Tuesday, July 14, 2009

I Feel Stupid.

I began Eugene Beugler's Lace Dream Shawl on Sunday, and last night I had progressed to the end of the first 18 rows which are folded and knit together to create a doubled, finished hem. Although it was actually harder to pick up the live stitches from my provisional cast on, it was mainly due to the properties of the waste yarn I used, which didn't want to let go. The pattern is a modified feather and fan which creates an image of peacock plumes.

This morning during my 5:30 a.m. knitting time I began work on the shawl proper. And at the end of the first row, something was wrong. I didn't have enough stitches. I went back and counted, and, while I didn't have enough stitches to finish the pattern repeat, I had several more stitches than when I started the row, and it's a rectangular shawl, so I wasn't increasing for shape.

I ripped back.

I shook the cobwebs out of my head and started the row anew. I paid extra attention, or so I thought, to the pattern. And I still had more than my expected 115 stitches. And yet I still don't have enough to finish the pattern repeat.

What am I doing wrong? Why has Bob foresaken me?

Excuse me, but I have a row of lace to rip back.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

i googled that dream and it IS beautiful.
you'll "get it" soon.

marie in florida
mym on Ravelry

Rebecca said...

Oh no! :(

I made that shawl a long time ago, and had the same problem... the first row is unpleasant because there are a hundred million yarnovers and no way to read your knitting yet. But after that it is just knitting the same pattern row over and over, so once it clicks you're set. Right?

Good luck unknitting and trying again!

Aidan said...

I tinked back to the first row of the chart and did it again. This time, after 2 rows, it was wrong in the border stitches. Crap. Tomorrow is another day. I will try it again.