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HomekeepingGran
Seriously Hooked
614 Posts |
 Posted - 08/16/2007 : 4:45:16 PM
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I am a member of Zimmermania, but Blogger isn't letting me post this there. Is there anyone here who can help?
OK, everything looked so good for a while. Sigh. I know for sure I counted the CO number correctly. I counted carefully for the first few rows to get to the decreases and the numbers between them. After I picked up the rhythm I quit counting and just did the two sets of double decreases (slip 1, k2 tog, psso) on the right side and knitted straight back on the wrong side. I kept a row counter going. It says I'm at decrease #18, but... I've got 92 (a totally crazy number) stitches on the needle. When I count ridges, it says 18 should be about right. If things were as they should be I should not be at 92 nutty stitches but have several more on the needle.
What have I misunderstood?
Blessings,
Carla
She seeketh wool and flax and worketh willingly with her hands... Proverbs 31:13 |
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sjanova
Seriously Hooked
USA
960 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2007 : 5:37:41 PM
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Carla:
I have this printed off and holding the place in my copy of Knitting Workshop until I finish another sweater first, but I thought perhaps these notes might be helpful:
http://www.3gcs.com/adcock/free%20patterns/BSS%20Notes.htm
I have NOT yet made this sweater but I think it's the next baby garment (after the current sweater and not counting other things on the list).
sja |
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HomekeepingGran
Seriously Hooked
614 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2007 : 5:44:10 PM
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Thanks, sja. I'll keep those in mind, but... I think I found my mistake. The Opinionated Knitter is not in my favorite format (sorry, EZ). It's crowded, difficult to keep one's place and frankly, I just plain missed some instructions way back to increase some stitches. You know, I started to type out the instructions on a separate sheet to make it easier to NOT miss something and just didn't do it. To my sorrow.
Sheesh. Dumb, dumb, dumb. But not crazy, at least.
Blessings,
Carla
She seeketh wool and flax and worketh willingly with her hands... Proverbs 31:13 |
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GFTC
Permanent Resident
USA
6331 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2007 : 6:14:51 PM
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IMO one cannot knit BSJ without losing your mind unless you use the Dawn Adcock notes that SJA referenced above. I think EZ's ideas are good but her patterns not patterns. They make me think of a published version of the jotted notes that we all make on the back of envelopes as we knit.
GFTC of NYC
the pictures tell the story
www.flickr.com/photos/gftc_knits/ |
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HomekeepingGran
Seriously Hooked
614 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2007 : 6:24:47 PM
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Oh, it's not just me? Sigh. I pretty much mentally follow her instructions — to a point. Some nice pictures would help. Thank you for the encouragement, GFTC.
You know, I think this little jacket won't make it into the baby shower gift I've got going for Saturday. Thank goodness there is something else finished!
Blessings,
Carla
She seeketh wool and flax and worketh willingly with her hands... Proverbs 31:13 |
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knits_for_preemies
Permanent Resident
USA
1957 Posts |
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HomekeepingGran
Seriously Hooked
614 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2007 : 7:07:29 PM
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I've printed off both of these, Barbara. Actually, I've felt I'm fighting the yarn just a bit, so I think I'm going to completely frog and start over with a larger needle. Maybe my hands won't be so tired. I don't like garter stitch because I find it very restful to both knit and purl. In fact, I've considered trying one of these with garter borders and stockinette in the middle, but I won't attempt that until there is a completed BSJ under my belt. Good luck on your BSJ! What colors are you planning to use?
Blessings,
Carla
She seeketh wool and flax and worketh willingly with her hands... Proverbs 31:13 |
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margeaa
Chatty Knitter
USA
317 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2007 : 05:28:23 AM
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I'm making the BSJ now. When I bought the pattern at my LYS, the owner also gave me a print-out that they made that gives directions, row by row, with the total number of stitches on the needle, row by row. There's a big note on top that says that it's a violation of copyright to distribute these notes to anyone who does not have a legal copy of the original pattern. I don't know how I could have knit this without these notes. Even with them, I'm on row 57 now where you add 10 stitches in the middle part.........and I now have 4 less stitches on my needle than what I'm supposed to have. Since I wasn't counting the stitches, row by row.......I don't know where I went wrong! I'll deal with it later!
