COUNTING CABLE ROWS
QI am a fastidious knitter and always count my rows. I’ve just knitted a cardigan which has a stocking stitch back and a cable and lace pattern running down the two fronts. I was very careful and made sure the back and fronts had the same number of rows but the fronts look shorter. What have I done wrong?
Hannah, via Facebook
It’s so great to hear that you are a careful knitter – it is something that will stand you in good stead while working complicated patterns, but unfortunately in this circumstance it has been a bit of a hindrance! Cables are created by crossing stitches over each other which naturally pulls the fabric in and causes the piece to be smaller (and use more yarn). You may have noticed that there were more stitches on the fronts than the back to account for this, but there should also have been more rows in order to make it the same length. It’s always best to measure your project accurately instead of relying on the number of rows you have done, just to be sure. There is not much you can do as you have already completed your cardigan, but you may be able to ease the fronts down a little while blocking to match the back. Jen
QMy daughter loves sloths, so I started knitting her the cowl from issue 211 using some variegated yarn I had in my stash. It has a high wool content and is a little flu y so the stitches stick together and I am having trouble counting them after the pattern row – I never seem to have the right number of stitches and have to keep pulling it back even though I am definitely doing the pattern correctly. Can you help me? Dawn, Cumbria
We’re so pleased to hear that you like the pattern – it’s one of our favourites. It sounds like you are counting your stitches directly after the pattern row, which will prove tricky with all those p3togs and yos, especially if you are using a slightly flu y yarn. It will be easier for you to see what you are doing if you knit a row plain before counting your stitches as they will be further apart. You don’t want to have to keep pulling out a yarn that wants to stick to itself, as you may end up having to cut some of it o and risk not have enough to finish your project. Kirstie