I’ve been knitting so much, I almost forgot to add this hat to the store. I thank those of you who emailed to remind me. It’s a fun knit, a wee bit challenging for those unaccustomed to knitting corrugated ribbing, but you’ll soon get the hang of it. My fantastic students at Halcyon Yarn last week caught on fast.
After the ribbing are two fair isle strips, which are the same border pattern, only with the colors reversed.
For your convenience or confusion, My Chart has 3 versions of the 16 stitch pattern repeat; one full color, one full color with the pattern motif stitches identified with a black dot, and the background stitches left plain, and the final version in just black and white, to differentiate the pattern motif stitches from the background stitches, which are simply empty squares. I use the last one myself, the most like the old fashioned Shetland charts, and tape snips of the yarn colors next to the chart. I’ll admit this configuration puzzled a couple of students, so they just folded the page, so only the chart they preferred showed.
I’ve whipped up a little 7 stitch chart as an example. What do you think?
Hmmm. Interesting. I’m used to using full color charts, but would be interested in using the color with black dot chart. I think the black and white only chart would confuse me terribly. You’ve got my attention though, and I’m sure this will be at the back of my mind for the next few weeks, as I ponder.
I would like the one on the right if using the same colors as the pattern or the one on the far left if I was going to make up my own color scheme. I think I’d accidentally purl the black dots if I used the middle one. It’s great that you came up with these options since we all see and think differently. Pretty hat pattern, too!
Thanks so much for your feedback. I think the main problem with these charts is what Pam mentioned, that the black dot usually represents a purl stitch now. In collections of Shetland pattern motifs, it represents the “pattern stitch”. I suppose some other symbol might be needed, to avoid confusion.
I’m so picky, I hate looking at charts with all those symbols too, rigid triangles and hash tags…yuck.
Okay, I have to ask. How do I find a way to love corrugated ribbing? I love the way it looks, and I like the structure of it.
But I hate, hate, hate the actual act of producing it. It makes me want to stab myself in the eye, or to pay someone else to knit my ribbing.
Actually, I think I know the answer to this, and it is that I need to teach myself to purl with my left hand. I can knit with both hands at the same time, but when I purl with the left hand, I twist all my stitches.
And thanks for not laughing at the knitting on my bloggy-blog