Marge
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GFTC
Permanent Resident
USA
6331 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2007 : 06:09:23 AM
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Well, now you all know what the "surprise" is in Baby Surprise Jacket. You think it's mindless because it's knit in one piece all in garter stitch but the surprise is that you have to count every freakin' stitch.
GFTC of NYC
the pictures tell the story
www.flickr.com/photos/gftc_knits/ |
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margeaa
Chatty Knitter
USA
317 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2007 : 10:32:54 AM
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You're right!! I should have been suspicious when she offered me a cheatsheet along with the pattern!!!!!!
Marge |
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HomekeepingGran
Seriously Hooked
614 Posts |
Posted - 08/18/2007 : 3:49:08 PM
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I'm disgruntled, too. I really hate counting to begin with and if I must count every row... !!!
Blessings,
Carla
She seeketh wool and flax and worketh willingly with her hands... Proverbs 31:13 |
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knits_for_preemies
Permanent Resident
USA
1957 Posts |
Posted - 08/18/2007 : 4:32:26 PM
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Surely there must be a short cut or trick to keeping up with all this counting.
I've read in a number of blogs, etc. where the same person has knit the BSJ numerous times, and expressed much joy in knitting them up.
I have put those really thin plastic circle stitch markers every 10 stitches before when I made something with lots of stitches on the needle (I think it was Wool Peddlers Shawl).I used blue for the simple 10 units and red when I had to mark a strategic stitch position. That helped a lot in monitoring the stitch count without having to physically count every single stitch. You simply made sure you had 10 in a particular space--which you could just about look at and know it was 10.
Just a thought...I've still not cast on my first BSJ...so I'm wondering what others who have actually knit it think...could this idea be incorporated in some way...if so, how would you do it?
 Barbara
www.southernfriedknittin.blogspot.com |
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GFTC
Permanent Resident
USA
6331 Posts |
Posted - 08/18/2007 : 4:54:13 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by knits_for_preemies
the same person has knit the BSJ numerous times, and expressed much joy in knitting them up.
Just a thought...I've still not cast on my first BSJ...so I'm wondering what others who have actually knit it think
I made one and I would make another. I used stitch markers but you still have to count because the # of stitches on the needle changes constantly due to increasing and decreasing to achieve the "origami-ness" of the piece.
The joy is in the finished product. It's like childbirth - painful while it's happening but when you see what you have created you forget the pain and you want to start another one. Yet another reason that it's called Baby Surprise.
GFTC of NYC
the pictures tell the story
www.flickr.com/photos/gftc_knits/ |
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jaw
Seriously Hooked
USA
669 Posts |
Posted - 08/22/2007 : 06:32:19 AM
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| I have made one BSJ and am working on a second. I do find it very relaxing to knit - however, I was given an xcel sheet listing every two rows and how many stitches I needed for each one and when to increase/decrease. I just needed to remember to M1 on each side of my dividing stitch. If I do get off it isn't too difficult to correct the mistakes. I'm even thinking of doing the adult surprise jacket. |
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Panhandle Jane
Seriously Hooked
USA
607 Posts |
Posted - 08/22/2007 : 12:54:11 PM
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I know some people will cringe, but the garter stitch is so forgiving that if you're off a stitch or two it doesn't really show. If you watch the DVD, Meg doesn't exactly say not to worry too much, but she sort of implies it at one point.
http:\\www.panhandleknitandsew.blogspot.com
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NursePurl
Chatty Knitter
USA
103 Posts |
Posted - 08/26/2007 : 12:48:16 PM
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I have the bsj pattern from The Opionated Knitter and it is headache inducing to say the least. I have the notes from Dawn Adcock and that helped some but I am still struggling. My question may be a silly one: I have read that the pattern is also in Knitters Magazine #56, Fall 199 issue...is the pattern written as EZ wrote it or is it in a coherent line by line format?? I found a copy on ebay I would happily buy if it is in a more normal format.
I wish I was a knitter who could just breeze through things like this, but math is a weak spot with me and I have always knitted with a pattern (I am not a talented knitter that could come up with my own patterns out of the clear blue sky 
Any help would be appreciated; please feel free to PM me.
Thank you
Rhonda
"We cannot all do great things but we can do small things with great love" Mother Teresa
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sjanova
Seriously Hooked
USA
960 Posts |
Posted - 08/26/2007 : 1:48:17 PM
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Rhonda:
I often re-type patterns so that I can print them out in a way that's best for me. Usually row by row, as you say, but also with the print enlarged and the repeat part of the row starting a line, and whatever else I need to be able to read the pattern better.
