I’d planned on having a nice juicy Elsewhere for you guys today, but this week has been utter chaos and yesterday got 100% derailed with both mortgage and factory concerns vying for my attention. However difficult and time-consuming it may be, the good news is A) we’re buying a house! and B) the project bags are being made! Today I’m actually visiting the factory to see the first of the completed bags, and I should have more news about that at the beginning of next week. The other good news (if you’re me! haha) is that in the midst of all of this, I had a tiny window — maybe 45 minutes — of some of the happiest, most blissful making of my life. On Wednesday night (a day which also brought us a desperately needed break from the oppressive heat), I managed to get my sewing machine running again and fell into a trance while working through the first few steps of that Gallery Dress I wrote about on Monday. I don’t think of sewing as a good time. I find it tedious but rewarding, frankly. Maybe it was the mayhem I was escaping; maybe it was the magic of creating that placket (I kept thinking of the first time I did Kitchener stitch — being stunned by the sorcery of it) but I had the most fun working on this dress for that short span of time. I know not everyone finds their bliss the way we do, knitting and crochet and sewing and whatever, but I was so thankful that I have this outlet at times like this. And I hope for everyone that if they don’t have this, they have something.
Here’s to a weekend with at least a few happy making moments for every one of you. See you next week!
What an exciting time!
It is so nice to hear others express the joy that knitting, sewing, and other forms of handwork give them. Some people just don’t seem to get it.
Congratulations on the house!
Such good news on all fronts (pun intended ;). Congratulations!
Ah. There are the times (in sewing and knitting both) where at the start, you think you’re just following directions and then as you go, you realize you’re being shown how to make magic.
Congratulations, Karen!! About your soon-to-be home and your project bags. Yahoo! Thank the YarnGoddesses for knitting/crocheting. When I can’t get to my studio and everything is going nuts, there’s always a yarn project I can grab and spend a few moments on. Helps. so helps!
what wonderful news! the house! the dress! the euphoria! sounds like a good weekend is entirely possible. be well~
That is one perfect placket. Big congrats, Karen, it is going to be beautiful!
Linen behaves so nicely under the foot, doesn’t it? Stitches beautifully, and then, the best part …. the ironing. It smells so good when the steam hits it. And then the seams and darts flatten into perfect submission … (swoon). I know this because I just finished a flax linen skirt yesterday, same color as your top, but a heavier grade. I will wear it with a white silk boxy top I made not too long ago. With my pearls. Joy. ;-)
I am so excited about the project bags!! Does this mean there will be a continuous supply?
YEA and congratulations is right and I totally agree with Clare in the above comment re linen. a house…’the’ house?
I truly admire you – for all that you do – and all that you get done! You inspire me.
Hi Karen loved your Amanda cardigan, new at reading chart, I need your help to start with the chart.
I am doing size XL with 126 sts to start. I started by knitting the 12 stitches where it say beg and when I work till the end of the chart I still have lot of stitches left. What does work 3 (3,4,4) times means? I thought it mean that you knit the first 12 sts 4 times which is 48 sts in total but that did not work at all not enough sts.
I wish I can make my just like your, I be very happy if I can get my similar to your since I am not good reading knitting instruction right now. Thanks
Hi, Le Le. This is a little bit ambitious for a first chart! Since it’s knitted flat, you’ll work all right-side rows from right to left on the chart. Then wrong-side chart rows are read/worked from left to right and in reverse, because you’re now working from the back side of the fabric. So if the chart shows a knit stitch but you’re working it from the wrong side, that’s a purl stitch. And vice versa.
In a pattern, any time numbers are given as a set — e.g., 3 (3, 4, 4) — those numbers correspond to the pattern sizes. This pattern has four sizes and you’re working the largest one, so you’ll always use the fourth number in each set. You might want to go through and circle them all or highlight them.
