Kind of devastated.

AnnaT · 10-17-2007, 06:52 AM

I ordered Elsebeth Lavold's 'Viking Patterns for Knitting' and was completely delighted to receive it today. What beautiful patterns! Such an interesting book!

But

all the cable patterns are given in chart form!

Guess I'll be learning to read a chart now.

zkimom · 10-17-2007, 12:07 PM

Charts aren't that hard, really. It just takes a little bit to get used to using them.

I never liked using charts but I recently made a shawl using one and now I'm making lace socks and it's not so bad.

Just start knitting and you'll get the hang of it.

HollyP · 10-17-2007, 12:08 PM

You could always translate it out line by line. I hate reading charts too! I have up to this point avoided them. But maybe if I got a book like that I would force myself to learn how to properly read and knit from charts. Good luck! I am sure you can get plenty of help around here!!
Maybe we should have a chart reading KAL.

KnittingNat · 10-17-2007, 12:23 PM

I just finished knitting a sweater from a chart (also cables) and it's not so bad, you just need to figure out how each stitch is marked and also i would advise to photocopy the chart, so you can mark on it with a pen or pencil the rows you've already done, because at some point you just go cross-eyed

! HTH

Silver · 10-17-2007, 12:33 PM

There's two types of knitters, those who were forced to use a chart and now love charted patterns, and those who were forced to use a chart and still don't like charted patterns.

I'm the former.

Good luck, hope you're a former too.

Um.. well, I guess there's also the knitters who have yet to be forced to use a chart, but you know... lol

dakatzmeow · 10-17-2007, 01:00 PM

i agree with silver on this one. i feared charts mightily, until i found a pattern i knew i simply MUST knit and it had a chart. it's kind of nice to have all those wordy instructions in easy picture format.

Wahlee · 10-17-2007, 04:29 PM

Don't fear the chart! I was worried the first time I had to follow one, too (for a lace shawl), but they're dead easy-- as long as you have the key. I made a copy of a chart once (to enlarge it), and forgot to copy the key. Oops.

The hardest thing about them, really, is realizing that they represent the right side of the fabric, so on wrong-side rows the symbols will mean "do the opposite of what you saw on the right-side row," and that you read wrong-side rows from left to right instead of right to left.

Limey · 10-17-2007, 08:13 PM

I'm so directionally-challenged I can't find my way out of a one-way street.

I think the last time I attempted a chart, I gave it up as a bad job and turned it into a crossword puzzle.

jeanius80 · 10-17-2007, 08:25 PM

i keep wanting to learn charts, but my brain wants to read it top to bottom, left to right..... :sigh:

do you think with something simple, like pomatomus socks, that it would make a difference if i did that? what if i did that and knit them toe up? would that make them look 'right' ?

rissa · 10-17-2007, 08:45 PM

You can sooo do this! Charts can be intimidating. A couple suggestions:

1) Use a post it note to place directly under the row you are currently working on, thus covering up the parts of the chart you have already done. You'll know exactly where you are.

2) Before diving into it, mark arrows on each line showing the direction you are suppose to go on. Most charts start out right to left, then 2nd line is left to right, 3rd line right to left and so on.

Hope this helps a little, any other suggestions?