Lion Brand Notebook ®
I’ve never been more determined to finish something I’m knitting in my whole life! I feel as though I am in the Knit-Along Olympics, competing against myself. It’s not really a competition, but this week when I showed up with my ribbing, and everyone else had their back portion done and they were either finished or half way done with the front part of the sweater, I realized I needed to pick up my game. The group is spurring me on. I’m knitting like a fiend, trying to catch up to these ultra-fast ladies.
So I have run into a few hiccups.
As I was knitting, doing my increases every sixteen rows, I looked at my fabric and saw there was a big gaping hole in the back panel! I had dropped a stitch and it was ten rows back. How was I going to fix this? Will I have to rip it out?! How will I know where I was? I started to sweat. What to do …
LIGHT BULB!
I went through my collection of crochet hooks, and I’m going to be honest, I’ve never been so thankful for a crochet hook in my life! I took some calming breaths and saved the stitch, bringing it back up to the needle.
My next challenge? Counting rows …
I’m scared to find out what happens if I mess up the counting. Ann, the KAL instructor, had suggested I get a row counter, but what do you do about traveling? How do you know it won’t get pushed? That’s all I need, to think I’m on row 16 but I’ve really done 25 rows. Then what happens? I travel all the time with my knitting, how does one count rows while traveling on a subway?!
My mission and to end on a positive note!
I am on a mission to finish my front and back panels this week because I cannot wait to start the side panels and sleeves of my sweater. The good news is that I love knitting with Heartland®. It can only get better from here right?
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Elizabeth
I have both a new-fangled electronic row counter with buttons that could get pushed on accident and a couple old school ones that you turn the dial to increase the count. Those are significantly less likely to accidentally get advanced (or reset).
Catherine Luhm
I just use a paper and pen and tally the rows as I go…
Virginia S
I use a removable stitch marker – place on a stitch in row 1 and then count your V’s(or bumps).
Nancy Carroll
If you learn how to recognize what a knit or purl stitch (and therefore a row) you can easily count your rows any time you want — just to be sure. It’s very simple: if you are looking at stitches that are a vertical “”V” shape, they are knit stitches and they stack on top of each other making rows you can count from the knit side; if you are looking at stitches that look like horizontal bars or ribs, these are purl stitches and they also stack on top of each other making rows you can count from the purl side. When you are stockinette stitch (K 1 row, P 1 row) you can just count the v’s in a vertical row from where you want to count from. This trick also helps you fix mistakes by being able to tell what stitch is needed to correct a hole or adjust a pattern stitch that is not what it should be. Happy Counting,
shiraroars
Thank you all for your amazing advice and encouragement! I am counting! 1, 2, 3, 4,…….. I think the best one I like the most is the writing down on paper and crossing off as I go.