As far as the chart itself — on row 1 (working from the bottom right corner of the chart, marked 1, right to left) for your size, you knit the first 4 stitches, then work the next 8-stitch repeat 4 times, then knit across to the next 8-stitch repeat and again work that 4 times, then work the last 4 stitches.
Now turn your work and work row 2, the wrong-side row, from left to right (hence the 2 being on the left side of the chart), working the knit squares as purls and the purl squares as knits (as explained above and indicated in the chart legend).
Hope that helps!
Hi Karen thanks finally got Row 1 and 2 going but having problem starting on Row 3 . When I am done with Row 3 I always have extra stitches left on my needles. Do I start Row 3 just like Row 1 than start the 3 cables? I have tried many different ways but can’t seem to get it right . Really not sure what I am doing wrong. I read and follow the chart very carefully.
I don’t have the chart here, so can’t give you a more details reply than this, but “Do I start Row 3 just like Row 1 than start the 3 cables?” <— yes.
Does this help you make more sense of it? http://fringeassociation.com/2014/09/18/hot-tip-annotate-your-charts/
There’s so something so incredible about finding the time to sit quietly and make something, despite the chaos swirling around you. We’re in the midst of a move too, and every small snatch of time I get to sit and knit a row feels like bliss. Knitting (and sewing) in general make me feel like that, but when life is crazy and there are a million things going on, that little reminder that I can make concrete progress on this one thing in front of me is very soothing.
Congrats on the house and the factory success! I can’t wait to see how your tunic turns out.
Yes, I did that however that did not work because the first 3 cables have 12 stitches therefore when I start Row 3 same as Row 1 there are not enough stitches. I think I just figure it out I start Row 3 only with 24 sts so the 3 cables which is 12 sts seem to work because 12 + 24 = 36 sts which is the same as Row 1. I hope this is correct.I know it hard for you since you don’ the pattern. You have been extremely helpful thank you so much.
36 honeycomb stitches is correct — you work the first four, then the next 8 four times.
4 + [8 x 4] = 36
Awesome, thanks, so excited hope I can put all the pieces together once I am done. I will post my cardigan to show you if it turn out.
Hi Karen I think I finally figured out Row 3, so I start to knit 25 stitches included 1 edge st then I start the fist 3 cables. Is this correct? Thanks.
Hi Karen finally finished my Back piece for the Amanda cardigan, but have to rip it all out.I followed the instruction but ended up with 36 stitches of stockinette at the beginning and end of row. I have been trying to knit the honeycomb like everyone else but can’t seem to get it right for hours . I noticed on the chart
Row 1 you knit the first 4 sts, then knit 8 sts and repeat 4 times it just a square in the chart which mean Knit on RS. The honeycomb doesn’t start til Row 3 and not every Row have the honeycomb so how did everyone got their honeycomb on the edge and on every row.
I know you had told me to knit 4 + [8 x 4] = 36 and I ended up with stockinette.
It is possible that you help me out on exactly what I am suppose to knit just on the first few rows so I can have a better understanding of the pattern.
Thanks!
Oh sorry correction not 36 stockinette sts, 24 stockinette sts then the 12 sts for the 3 cables at the beginning and end of row.
Hi Karen Congrats on your new house and started the painting. Last night I finally figured out after many hours of headache on those bleeding honeycomb on my Amanda cardigan. Felt super stupid because I totally misunderstood the chart, I have never done anything so complicated. However I did learn a lot from all my mistakes lol, of course I wish I din not have to learn this way. So here I go again starting my sweater all over again from the very beginning.
So glad you figured it out! You’re definitely biting off a lot with this being your first chart, but you’ll also learn a lot from it if you hang in there!
Thanks Karen for replying back I know you are super busy. And yes totally true you always end up learning something new from your mistakes. Yes it was very challenging for me with the chart, giving birth to my son was a lot easier and faster lol. But I refused to give up I really loved the sweater because of the honeycomb. Before I even started this project I already visual that sweater on me and I guessed that is how I found the patience to keep going.