Letters
Lace Knitting Tip: Check Your Mirrors
Dear Ann,
Look at me! I’m all done knitting the two rectangles that I’ll soon be seaming in an interesting way to form my Mood Cardigan, which can be worn two ways.
Again, I pause to express my abject devotion to Neighborhood Fiber Company’s new Rustic Fingering, a nonsuperwash merino yarn that is soft yet full of spring and character. this shade is Cooper Circle.
I’m on ball 3, knitting the third size, if you’re keeping track. This yarn goes a long way.
Your Brain on Lace
In my last post, I mentioned a problem I was having with the sk2p portion of the very simple 6-stitch lace motif that makes up the fabric of this cardigan.
To review, sk2p requires only 3 simple tasks of the knitter:
- Slip 1 stitch knitwise without working it.
- Knit the next 2 stitches together.
- Pass the slipped stitch over.
As I reported last time, once in a while I just plain forgot step number 3: pass the slipped stitch over. This left me with 2 stitches where there should be just 1 stitch. Although the mistake is fairly easy to fix later on, I was frustrated that I kept making it. It is the kind of mistake that doesn’t mess up your ability to finish the row, as many lace mess-ups do, so you don’t detect it until you come back to the mistake on the next RS row. You can fix it (see my last post), but you get tired of fixing it.
I tried to think of a way to stop myself from making this mistake, or at least notice it right away, so I could more easily fix it. My go-to helpers with lace knitting—a life line and markers—were of no use. So I tried to think of ways I might solve a problem like this in other parts of life. How do I avoid making an unconscious mistake that will cause me grief if I don’t stop myself in time?
And then it came to me, a lesson from learning to drive, or more recently, teaching someone to drive.
CHECK YOUR MIRRORS.
When you’re driving, there are certain situations where you don’t have time to make a decision on the spot, and can’t trust yourself—you have to have a failsafe.
For example, you are pulling out of a driveway or parking space, or changing lanes. You have to learn an automatic behavior, checking your mirrors, and you have to do it every time, whether you think you’re in the clear or not. It’s not a decision you make, it’s an ingrained habit.
What is the knitterly equivalent, I wondered? In the Mood Cardigan’s 6-stitch lace pattern, each yo, sk2p, yo is followed by 3 plain knit stitches. So I made myself a rule that every single time I worked those 3 plain knit stitches, I would look at the 3 stitches immediately preceding them, and check for the passed-over stitch, which is visible at a glance (it’s slanty). I wouldn’t just do it now and then, or at the end of the row. I would make that little flick of the eyeballs—which takes a fraction of a second—a part of the process of knitting the 3 plain stitches. I wondered if I could do it consistently, without feeling slowed down by having to do it.
Guess what—it worked. Just like checking your mirrors before backing up or changing lanes. Looking for the passed-over stitch became automatic. And then, because I was looking for the mistake, my brain got the memo, and stopped making it in the first place.
The moral of the story is: Check your mirrors!
Need supplies? Check out our one-stop shopping page for Field Guide No. 15 here, or flip through our pretty flip book.
Love,
Kay
This is clever as it builds in muscle memory ( or is that eyeball memory!)
I use a counting technique in much the same way 1 – 6. 3 is always the pass slip stitch over.
I hope the move has continued to be uneventful. I won’t ever get there, I live in the UK, but I enjoy reading about it.
I’m really tempted to join the Knitalong on this lovely sweater and might just have to use Cooper Circle as well. Question: Do we really need three skeins of Rustic Fingering? From your picture it looks like three would be enough.
Oops … meant to say do we really need four skeins, like the pattern states.
I won’t know for sure until I get there but it is looking that way for the third size!
Kay and Catherine, now you have me really confused. The third size of the Mood Cardigan calls for FIVE skeins of Rustic Fingering on the product page. And you planned for four, but might only use three skeins? Can someone confirm just how many skeins I should buy??
