Reading Your Knitting (and Charts) and Fixing Mistakes

About Reading Your Knitting (and Charts) and Fixing Mistakes with Ann Budd

All too often knitting comes to a screeching halt (usually late at night) when we find mistakes that we’re unable to correct. Some of these mistakes happen because knitters are unable to “read their knitting”—that is, they can’t recognize where they are in a pattern by simply looking at the stitches on the needles or in the fabric below the needles. How do you tell where you are when you’ve put your knitting down in the middle of row? Can you tell how many rows you’ve knitted since the last increase or decrease? How do you know what type of increase or decrease was worked? In the first half of this two-hour class, Ann Budd will examine how the basic stitches look in a piece of knitting and how those stitches are represented in charts. In the second half of the class, Ann will demonstrate fixing common mistakes, including stitch mount, ripping out, picking up single and a series of dropped stitches (including edge stitches), and reversing the direction of a cable or correcting a mistake in a lace pattern several rows below the needles. For those wishing to follow along with the knitting demonstration, there are homework swatches.

This Fiber Arts Seminar is offered as part of the 2021 Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival and is limited to 20 students.

Class Materials Needed

One partial ball of your choice of yarn (tightly twisted worsted-weight wool or wool blend in a solid light color recommended); knitting needles in a size appropriate for your yarn; optional homework swatches; cable needle; crochet hook. PDFs of handouts and charts will be provided prior to class.

Homework

2 swatches – “Reading Your Knitting” swatch and “Fixing Mistakes”.
Reading Your Knitting Swatch Instructions
You will need worsted-weight yarn in a solid light color and size U.S. 7 (4.5 mm) needles.
CO 17 sts.
Set-up row: (WS) K17.
Row 1: (RS) K17.
Row 2: (WS) K17.
Row 3: (RS) K17.
Row 4: (WS) K1, p15, k1.
Row 5: (RS) K4, slip 1 knitwise with yarn in back (henceforth “kwise wyb”), k3, k1 through back loop, k3, slip1 knitwise with yarn in front (henceforth “kwise wyf”), k4.
Row 6: (WS) K1, p15, k1.
Row 7: (RS) K17.
Row 8: (WS) K1, p15, k1.
Row 9: (RS) K6, yo, k5, yo, k6—2 sts increased; 19 sts on needle.
Row 10: (WS) K1, p17, k1.
Row 11: (RS) K19.
Row 12: (WS) K1, p17, k1.
Row 13: (RS) K5, k2tog, k5, ssk, k5—2 sts decreased; 17 sts on needle.
Row 14: (WS) K1, p15, k1.
Row 15: (RS) K17.
Row 16: (WS) K1, p15, k1.
Row 17: (RS) K4, ssk, k5, k2tog, k4—2 sts increased; 15 sts on needle.
Row 18: (WS) K1, p13, k1.
Row 19: (RS) K15.
Row 20: (WS) K1, p13, k1.
Row 21: (RS) Slip 1 kwise with wyb, k4, M1R, k5, M1L, k5—2 sts increased; 17 sts on needle.
Row 22: (WS) Slip 1 kwise wyf, p16.
Row 23: (RS) Slip 1 kwise wyb, k16.
Row 24: (WS) Slip 1 kwise wyf, p16.
Row 25: (RS) Slip 1 kwise wyb, k4, knit into the front and back of next st, k5, purl into the front and back of next st, k5—2 sts increased; 19 sts on needle.
Row 26: (WS) Slip 1 kwise wyf, p18.
Row 27: (RS) Slip 1 kwise wyb, k18.
Row 28: (WS) Slip 1 kwise wyf, p18.
Row 29: (RS) Slip 1 kwise wyb, k6, right lifted inc, k5, left lifted inc, k7—2 sts increased; 21 sts on needle.
Row 30: (WS) Slip 1 kwise wyf, p20.
Row 31: (RS) Slip 1 kwise wyb, k20.
Row 32: (WS) Slip 1 kwise wyf, p20.
Row 33: (RS) Slip 1 kwise wyb, k4, sssk, k5, k3tog, k5—4 sts decreased; 17 sts on needle.
Row 34: (WS) Slip 1 kwise wyf, p16.
Row 35: (RS) Slip 1 kwise wyb, k16.
Row 36: (WS) Slip 1 kwise wyf, p16.
Row 37: (RS) Slip 1 kwise wyb, k6, slip 2 as if to k2tog, k1, p2sso, k7—2 sts decreased; 15 sts on needle.
Row 38: (WS) Slip 1 kwise wyf, p14.
Row 39: (RS) Slip 1 kwise wyb, k14.
Row 40: (WS) Slip 1 kwise wyf, k14.
Row 41: (RS) Slip 1 kwise wyb, k14.
Row 42: (WS) Slip 1 kwise wyf, k14.
Bind off all stitches. Block if desired. Bring your swatch to class.

Fixing Mistakes Swatch Instructions
You will need worsted-weight yarn in a solid light color, size U.S. 7 (4.5 mm) needles, and a cable needle. Please note that in this swatch, mistakes are intentionally worked in the lace pattern on Row 13.
CO 29 sts.
Set-up row (WS): K4, p9, k3, p6, k7.
Row 1 (RS): Slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front (henceforth “pwise wyf”), k3, p3, k6, p3, k3, yo, slip 2 sts tog knitwise, k1, pass 2 slipped sts over (this is a centered double decrease), yo, k7.
Row 2 and all following WS rows: K4, p9, k3, p6, k7.
Row 3: Slip 1 pwise wyf, k3, p3, slip 3 sts onto cable needle and hold in back of work, k3, k3 from cable needle (this is a 3/3 right cable), p3, yo, ssk, k5, k2tog, yo, k4.
Row 5: Sl 1 pwise wyf, k3, p3, k6, p3, k1, yo, ssk, k3, k2tog, yo, k5.
Row 7: Sl 1 pwise wyf, k3, p3, k6, p3, k2, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k6.
Row 9: Repeat Row 1.
Row 11: Sl 1 pwise wyf, k3, p3, slip 3 sts onto cable needle and hold in front of work, k3, k3 from cable needle (this is a 3/3 left cable), p3, yo, ssk, k5, k2tog, yo, k4.
Row 13: Sl 1 pwise wyf, k3, p3, k6, p3, k1, yo, ssk, k3, yo, ssk, k5.
Row 15: Repeat Row 7.
Row 17: Repeat Row 1.
Row 18: K4, p9, k3, p6, k7.
Leave stitches on needle and cut yarn leaving a 10” (25.5 cm) tail. Bring your swatch, yarn, and a size G/6 (4.25 mm) crochet hook to class.