# Can any knitters help me here? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 24, 2004, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-any-knitters-help-me-here/241769 "2004-04-24T04:58:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-any-knitters-help-me-here/241769/1 "2004-04-24T04:58:42Z")
I’d consider myself a beginning knitter, although I used to knit a bit years ago. I just started up again, and I’m having a problem with a pattern. [This](http://knitting.about.com/library/blwavelattice.htm) is the pattern. It says to cast on a multiple of 6 sts +2, which I did. But I kept ending up either one stitch over or one stitch short on every row (one stitch short because I tried to decrease when I realized I was one stitch over the row before). Reading the first row pattern, I can see (K2, \*K2, p4; repeat from \*, k1). Is it just me or would that pattern be a multiple of 6 sts +3? It only appears to be a problem with rows 1 and 3 of each iteration of the pattern. But how is that supposed to be done? Only k1 at the beginning? Skip the k1 at the end? I’m confused… ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-any-knitters-help-me-here/241769/2 "2004-04-24T06:06:35Z")
I think I figured it out…the first K2 should be a K1. I’d test it out but it’s way too late to start anything… ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-any-knitters-help-me-here/241769/3 "2004-04-24T07:11:43Z")
Yes, that’s it. But there are many things wrong with that pattern: also - row 5 & 7 should be: K1, P2, _K2, P4_, K5. row 6: K1, P4,_slip 2 to cn and hold in back, k2 then k2 from cn, p2_, k3 and row 8: K3, _slip 2 to cn and hold in back, k2 then p2 from cn, k2_, p2, k3. However, If I were to do an interweaving cable pattern like that, I’d make it a multiple of 8 +2 for selvage, which would be easier to count. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-any-knitters-help-me-here/241769/4 "2004-04-24T11:19:58Z")
That’s a very pretty pattern. It’s a shame the directions are wrong. Maybe you can e-mail them and point out the inconsistencies. I downloaded a pattern off the web and it was a rather large pillow, with multiple cable patterns. I realized one of the rows was wrong, and it took me a devil of a time, comparing it to the other rows, to figure out it wasn’t me, but the pattern. Still, once I was over that hurdle, it made a very nice big pillow. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-any-knitters-help-me-here/241769/5 "2004-04-24T16:15:02Z")
Ooh. That is pretty. Yes, please do email Barbara Breiter and tell her. She seems a sensible sort. I’m sure she’d like to know. p.s. Yay! Another knitting thread! ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-any-knitters-help-me-here/241769/6 "2004-04-24T17:52:53Z")
Thanks, everyone! I decided to cut and paste the pattern to notepad and then incorporate **amarinth’s** suggestions. I’m going to email Ms. Breiter today and let her know about the pattern. I decided to start knitting again because I was going to try to quit smoking and wanted something to do with my hands. Unfortunately, I’ve postponed the quit smoking thing for now, but I still want to get back into knitting! 😃 I’m one of those rare things…a man who knows how to knit (and crochet, and cross-stitch, and sew (a little))… ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-any-knitters-help-me-here/241769/7 "2004-04-24T19:00:14Z")
Ooh, I have another question about this pattern. Where it says to “hold in front” for Row 2, should that really be “hold in back” like the rest of the altered-according-to- **amarinth** cable needle instructions? ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-any-knitters-help-me-here/241769/8 "2004-04-24T21:51:55Z")
No, for row 2, you do want the cable needle in front. If you haven’t written her yet, and still plan on doing it, the picture is upside down (or the cast on edge is at the top), which is theoretically a perfectly valid way of displaying a pattern, but it’s more confusing that way. Good luck with the not smoking (I can read and knit, but I cannot figure out how you could smoke and knit - especially around acrylics) and with the knitting. 🙂 Men who can knit are wonderful! ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-any-knitters-help-me-here/241769/9 "2004-04-24T22:06:30Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > No, for row 2, you do want the cable needle in front. > > If you haven’t written her yet, and still plan on doing it, the picture is upside down (or the cast on edge is at the top), which is theoretically a perfectly valid way of displaying a pattern, but it’s more confusing that way. > > Good luck with the not smoking (I can read and knit, but I cannot figure out how you could smoke and knit - especially around acrylics) and with the knitting. 🙂 > > Men who can knit are wonderful! Haven’t written her yet. I’m even shy in email! 🙂 And I don’t smoke while I’m knitting. That’s another reason I wanted to take it up again…I can’t smoke while I’m doing it! ---
**Author:** ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2004, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-any-knitters-help-me-here/241769/10 "2004-04-25T00:48:47Z")
Sounds like **amarinth** has you taken care of. Good work there! The first time I ever knitted from a chart was a lace pattern. I’d hit a certain spot and it would just _not_ come out right. I started over three times before it occurred to me that maybe it wasn’t me – maybe the **pattern** was wrong. Duh. Now if something doesn’t come out right, I don’t automatically assume it’s me that’s in error. Men who knit are cool. We have a couple of men in our local Stitch ‘n’ Bitch groups. We even have a couple of guys who show up for the local handspinners guild meeting. That’s even cooler. Good luck on stopping smoking, **jayjay**. That’s a hard row to hoe, and I wish you all the best.