Lace Knitting

McKnitty · 11-09-2007, 04:15 PM

I just started my first lace knitting project. It is a wrap and the pattern isn't that difficult, but there are many yo's and different decreases.

I was on the 14th row when I realized I had one less stitch than I should have. I just assumed I had skipped a yo. I thought I could just tink back and correct it.

Well, tinking those decreases was a nightmare (especially the sl1, k2tog, psso) and I couldn't read the knitting well enough to put everything back the way it should go. I decided to frog the whole thing and start over.

I'm now well past the 14th row and so far everything is going well, but now I feel insecure that I'm going to make a mistake and not be able to correct it.

Does anyone who does lace knitting have any helpful hints for me? The only thing I can think of is to put a lifeline in every few rows. Then if I run into another problem, at least I won't have to start completely over. However, I still have a long way to go (about 50" more), so I'm not sure that is a practical solution.

dustinac · 11-09-2007, 09:53 PM

Life lines are a great idea...they really can help you cause with lace you just never know...I also like to use stitch markers between pattern repeats if I can...this way if the next row I don't come out right I know something is wrong the row below and it can be easier to fix...Lace knitting tends to move slower for me cause I also make sure I'm not going to be interrupted in a middle of a row so this means after kids are in bed...

lostchyld · 11-09-2007, 10:18 PM

Stitch markers are a good idea. I haven't used lifelines, but I haven't had trouble tinking double decreases yet, so it hasn't mattered. I usually look for the mistake before I try to go back. It gives you a better idea of where you need to get back to.

I am, unfortunately, the notorious abandoner of mistakes. If I can't find something that's going to unravel the whole project, I'm significantly more likely to pick up a new stitch and keep going than I am to go back and fix the error. It's a bad habit, but mistakes are what make the project unique, so I don't worry too much.

McKnitty · 11-09-2007, 11:16 PM

Thank you for the replies. Looks like stitch markers and lifelines are the way to go. I'm usually good at tinking and fixing mistakes, but those decreases were too much!

redwitch · 11-10-2007, 01:11 PM

Yes yes, stitch markers are a huge help and lifelines are not just for short projects. In fact they are more needed in big projects. Also learn to read your knitting it will be a huge help.
Look out for yos, they will jump off the needle when you are not looking but they are easy to pick up if you know where they should be (which is where stitch markers come in, for fine lace I like to cut very fine slivers off the end of drinking straws).

holamiis · 11-10-2007, 05:10 PM

redwitch- the stitch marker out of the bits of straw are a great idea!

Jeremy · 11-11-2007, 06:00 AM

When you miss a yo its perfectly fine to pick up the stitch below the next time you head through. That will get you back on track. When I do have to tink k2 tog or sl k2tog psso, I squeeze the yarn just below where the stitch is. I find that prevents the stitch from running.

cookie48192 · 04-07-2012, 09:00 PM

count a row that you know is right. Then count every row when you are done. Or if it has a sequence, count when you are done with each sequence, ie between *_____ *

ArtLady1981 · 04-09-2012, 02:32 AM

You are absolutely right: LIFELINES!

If you are going to install lifelines every 4th row or so...be sure to use different colors of lifelines...and make note what row number each color represents.

I am knitting a Japanese Feather Shawl. It's a 30 row repeat, with the first 15 rows swirling to the left...and the last 15 swirling to the right.

So I install a blue lifeline on all row 15's...and a brown lifeline on all row 30's. It's impossible to read the knitting by eyeballing it because the knitting is all crunched up until you block it.

Oy vey.

Save your sanity. Use lifelines!!!