The advantage to doing this, once you are careful about proofreading, is that you can insert all kinds of notes into it, paginate in a way that's convenient for you, whatever works -- and then you can annotate it with your notes from how you did it once to do differently the next time.
After I finish the current toddler sweater, BSJ is my next sweater project and I expect to do just that, especially since I haven't made one before.
sja |
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NursePurl
Chatty Knitter
USA
103 Posts |
Posted - 08/26/2007 : 2:27:46 PM
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sja, I do the same thing with typing them out and such, but this pattern has some places that are unclear to me and all the re-typing in the world wouldn't help me  I am trying to muddle through it, but I think I just need to set it aside for a day or two and maybe the [!] will come on. Let us know how you do when you start it....I feel sort of like a dingy because parts of it are just not clicking.
Rhonda
"We cannot all do great things but we can do small things with great love" Mother Teresa
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knits_for_preemies
Permanent Resident
USA
1957 Posts |
Posted - 08/27/2007 : 06:52:54 AM
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Rhonda, I'm currently knitting my first BSJ, and I wholehearterdly understand your stress over the lack of information in the EZ pattern. I can see why LYSs teach this as a class.
Thanks to the folks at KR I located and saved/printed copies of Dawn Adcock's notes and something from WIKI, which I have given links to in a previous post in this thread. Both are very helpful, because they have pictures and words to go with them.
However, for me, reading all that was very helpful, but I still would hit spots that made me feel unsure. Like coming to the M1 (which to use?? I chose the lift the bar in between the stitches, twist it and knit into the back of it).
To solve my problem of feelin unsure, I am using a long, skinny spiral pad (like those grocery lists you buy) and have written down in pencil every row (if I switch colors, I note which color and which rows I am using it on)
My notes look a lot like Dawn Adcock's, but for me, when I came to increases and such I had to be more specific.
Example:
Row 1: 34
Row 2: Knit
Row 3: 33
Row 4: Knit
That way I can circle each row listed as I complete it. Then, when I have to stop and start, I know exactly where I am.
Here are some of the trouble spots where writing it out was a big help:
Row 11 [This is where it says to do (K3, M1) 9 times .]
Here is how I wrote it:
Row 11: (K3, M1) 9 times, K2; 76; repeat (K3, M1) 9 times, K2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9_________________1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
I listed the numbers below so I could circle one each time I completed an increase -- that way if I was interrupted, I wouldn't lose my mind.
[Row 44, 45, 46 is where EZ says work 3 rows even]
Row 44: Knit (90)
Row 45: Knit (90)
Row 46: K22, pm, K1, pm; K44; pm, K1, pm, K22.
Row 47: K22, M1,K1, M1,_______M1, K1, M1, K22
Row 48: Knit
Row 49: 23 +1 ______ (Once I've gotten the rhythm of M1 on either side of the markers, then I don't actually write down all of it, instead just use the shorthand of 23 +1 (which tells me do it on both ends--middle section increases happen anyway because of the marker--I'm not stressing over counting the middle section.)
Row 50: Knit
Row 51: 24 +1 ______
Row 52: Knit
Row 53: 25 +1 _____
All in all, maybe you can take some of the ideas here and from other folks, and develop your own written method.
Barbara
www.southernfriedknittin.blogspot.com |
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caeebe
Chatty Knitter
346 Posts |
Posted - 08/27/2007 : 07:07:05 AM
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I loved this pattern (well maybe not how it was written). I used Dawn Adcock's Notes and I thought it was very easy to work. I was so absorbed in the pattern that I finished it very rapidly. I loved watching it grow and trying to figure out how it was going to go together as it grew. I don't remember any part o knitting it being painful and I can't wait to make my next one.
Clara |
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NursePurl
Chatty Knitter
USA
103 Posts |
Posted - 08/27/2007 : 2:54:27 PM
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OOooh Barbara you fried chicken knittin little thing I could ((((hug))) you right now I printed out your post. That has been the most helpful information; it is making more sense now. I know this is easy for some, but I need way more information. I am totally in awe of EZ for coming up with patterns like this, it just boggles my mind.
Thank you again Barbara!!!
Rhonda
"We cannot all do great things but we can do small things with great love" Mother Teresa
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Baby Surprise Jacket
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