Column of Leaves help!

twiggy · 06-04-2007, 08:10 AM

Hi all,

My first post is a cry for help!

I'm trying (and failing) to knit Column of Leaves - I've ripped the silly thing up about 10 times. I actually knitted a correct repeat last night (but without the edging) - but do you think I can do it correctly tonight?!

Because I can do it correctly sometimes but not others, I'm not sure what my problem is...sometimes I swear I do the same thing with different results (I'm quite hopeless).

So - a few things I find confusing (it's my first time knitting lace) - at least this is where I *think* I'm getting confused...

SKP - the pattern specifies knitwise for all slip stitches...which means my yarn should always be at the back as for knitting? (as well as putting the needle through like a knit stitch). Because sometimes I've just finished a purl before a SKP.

k1, yo, SKP - this seems to give me a cross-over with the yarn...but maybe it's supposed to?

I *know* the yo's are giving me grief, because sometimes I have no stitch there on the next row. I can do a yo between knit stitches, and a yo between a knit and a purl, but maybe not between a purl and a purl, and definitely something weird goes on between a purl and a knit...help?!

Several times I've ended up with 3-4 extra stitches (probably because of my dodgy yo's). I know the pattern alternates between 39 and 41, but I was getting 43/44...

Also, while I think of it - p2tog. I thought I knew how to do it, i.e. just a normal purl but going through two loops instead of one. And after wrapping the yarn, the right needle goes under and behind the left. But in one of the knitting help videos (which I now can't find) I swear after wrapping I saw the needle go under (to catch the loop) but then in *front* of the left needle before slipping off. ???

I *love* this pattern and hope the experts on here can give me a hand!

Thanks heaps!

kemp · 06-04-2007, 02:34 PM

skp...you are correct

k1, yo, skp...so you knit one, yarn over, then slip the one then knit one then pass the slipped stitch over...is that what you're doing?

for the yo, when you do before a purl, it's going to seem like you do an extra wrap. Just make sure that after you do your yarn over then you work your next stitch there should be yarn lying over the needle (just like a yo between two knit stitches)

extra stitches could be extra yo, or maybe you forgot to PSSO?

Purl two together is just that...put the right needle under the two stitches and purl as usual. Don't worry about watching the video too closely if you think it messes you up...since everyone knits/purls slightly different it might just look a little different to you.

kemp · 06-04-2007, 02:37 PM

Just looked at the pattern...did you mean that p2t through the back loops is what you were having trouble with? That one is a little different...

suzeeq · 06-04-2007, 02:40 PM

Yes, slip kwise is slipping the stitch as if you were going to knit it with the yarn in back also. The K1, yo skp will leave that loose yo laying across the needle. A yo between purls is - purl, bring the yarn over the needle and around to the front, purl. A yo between a purl and a knit - purl, just bring the yarn over the needle (loosely) and knit. You make the p2tog the same way you do a single purl st only with 2 sts.

hth
sue

Calamintha · 06-04-2007, 04:17 PM

When you have a YO before SKP make sure when you go to pass the slipped stitch over that you are getting the slipped stitch and not the YO before it. YOs can slide around and you might mistake it for the slipped stitch.

The best advice I can give to new lace knitters is count, count, count. Always count the number of stitches on the row to make sure you have the right number before going on to the next row. This pattern changes the number of stitches on certain rows so make to make note of the number of stitches you should have for each row.

Also this pattern is a little more difficult because every row is a pattern row. Some lace patterns have WS rows that are all knit or all purl. If you continue to have problems with this pattern you could try one that has all knit or all purl on the WS and then come back to this one.

If you are working from the written instructions try the chart and if you are working from the chart try the written instructions instead. Some people have more luck with one than the other. Block off the row above and the row using post-its so you don't lose your place.

You can also try putting in a lifeline at the beginning of each repeat. You thread a length of lighter weight yarn through the stitches on the needle. Then if you make a mistake and have to frog you can frog back to the beginning of the repeat without worrying about dropping stitches.

twiggy · 06-05-2007, 03:19 AM

Thank you all for the advice - I'm a bit more certain of some of the mechanics of the stitches now, so will give it another go tonight.

Kemp - the purl together through back loops is actually ok - I'm doing this one right.

suzeeq - I was definitely *not* doing the right thing between a purl and a knit, from your description. Thanks for clearing this up for me!

Calamintha, I *love* the lifeline idea. I've only just come across it through your post and a video on this site, and I'm shaking my head at all the time I've spent ripping knitting / crossing my eyes trying to pick up loops!! I'm also going to use the chart tonight and see if that makes things clearer.

lizzitude · 06-05-2007, 11:55 AM

This pattern is also confusing because it alternates between 39 and 41 stitches on odd/even rows......I also ripped it out MANY times before I figured that out!

twiggy · 06-06-2007, 11:50 AM

It's working! I'm using the chart (*much* easier), and the stitches are behaving themselves - so thank you all again!

Jaye · 06-06-2007, 07:44 PM

Hi,

Great pattern! I have a question about the Slip 1 versus the SKP where you slip the first stitch. Is the slip in SKP slipped knitwise? I know the Slip 1 at the beginning of the row is knitwise. Also when doing the P2togtbl -- can I just purl 2 tog and after the stitch is on the right needle turn it around? Having trouble doing this.

Thanks,

Jaye

twiggy · 06-06-2007, 11:03 PM

Jaye, I'm 99% sure the slip in SKP is knitwise as well - that's what I've been doing and it looks right so far!

p2togtbl is a tough one - I find my stitches are often too tight to do the stitch easily. There's a video here that shows how it's done - you need to go behind and capture the second stitch on the left needle first, then the first...it's a tricky one!

Good luck!