Julia
let me know recently that a short tutorial/explanation might be helpful
for some people who are having difficulty starting their Charlotte's Web
shawls. Hopefully this will help those people out. This is really an
explanation of how I approached the pattern, and what worked for
me.
- The chart only shows the pattern for the
right side of the shawl. The chart is knit from right to left, and once
the center (grey) stitch is knit just reverse and knit the same row from left to right.
- Use stitch markers to mark off the 8
stitch lace patterns. I have been using one color for the right side of
the shawl, and another for the left side. I find it very helpful.
At a glance I can tell what side of the shawl I am working on, where the
center is, and it makes it very easy to see if I don't have the 8 stitches I
am supposed to. I am perpetually forgeting yarn overs, and this makes it
very easy for me to see where I missed them.
- Your first 3 stitches of every row are
always K2, YO. The row will always end YO, K2 and the center is always
YO, K, YO.
Color #1 (Rows 1-26)
1) Cast on 7
stitches
2) Knit the first 10 rows of the chart. These
make up the foundation for the lace pattern stitches.
3) Knit rows 11-26 as per the chart, using
stitch makers to mark off the begining and end of the 8 stitches lace pattern.
These 16 rows are the pattern for the entire shawl.
When you are done with row 26, you will notice that
you have enough stitches on either side of your makers to add another 8 stitch
lace pattern.
Color #1 & 2 (Rows 27-42)
1)
Row 27 - 42 are really just the same as rows 11-26. All you need to do is
add 2 new 8 stitch lace paterns to either side of the shawl. Where in rows
11 -26 you worked the lace pattern once on either side of the shawl, in rows
27-42 you work it 3 times on either side of the shawl. Nothing else
changes from those rows. The begining, end and center of the rows are knit
exactly the same.
I typed out the directions to rows 11 & 27
to give a better example of what I mean. I did not type out the 8 stitch
lace pattern. Check out your pattern for that.
The K1 in bold is the center stitch.
LACE1=
the first row of the 8 stitch lace pattern
RLACE1= the first row of the
8 stitch lace pattern in reverse
YO = yarn over
K = Knit
Row 11: K2, YO, LACE 1, K1, YO,
K1, YO, K1, RLACE 1, YO, K2
Row 27: K2, YO, LACE 1, LACE 1,
LACE 1, K1, YO, K1, YO, K1, RLACE 1, RLACE 1, RLACE 1, YO,
K2
Color #2 (Rows 43-58) and all subsequent sets of
16 rows
Once again these rows are the same as rows 11-26, just add
another 2 new lace patterns to either side of the shawl.
And that's it! Every 16 rows when you change
your color, just add another 2 new lace patterns to either side of the
shawl. It's really very simple once you realize you are really only
working with the same 16 rows repeated 9 times. The more lace patterns you
add into the shawl, the more important those stitch markers become. I made
it to about row 50 before adding them, and now I don't know what I was thinking
working without them.
I hope this helps, if anyone has any questions I
could possible answer just send me an email, or leave a comment. Once
you work those 16 rows a few times it really becomes second
nature.
*New* added
6/3/04
This is some added explanation on using the stitch markers I wrote up
in response to some questions that people e-mailed me about. I hope this
helps clarify what I wrote above.
I found the key to adding the stitch markers was
this: you never have to move the ones you already have placed. (Other than
slipping them as you knit). I found the key to adding the stitch markers
was this: you never have to move the ones
you already have placed. (Other than
slipping them as you knit).
Every time you start a new set of 16
rows do the
following:
*Knit 2
*yarn over
*Add Stitch marker
*Add
new 8 stitch lace pattern
*Work the 8 stitch lace patterns you already
have
marked with stitch markers. Just slip the markers as
you come
to them, as you would slip a stitch.
*When you get to the last stich marker
before the
center stitch of your shawl, slip it and then add a
new 8 stich
lace pattern.
*add a stich marker
*Knit 1
*yarn over
*Knit 1
(the center stitch)
*yarn over
*Knit 1
*place stitch marker
*add 8
stitch reverse lace pattern
*work the patterns that you already have marked
off,
slipping the markers as you come to them.
*when you reach the last
marker at the end of the row,
slip it, and add a new 8 stich reverse lace
pattern
*add a new marker
*yarn over
*knit 2
You now have
your new patterns added. It's exactly
the same as row 11, you just have more lace patterns in it. Your next 15 rows get worked just
like rows
12-26. When you go to start another set of 16 rows, just add the place markers the same way.
You never need to move the ones you
already have.