Help with Berroco Loppem

[JaneDivided]

Hi everyone,

I am knitting the. Norah Gaughan pattern Loppem that appears in Volume 3. I was hoping someone might be able to clarify on something. The pattern reads as follows, and with respect to the charts that are referenced they are 21 sts wide and 20 rows high.

"With longer circular needle, cast on 196 sts. Do not join. P 1 row. Inc row (ws) - k17, increasing 4 sts, place marker, k33 sts, place marker, k1, place marker, k94, place marker, k1, place marker, k to last 17 sts, place marker, k to end, increasing 4 sts across 204 sts. Establish charts: 1 (rs) - work row 1 of chart 1 to first marker, k to last marker, work row 1 of chart 2."

So it would seem I purl across row 1. On row two I'm increasing by 4 sts in the first 17 sts before placing the marker, then increasing 4 sts across the final 17 sts. This would give me the 21 sts required on either end for the charts I need to work. Am I correct? Charts have always intimidated me.

Finally, what increase method should I use? I've only done one other sweater and it didn't require an increase at all.

Thanks so much for any help.

[suzeeq]

It looks as though you have R 2 figured out. It probably doesn't matter which inc you use, so do the one you're familiar with.

[MerigoldinWA]

Is the rev St st side of the piece the RS? In a case like this where the slant of the increases doesn't really matter, most any increase you like will work. You might try a little swatch with your yarn doing a purl row and then increasing on the knit row different ways and see what they look like on the RS. Some I would try are a simple backward loop, one where you pick up the strand between the two needles and knit it so it is twisted, maybe picking up the right leg of the stitch below the first st on the left needle, even a kfb could be tried. See what looks best, or you may find that most of them look pretty good.

It sounds like you understand the directions correctly. Increasing each 17 on the ends by 4 will give you your 21 for the charts.

[JaneDivided]

Ok, I have hit a bit of a stumbling block. I had previously posted the instructions for the sweater above. I'm confused because I first cast on the 196 sts, and then I purl back across. I thought that would have been my wrong side row, but the next line says the next row where I'm increasing is my wrong side row. Then I'm to start with row 1 of my chart. The chart inevitably has cables which begin on row 3 of the pattern. In that row you are to kniw or purl up to that point, slip 2 onto cn in front of work, k3, k2 from cn.

So if I start my chart where they say it would start, they're saying I establish my charts on a rs row. But at that point I think that would be a purl row. That seems strange to me since the sweater is in stockinette except for where the cables are and the knit side of the stst faces out. What am I missing?

[suzeeq]

The beg instructions as you wrote in the first post have you CO, purl a row and inc on the next row which is a knit row on the WS. Then you work the first row of the chart which is the RS, so it all follows. Many patterns will have you do a knit row on the WS or a P row on the RS, so just follow the pattern. I've made up sweaters like that, the 2 rows in Rev stockinette prevent the edge from flipping up.

[JaneDivided]

Oh, OK, thanks Sue. But then after that I'd be following it in Stockinette if I understand correctly? Allow me to post more

"Establish charts: 1 (rs) - work row 1 of chart 1 to first marker, k to last marker, work row 1 of chart 2 to end.
2 - work row 2 of chart 2 to first marker, p to next marker, work row 2 of chart 1 to end. Work even in pat as established until piece measures 2" from beginning, end on ws. Dec row (rs)" and then it contains instructions for decreasing.

So then I'd continue switching knit and purl to get my stockinette?

[suzeeq]

I found some pictures of it, the first 2 rows would be Rev stockinette, then you switch to stockinette with some purl sts on the RS to set off the cables. When in doubt look at the pictures!