Thank you so much Kay! I failed to check my mirrors so many times in the making of my current project that this is really valuable information. Am looking forward to viewing all the completed Mood Cardigans. Love the swing of it! Chloe
I’m excited for the Parade of Moods, too! I fell in love with the inspiration garment back in January, it’s just very wearable.
Teaching someone to drive —-
Well he’s had his license for more than a year now, but I still remind him to check his mirrors. Driving in NYC has a tendency to make you expect people to get out of your way, because you have to get out of the way of so many people who do not check their mirrors! That’s not us! You come from a long line of mirror-checkers, my son!
In search of experienced hand machine knitter with electronic machine with 80 stitches wide. (Making ear flaps with Pom Pom) Small home business started over 30 years ago that Is expanding a bit. Please email skatz@sweeters.com
I am getting lots of practice because I haven’t managed to get gauge yet. My trick is to say in my head yarn over, 1,2,3, yarn over, and knit three. The 1,2,3 are the steps to do the slip, knit 2, and pass over. It especially important to pay attention on the first row when starting a new repeat. Having found this particular counting I haven’t missed a pass over yet. Now if I can find the right size needle to get gauge…. For those who think lace is hard I am finding this pattern easy to do, easy to read, and very handsome.
I’m currently knitting a shawl/scarf with the same, simple lace pattern. An easy 6-stitch repeat. I also keep making the same mistake you describe. Funny I solved it (mostly) the same way with the addition of an odd 3×3 counting method. I can also recognize the mistake on the return purl row so it’s quick to correct. Thanks for the lesson in checking mirrors.
Like so many in the comments have done, when there is a sequence like the sk2p within a pattern, I do some sort of mental counting or chanting the steps, but try to think of them as a whole (that is, don’t stop in the middle for anything!). But I like the idea of building in a quick check that I’ve done it correctly, too, especially as I like to listen to audio books as I knit.
This is very similar to what I do when knitting lace patterns like this. I count the stitches in the pattern repeats on the reverse row to make sure they are correct. Mistakes are easy to fix at that point.
Just started the Mood Cardigan as of last night and I’m still trying to get the feel of the lace stitch. Thanks for the tip! I know it’s going to help me out.
This the sweater in the to picture a child size? It has that rounded shadow a child or baby sweater often has.
No, it’s me-shaped. It’s an unusual construction so I get why you wondered. Click the link above to the look book or the product listing for Field Guide No. 15 to see photos of it on a woman.
Perfect timing for this post. I’m a new lace knitter struggling with how to stay alert. Mistakes happen, some you rip, some you correct, but I also found and enjoyed a previous post on “fudging.”
Thanks Kay! I usually put in a marker, this is much easier. I believe I could apply this in many situations. Like before I buy everything except what I ran out to get.
My latest rule is if my brain says that looks odd, do not ignore it. It may be fine or it may be something that requires ripping out if you keep going, but now it has a name. Check your mirrors!
Excellent advice! As someone with ADHD (both a blessing and a curse, believe me) I’ve had to give up knitting lace because of the silly mistakes I kept making. I drove myself mad and my precious knitting time became something I dreaded. I tried counting/chanting, but my wonderful kids all inherited my ADHD, so our house is usually a circus and getting a chance to count without constant interruptions would be a miracle! But I can drive, and I always check my mirrors, so I think I could actually manage this with some discipline at first. I loved that cardi the moment I saw it and thought it would never be a possibility for me, so thank you for showing me a way forward.
Kay
Do you really ever read these? I hope this makes it to you. You and Ann and your honest and sincere reflections on knitting and true life experiences have carried me along thru these turbulent days. Know that all of the blessings you and your staff have extended to all of us are cause for your own blessings
Hi Etoyle,
We read every comment, every email. Thanks so much for this very sweet one.
Kay
Learning to read your lace knitting …. is important. And practiced by those of us who have knit lace …. Lovely analogy. I do this a lot. (It also helps not to be tired, or have bad lighting). My mantra — no new lace late at night. The morning will not be kind.
I can’t wait to see how this goes together — I am so very intrigued!