Having a hard time with the chart
I'm new to the blog - writing in in desperation! I have tried reading the chart and am completely boggled by reading a chart - I guess I should have started with a smaller chart, but I am converting the chart to text. And am having an incredibly difficult time reading the chart to even to that. I am wondering if anyone on the blog has already converted the chart to text and is willing to share - it isn't giving me the pattern, I already have that (copyright and all of that!) but I just can't follow this chart. I've spent hours trying to set the pattern up and am terribly frustrated! Thanks if you can help. Marcie
3 Comments:
At 1:34 PM,
Anonymous said…
Which chart are you trying to read?
At 4:18 PM,
Marcie said…
I'm trying to read rows 9-28, the main part of the scarf. Am I not understanding something - isn't it all one chart?
At 8:30 PM,
knitbysue said…
If rows 9 to 28 is the main part of the chart I'm going to guess that the pattern is Backyard Leaves (chart on pg 82 of Scarf style). And yes, there is just one chart for Backyard Leaves. However, this KAL is for all the patterns in Scarf Style and Wrap Style so we need to know which pattern you are trying to work out since other patterns have charts too.
I have not written the pattern out so I can't help there.
However, here are a few tips that may help you write the pattern out yourself. There's a few basic things you need to understand about chart reading and it should all become clear.
First, if you are working from a photo-copy make sure you have outlined the repeat box in red and the marker line in green just like the original chart in the book.
The odd numbered rows in the chart are right side rows and you should read the chart right to left for every right side row. A blank square indicates a knit stitch on these right side rows.
The even numbered rows are wrong side rows and these rows are read LEFT to RIGHT. A blank square indicates a purl stitch on these wrong side rows.
One thing that helped me with chart reading is that you need to understand that the number of boxes in any given row is the number of stitches you should have on the needles AFTER that row is worked, but not necessarily the number of stitches on the needle before you work that row.
I found it helpful to take the time to count the number of boxes in every row and jot that number down alongside each row on the left side of the chart. And then after working any given row I would stop and count the stitches and make sure it agreed with my jotted down number.
I find it confusing (to me) that the meaning of some of the symbols change depending on whether you are working a right-side row or working a wrong side row. So another tip that helps me in that area is I take a yellow highlighter and highlight EVERY purl stitch box. Some of the highlighted boxes will be a box with a dot in it (for the purl stitches on right side rows) and some of the highlighted boxes will be blank squares ( the purls on the wrong side rows). This helps me recognize a knit stitch vs a purl stitch more easily.
Another confusing aspect of chart reading are the No Stitch boxes which are gray. When reading the chart just skip those boxes and move on to the stitches on the other side of the gray boxes. When writing out the pattern you just wouldn't write anything for these gray boxes.
ALso be aware that in this Backyard Leaves pattern the Set-up row is a wrong side row and that row on the chart should be worked from left to right.
Lastly, if you still can't get your pattern written out and now one provides the written out version then go buy your yarn for this scarf from a Local Yarn Shop (if you haven't already) and the ask one of the store clerks to explain what is confusing you. Most yarn shop clerks are willing to spend a few minutes helping to 'unconfuse' someone if that person made a yarn purchase there.
I hope this helps....
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