after every YO. I’m not sure how to do this.

I’ve also never read a knitting chart before either. It’s confusing me, how many stitches are being represented by each square here? the YO decrease comment has me thinking two for the O square but who knows? definately not me. lol

#2

There is (normally) a decrease associated with each yarnover. it is not necessarily the next stitch. It could be the previous stitch. it could be a dozen stitches along the row.

Each square of the chart represents one stitch of the FINISHED row. But a decrease USES 2 stitches to create that one. YARNOVER does not use any stitches but produces one on the resulting row. This is why you pair yarnovers and decreases to keep the stitch count the same.

Making more sense?

#3

yeah that makes more sense. My only real question then is for this pattern according to the chart I don’t knit two stitches together after doing the YO? it doesn’t look like it shows that on the chart. It only shows a S2kP. would that be the only decreasing I need to do to keep the rows even?

#4

Since you said you’ve never worked with charts before, I just wanted to make sure that you’re reading it correctly. It’s read from the bottom up. The odd rows are read right-to-left while the even rows are read left-to-write. You’ve probably figured this out by now but I just wanted to reiterate it :slight_smile:

Oh, and another word of caution: repeat [I]only[/I] the section outlined in red. So start with the first 4 sts, work the outlined sts until 9 sts remain, then work the remaining 9 sts as instructed. I learned this the hard way :doh: (I made this sweater back in March.)

If you look at Row 1, notice there are 4 increases (yo), 2 single decreases (ssk and k2tog), and 1 double decrease (sk2p). So for every increase (yo), there is a decrease. Similarly, in Row 11, there are 4 increases (yo) and 2 double decreases (sk2p). So, no, you [I]don’t[/I] do a k2tog (or ssk) immediately after every YO. Just follow the chart and it will work out :thumbsup:

The only time you need to pay attention to the number of decreases and increases in the lace pattern is when you’re doing the armhole & neckline shaping. When you get to those parts, you’ll need to follow the designer’s instructions: “Do not work a [yo] if there are not enough sts to work its accompanying decrease.” So when you get to the end of a row and notice that you only have X sts left but realize that you would need X+1 sts to work both the YO and its accompanying decrease, then don’t do the YO (or the decrease when you come to it in the pattern… just knit it).

#5

thank you so much, you answered all my questions! How did your sweater turn out, if you don’t mind me asking?

#6

I posted it in the [B]What’cha Knittin’?[/B] forum back in April:

http://www.knittinghelp.com/forum/showthread.php?t=98673

It turned out really well, despite some difficulties along the way :wink: There are mistakes that I made but I didn’t stress about them. (If you’re on Ravelry, you can see my notes for this project, where I outline my progress.) The recipient is my boyfriend’s mother who wears it all the time :slight_smile: